Rodent

Instituting dark-colored cover to improve central space use within guinea pig enclosure

Domestic guinea pigs (Cavia aperea f. porcellus) in laboratories have been shown to actively avoid the centers of their cages. This experiment tested a novel, dark-colored “shader” placed over the central portion of a cage. Based on the observed behavior...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Environmental Enrichment, HousingAnimal Type: Guinea Pig, Rodent

Citation: Byrd, C. P., Winnicker, C., Gaskill, B. N. 2016. Instituting dark-colored cover to improve central space use within guinea pig enclosure. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 19(4), 408-413.

Experimental control for the ovariectomized rat model: Use of sham versus nonmanipulated animal

One of 2 models required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for registration of a treatment for osteoporosis, the ovariectomized (OVX) rat model, is widely used in scientific studies investigating sex hormone-deficient bone loss. The use of control nonhuman...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, ReproductionAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Kruger, M. C., Morel, P. C. H. 2016. Experimental control for the ovariectomized rat model: Use of sham versus nonmanipulated animal. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 19(1), 73-80.

A deep neural network to assess spontaneous pain from mouse facial expressions

Grimace scales quantify characteristic facial expressions associated with spontaneous pain in rodents and other mammals. However, these scales have not been widely adopted largely because of the time and effort required for highly trained humans to manually score the images....

Year Published: 2018Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Tuttle, A. H., Molinaro, M. J., Jethwa, J. F. et al. 2018. A deep neural network to assess spontaneous pain from mouse facial expressions. Molecular Pain 14, 1-9.

Effects of daily restraint with and without injections on skeletal properties in C57BL/6NHsd mice

Studies typically involve groups of animals that are injected with placebo compounds. As there are studies that demonstrate that restraint and injection can affect behavior and corticosteroid levels in rodents, the basis of such placebo injections is to control for...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Drug/Substance Administration, HandlingAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Larsen, R. A., Peveler, J. L., Klutzke, J. B. et al. 2017. Effects of daily restraint with and without injections on skeletal properties in C57BL/6NHsd mice. Lab Animal 46(7), 299-301.

A rat-friendly modification of the non-invasive tail-cuff to record blood pressure

In animal models, blood pressure measurement methods can be either invasive (direct) or non-invasive (indirect). The non-invasive alternative involves applying a tail-cuff for blood pressure measurement. Current standardized restraint methods involve confining the laboratory animal in plastic chambers, which can...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, RestraintAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Lipták, B., Kaprinay, B., Gáspárová, Z. 2017. A rat-friendly modification of the non-invasive tail-cuff to record blood pressure. Lab Animal 46(6), 251-253.

Refinements for embryo implantation surgery in the mouse: Comparison of injectable and inhalant anesthesias – tribromoethanol, ketamine and isoflurane – on pregnancy and pup survival

An essential aspect of genetically-engineered mice (GEM) is the ability to produce live animals after the appropriate injection procedure. Animals are produced by implantation of manipulated embryos into pseudopregnant females for gestation, parturition, and growth to the weaning stage. This...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Anesthesia & Sedation, ReproductionAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Norton, W. B., Scavizzi, F., Smith, C. D. et al. 2016. Refinements for embryo implantation surgery in the mouse: Comparison of injectable and inhalant anesthesias – tribromoethanol, ketamine and isoflurane – on pregnancy and pup survival. Laboratory Animals 50(5), 335-343.

Olfaction variation in mouse husbandry and its implications for refinement and standardization: UK survey of animal scents

Olfaction plays a crucial role in mouse communication, providing information about genetic identity, physiological status of conspecifics and alerting mice to potential predators. Scents of animal origin can trigger physiological and behavioural responses that could affect experimental responses and impact...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: López-Salesansky, N., Mazlan, N. H., Whitfield, L. E. et al. 2016. Olfaction variation in mouse husbandry and its implications for refinement and standardization: UK survey of animal scents. Laboratory Animals 50(5), 362-369.

Use of the RatLoft decreases pup mortality in lactating mice

Lactating mice in laboratory conditions are thought to be under considerable stress. Dams may manifest this stress through a decrease in milk yield and/or increase in infanticide. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of access to...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Rearing & WeaningAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Weaver, S. R., Cronick, C. M., Prichard, A. P. et al. 2016. Use of the RatLoft decreases pup mortality in lactating mice. Laboratory Animals 50(5), 370-378.

Refinement of habituation procedures in diet-induced obese mice

Orogastric gavage, while a common method for delivering experimental substances in mice, has been shown to induce stress. To minimize the associated stress with this procedure, sham gavage prior to the start of experiment is a common method for habiutating...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Animal Training, Drug/Substance AdministrationAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Karrberg, L., Andersson, L., Kastenmayer, R. J. et al. 2016. Refinement of habituation procedures in diet-induced obese mice. Laboratory Animals 50(5), 397-399.

Euthanasia using gaseous agents in laboratory rodents

Several questions have been raised in recent years about the euthanasia of laboratory rodents. Euthanasia using inhaled agents is considered to be a suitable aesthetic method for use with a large number of animals simultaneously. Nevertheless, its aversive potential has...

Year Published: 2016Topics: EuthanasiaAnimal Type: Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Valentim, A. M., Guedes, S. R., Pereira, A. M. et al. 2016. Euthanasia using gaseous agents in laboratory rodents. Laboratory Animals 50(4), 241-253.