Publications

Ultrasound guided surgery as a refinement tool in oncology research

Refinement is one of the ethical pillars of the use of animals in research. Ultrasonography is currently used in human medicine as a surgical tool for guided biopsies and this idea can be applied to preclinical research thanks to the...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, Drug/Substance Administration, Imaging & Electrophysiological Recording, Surgery & Post-OpAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Serrano, C., Antonio, J. 2022. Ultrasound guided surgery as a refinement tool in oncology research. Animals 12(23), 3445.

Studying and analyzing humane endpoints in the fructose-fed and streptozotocin-injected rat model of diabetes

This work aimed to define a humane endpoint scoring system able to objectively identify signs of animal suffering in a rat model of type 2 diabetes. Sprague-Dawley male rats were divided into control and induced group. The induced animals drink...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, Humane Endpoint, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Silva-Reis, R., Faustino-Rocha, A. I., Silva, J. et al. 2023. Studying and analyzing humane endpoints in the fructose-fed and streptozotocin-injected rat model of diabetes. Animals 13(8), 1397.

Validating in-cage mouse enrichment

There is a wide variety of different types of mouse enrichment currently available, some items of which are more practical than others. Validating items used for providing enrichment can be time consuming and costly, nevertheless it is important to ensure...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Burbidge, C., Beresford, Z., Serrano-Galleg, V. 2023. Validating in-cage mouse enrichment. Animal Technology and Welfare 22(1), 63–67.

Environmental change or choice during early rearing improves behavioural adaptability in laying hen chicks

Laying hens are typically moved to a novel environment after rearing, requiring adaptability to cope with change. We hypothesized that the standard rearing of laying hen chicks, in non-changing environments with limited choices (a single variant of each resource), impairs...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Rearing & WeaningAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Skånberg, L., Newberry, R. C., Estevez, I. et al. 2023. Environmental change or choice during early rearing improves behavioural adaptability in laying hen chicks. Scientific Reports 13(1), 6178.

Refining restraint techniques for research pigs through habituation

Pigs are common research models and are strong animals that can be difficult to restrain. Improper restraint can put pigs and research personnel at risk for injury and induce stress, which can affect research outcomes. This study aimed to refine...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Animal Training, Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, RestraintAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: O'Malley, C. I., Hubley, R., Tambadou, H. et al. 2022. Refining restraint techniques for research pigs through habituation. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 9, 1016414.

Mouse food hopper dividers for a refined feeding method

This project aimed to establish whether a different method of presenting diet “ad-libitum” to laboratory mice could lower the negative consequences of exceess food, such as decreased quality, palatability and increased cost. The main aim of this project was to...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Orosz, G. 2022. Mouse food hopper dividers for a refined feeding method. Animal Technology and Welfare 21(3), 160–176.

Performance and welfare of sows exposed to auditory environmental enrichment in mixed or collective housing systems

The research aimed to assess the effects of auditory environmental enrichment on sows in mixed housing (caged until 35 days after insemination and then collective pens) or collective housing (caged until 72 h after insemination and then collective pens). Reproductive...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Reproduction, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Palermo Mendes, J., Ribeiro Caldara, F., de Castro Burbarelli, M. F. et al. 2023. Performance and welfare of sows exposed to auditory environmental enrichment in mixed or collective housing systems. Animals 13(7), 1226.

Longitudinal studies on Alzheimer disease mouse models with multiple tracer PET/CT: Application of reduction and refinement principles in daily practice to safeguard animal welfare during progressive aging

Longitudinal studies on mouse models related to Alzheimer disease (AD) pathology play an important role in the investigation of therapeutic targets to help pharmaceutical research in the development of new drugs and in the attempt of an early diagnosis that...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, Husbandry & Management, Imaging & Electrophysiological RecordingAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Palumbo, G., Kunze, L. H., Oos, R. et al. 2023. Longitudinal studies on Alzheimer disease mouse models with multiple tracer PET/CT: Application of reduction and refinement principles in daily practice to safeguard animal welfare during progressive aging. Animals 13(11), 1812.

A multi-suckling system combined with an enriched housing environment during the growing period promotes resilience to various challenges in pigs

Little is known about the impact of social and environmental enrichment on improving livestock resilience, i.e. the ability to quickly recover from perturbations. We evaluated the effect of an alternative housing system (AHS) on resilience of pigs, as compared to...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Rearing & WeaningAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Parois, S. P., Van Der Zande, L. E., Knol, E. F. et al. 2022. A multi-suckling system combined with an enriched housing environment during the growing period promotes resilience to various challenges in pigs. Scientific Reports 12(1), 6804.

Changes in dairy cows’ behaviour, health, and production after transition from tied to loose housing

Transition of dairy cows from a tied to a loose housing system may affect their behaviour, health and production. Such housing system changes have become more frequent in Estonia but knowledge is lacking on how cows adapt to a new...

Year Published: 2023Topics: HousingAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Pavlenko, A., Kaart, T., Lidfors, L. et al. 2023. Changes in dairy cows' behaviour, health, and production after transition from tied to loose housing. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 65(1), 29.