Publications

Rat’s response to a novelty and increased complexity of the environment resulting from the introduction of movable vs

Most animals, including rats, show a preference for more complex environments. This is demonstrated particularly well when complexity increases due to the addition of new elements to the environment. The aim of the study was to investigate the reaction to...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Chrzanowska, A., Modlinska, K., Goncikowska, K. et al. 2022. Rat's response to a novelty and increased complexity of the environment resulting from the introduction of movable vs. stationary objects in the free exploration test. PLOS ONE 17(12), e0279006.

Animal welfare considerations when conducting OECD test guideline inhalation and toxicokinetic studies for nanomaterials

The OECD test guidelines for animal experiments play an important role in evaluating the chemical hazards. Animal tests performed using OECD guidelines, especially when the good laboratory practice (GLP) principle is applied, reduce the duplication of toxicity testing and ensure...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Disease/Experimental ModelAnimal Type: All/General, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Chung, Y. H., Gulumian, M., Pleus, R. C. et al. 2022. Animal welfare considerations when conducting OECD test guideline inhalation and toxicokinetic studies for nanomaterials. Animals 12(23), 3305.

Cognitive foraging enrichment (but not non-cognitive enrichment) improved several longer-term welfare indicators in bottlenose dolphins

Bottlenose dolphins are the most common cetacean kept globally in zoos and aquaria (hereafter zoos), and are gregarious animals with a mostly opportunistic, generalist feeding strategy in the wild. In zoos, they have limited to no opportunities to express natural...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Marine Mammal

Citation: Clegg, I. L. K., Domingues, M., Ström, E. et al. 2023. Cognitive foraging enrichment (but not non-cognitive enrichment) improved several longer-term welfare indicators in bottlenose dolphins. Animals 13(2), 238.

Review of rat (Rattus norvegicus), Mouse (Mus musculus), Guinea pig (Cavia procellus), and rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) indicators for welfare assessment

The monitoring and assessment of animals is important for their health and welfare. The appropriate selection of multiple, validated, and feasible welfare assessment indicators is required to effectively identify compromises or improvements to animal welfare. Animal welfare indicators can be...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Guinea Pig, Mouse, Rabbit, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Cohen, S., Ho, C. 2023. Review of rat (Rattus norvegicus), Mouse (Mus musculus), Guinea pig (Cavia procellus), and rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) indicators for welfare assessment. Animals 13(13), 2167.

Instraspecific interactions decrease stress affecting welfare in shelter dogs: A comparison of four different housing conditions

Shelters are stressful environments for domestic dogs (Canis familiaris). Evaluating dogs' welfare is crucial to improve their life condition and to promote a better management of shelters. We aimed at verifying which variables improved welfare in 10 shelter dogs ((hosted...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Corsetti, S., Natoli, E., Palme, R. et al. 2023. Instraspecific interactions decrease stress affecting welfare in shelter dogs: A comparison of four different housing conditions. Animals 13(11), 1828.

Is it time for insect researchers to consider their subjects’ welfare?

Recent evidence suggests that at least some insect species might plausibly feel pain. These findings should prompt researchers to think about the welfare implications of insect experiments.

Year Published: 2023Topics: Analgesia, Emotion, Pain, & SentienceAnimal Type: Insect & Spider, Invertebrate

Citation: Crump, A., Gibbons, M., Barrett, M. et al. 2023. Is it time for insect researchers to consider their subjects' welfare? PLOS Biology 21(6), e3002138.

Comparison of single- and double-spaced feeders with regard to damaging behavior in pigs

This work compared the behavior and performance of 24 groups of 12 pigs kept in pens with either a DOUBLE [one feed space aligned with the front wall of the pen (WALL), and one immediately adjacent (IN)] or SINGLE (WALL...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: D'Alessio, R. M., Hanlon, A., O'Driscoll, K. 2023. Comparison of single- and double-spaced feeders with regard to damaging behavior in pigs. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 10, 1073401.

Designing animal-friendly behavioral tests for neuroscience research: The importance of an ethological approach

Behavioral tests have three key elements: (1) a motivating factor (what motivates the animal in the test); (2) an observable behavior (which behaviors we may expect the animal exhibits in response to the test); (3) a measurable outcome (a quantifiable...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Behavioral & Cognitive TestingAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: d'Isa, R., Gerlai, R. 2023. Designing animal-friendly behavioral tests for neuroscience research: The importance of an ethological approach. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 16, 1090248.

Ruff morning? The use of environmental enrichment during an acute stressor in kenneled shelter dogs

The length of stay for some animals has increased with the recent reduction of animals euthanized in US shelters and animal control facilities. Research examining the effectiveness of different types of enrichment on buffering the effects of acute daily stressors...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Dare, P., Strasser, R. 2023. Ruff morning? The use of environmental enrichment during an acute stressor in kenneled shelter dogs. Animals 13(9), 1506.

Positive effects of bubbles as a feeding predictor on behaviour of farmed rainbow trout

Occupational enrichment emerges as a promising strategy for improving the welfare of farmed animals. This form of enrichment aims to stimulate cognitive abilities of animals by providing them with more opportunities to interact with and control their environment. Predictability of...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Fish, Trout

Citation: Kleiber, A., Le-Calvez, J. M., Kerneis, T. et al. 2022. Positive effects of bubbles as a feeding predictor on behaviour of farmed rainbow trout. Scientific Reports 12(1), 11368.