Publications

Mirror, mirror on the wall… How tank material and the presence of “enrichments” affect competition and agonism in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Despite generations of rearing in a laboratory environment, zebrafish (Danio rerio) retain innate preferences for environmental features that mimic their natural habitat (e.g. plants and gravel), but the effects of such preferred housing conditions on agonism are poorly understood. In...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Lavery, J. M., Mason, G. J. 2023. Mirror, mirror on the wall… How tank material and the presence of “enrichments” affect competition and agonism in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Applied Animal Behaviour Science 266, 106005.

Monitoring blinks and eyelid twitches in horses to assess stress during the samples collection process

To assess stress in horses, a method of monitoring eye blinks (full and half) and eyelid twitches while collecting saliva and blood samples before and after annual intensive police training was carried out. This noninvasive monitoring method was used to...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological MeasurementAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Lelláková, M., Pavľak, A., Lešková, L. et al. 2023. Monitoring blinks and eyelid twitches in horses to assess stress during the samples collection process. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 26(4), 530–539.

Predictors of the use of enrichment items in colony housed shelter cats

Colony rooms provide cats with many opportunities to use enrichment, but animal shelters usually have finite resources to provision items. This study examined how cats select enrichment items when given a variety of options. Our goal was to identify whether...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Cat

Citation: Libonate, S. T., Suchak, M. 2023. Predictors of the use of enrichment items in colony housed shelter cats. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 26(3), 300–312.

Comparing three formulations of buprenorphine in an incisional pain model in mice

This study compared the therapeutic effects in mice of 3 different formulations of buprenorphine. These formulations were standard buprenorphine hydrochloride (Bup-HCL) and 2 different extended-release buprenorphine formulations (Bup-ER and Ethiqa-XR [Bup-XR]). Drugs were evaluated based on their ability to attenuate...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Analgesia, Disease/Experimental ModelAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Lopez-Echeverria, G., Alamaw, E., Gorman, G. et al. 2023. Comparing three formulations of buprenorphine in an incisional pain model in mice. JAALAS 62(6), 531–537.

The links between positive human interaction and maternal behaviour and welfare of commercial breeding dams (Canis familiaris)

In dogs, maternal behaviour plays an essential role in offspring survival and can influence the development and behaviour of the neonate later in life. We investigated the effect of prepartum enrichment on maternal behaviour and welfare of breeding dams at...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Human-Animal Interaction, Rearing & WeaningAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Baqueiro-Espinosa, U., Donnelly, P., McEvoy, V. et al. 2024. The links between positive human interaction and maternal behaviour and welfare of commercial breeding dams (Canis familiaris). Applied Animal Behaviour Science 270, 106147.

Focus on novel approaches: Home-cage monitoring of laboratory mice

Assessment of behavioural phenotype is crucial for the evaluation of various disease models, particularly inlaboratory rodents. Traditionally, this includes performing a variety of conventional tests where animals areremoved from their home-cages and placed in behavioural test apparatuses. This approach can...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Bartelik, A., Čater, M., Cevik, Ö. S. et al. 2024. Focus on novel approaches: Home-cage monitoring of laboratory mice. Scandinavian Journal of Laboratory Animal Science 50, 1–5.

Determining a cut-off point for intervention analgesia in rabbits using the Bristol Rabbit Pain Scale

Background: The objective of this study was to determine the threshold of the Bristol Rabbit Pain Scale (BRPS) indicating the need for intervention analgesia. Methods: Fourteen members of veterinary staff were recruited to rate rabbits (n = 71) in acute...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Analgesia, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Rabbit

Citation: Benato, L., Murrell, J., Rooney, N. 2023. Determining a cut-off point for intervention analgesia in rabbits using the Bristol Rabbit Pain Scale. Veterinary Record 193(5), e2995.

Blood microsampling in cynomolgus monkey and evaluation of plasma PK parameters in comparison to conventional sampling

Microsampling, a reduced volume sampling method, has successfully gained attention at the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) level and established benefits support its use in Toxicokinetic (TK) studies. These improved sampling techniques are less invasive and in large animal species...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological MeasurementAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Bertani, S., Donadi, A., Franchi, J. et al. 2023. Blood microsampling in cynomolgus monkey and evaluation of plasma PK parameters in comparison to conventional sampling. Journal of Pharmacological and Toxicological Methods 123, 107298.

Using anticipatory behavior as preference test in the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)

The preference tests have made a great contribution to promoting animal welfare. However, they are not always easily applicable and have some criticalities. Recently the anticipatory behavior has been used to detect the animals' preference. In this study, we attempted...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Behavioral & Cognitive Testing, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Marine Mammal

Citation: Bigiani, S., Pilenga, C. 2023. Using anticipatory behavior as preference test in the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 26(2), 247–255.

A fast technique to induce and measure anticipatory behavior in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)

Anticipatory behavior describes the actions taken to prepare for an upcoming event. It is considered a promising tool for welfare assessment, but it is not fully applied in zoos and other facilities. This is probably due to the need to...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Behavioral & Cognitive Testing, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Marine Mammal

Citation: Bigiani, S., Pilenga, C. 2024. A fast technique to induce and measure anticipatory behavior in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 27(1), 137–149.