Publications

Performance and consistency of circulating warm water blankets for rodents

General anesthesia as used for rodent research can have adverse effects on physiologic mechanisms. Thermoregulation is often greatly inhibited, with resultant deleterious effects on cardiac and respiratory function. These potential effects can be mitigated by providing external heat support. The...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Surgery & Post-OpAnimal Type: Chinchilla, Gerbil, Guinea Pig, Hamster, Mouse, Other Rodent, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Nicolis, I. N., Beale, C. N., Bidot, W. A. et al. 2022. Performance and consistency of circulating warm water blankets for rodents. JAALAS 61(1), 96-100.

Evaluation of carbon dioxide euthanasia of female Sprague Dawley rats alone or with unfamiliar conspecifics

Most studies evaluating methods of euthanasia to date have focused on the euthanasia of individual animals. However, larger chambers are commonly used to euthanize multiple cages of animals at once. This study evaluated the use of a commercially available system...

Year Published: 2022Topics: EuthanasiaAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Hickman, D. L. 2022. Evaluation of carbon dioxide euthanasia of female Sprague Dawley rats alone or with unfamiliar conspecifics. JAALAS 61(2), 195-200.

Short-term housing in metabolic caging on measures of energy and fluid balance in male C57BL/6J mice (Mus musculus)

Metabolic caging is an important tool for quantitative urine and feces collection in rodents, although significant limitations and problems accompany its use. Despite strong opinions among investigators regarding the effects of metabolic caging on energy and fluid homeostasis, careful quantitative...

Year Published: 2022Topics: HousingAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Ziegler, A. A., Grobe, C. C., Reho, J. J. et al. 2022. Short-term housing in metabolic caging on measures of energy and fluid balance in male C57BL/6J mice (Mus musculus). JAALAS 61(2), 132-139.

Ultrasonic vocalization analysis as a novel metric to assess cage enrichment in rats

Laboratory rodent housing conditions vary significantly across laboratories and facilities. Variation in housing can be associated with animal stress leading to study variability and the subsequent inability to replicate experimental findings. Optimization and standardization of animal housing are necessary to...

Year Published: 2022Topics: HousingAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Bigelow, L. J., Cohen, A. J., Pimm, R. et al. 2022. Ultrasonic vocalization analysis as a novel metric to assess cage enrichment in rats. JAALAS 61(2), 140-148.

Characterization of a jumping stereotypy in gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) and assessment of opaque tubing enrichment on stereotypies and breeding

Mongolian gerbils can develop stereotypic behaviors, including corner digging. At our institution, gerbils also engage in repetitive corner jumping, which we sought to characterize as a potentially novel stereotypy in gerbils. We then attempted to mitigate this behavior by mimicking...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Gerbil, Rodent

Citation: Habenicht, L. M., Staley, A. W., Clancy, B. M. et al. 2022. Characterization of a jumping stereotypy in gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) and assessment of opaque tubing enrichment on stereotypies and breeding. JAALAS 61(2), 149-158.

Bedding as an enrichment strategy in group-housed Mauritian cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis)

The research community is committed to improving the well-being of nonhuman primates by providing opportunities to express species-specific behaviors such as foraging. In the wild, macaques spend a large part of their day foraging; this behavior is greatly limited in...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Janavaris, M., Bader, L., Hansen, J. J. et al. 2022. Bedding as an enrichment strategy in group-housed Mauritian cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis). JAALAS 61(2), 159-164.

Influence of pair-housing on sleep parameters evaluated with actigraphy in female rhesus monkeys

Rhesus monkeys are naturally social animals, and behavioral management strategies have focused on promoting pairhousing in laboratory settings as an alternative to individual or group housing. In humans, co-sleeping can have a major impact on bed partners' sleep, raising the...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Berro, L. F., Pareek, T., Reeves-Darby, J. A. et al. 2022. Influence of pair-housing on sleep parameters evaluated with actigraphy in female rhesus monkeys. JAALAS 61(2), 165-172.

Single-dose diazepam administration improves pairing success of unfamiliar adult male rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)

Social housing is one of the best forms of environmental enhancement for nonhuman primates, and current research into pair compatibility and introduction techniques focuses on improving safety and outcome. The gradual steps method (GS), which is widely used for introducing...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Kezar, S. M., Baker, K. C., Russell-Lodrigue, K. E. et al. 2022. Single-dose diazepam administration improves pairing success of unfamiliar adult male rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). JAALAS 61(2), 173-180.

The use of a “go/go” cognitive bias task and response to a novel object to assess the effect of housing enrichment in sheep (Ovis aries)

It is widely acknowledged that environmental enrichment can improve animals' welfare and emotional state. This study used cognitive bias and response to a novel object to assess the effect of enriched housing on emotional state in sheep. Eighteen sheep were...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Environmental Enrichment, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Sheep

Citation: Stephenson, E., Haskell, M. J. 2022. The use of a “go/go” cognitive bias task and response to a novel object to assess the effect of housing enrichment in sheep (Ovis aries). Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 25(1), 62-74.

Non-lethal sampling for the stable isotope analysis of the critically endangered European eel Anguilla anguilla: How fin and mucus compare to dorsal muscle

Ecological studies on the critically endangered European eel Anguilla anguilla often incorporate stable isotope analysis that typically uses dorsal muscle sampled from euthanised eels. To minimise the lethal sampling of imperilled populations, fin tissue and/or epidermal mucus can provide non-lethal...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological MeasurementAnimal Type: Fish, Other Fish

Citation: Boardman, R. M., Pinder, A. C., Piper,A. T. et al. 2022. Non-lethal sampling for the stable isotope analysis of the critically endangered European eel Anguilla anguilla: How fin and mucus compare to dorsal muscle. Journal of Fish Biology 100(3), 847-851.