Publications

Attitudes of laboratory animal professionals and researchers towards carbon dioxide euthanasia for rodents and perceived barriers to change

Evidence indicates that carbon dioxide (CO2) induces negative affective states (including anxiety, fear and distress) in laboratory rodents, but many countries still accept it for euthanasia. Alternative methods (e.g. inhalant anaesthetic) may represent a refinement over CO2 but are not...

Year Published: 2021Topics: EuthanasiaAnimal Type: Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Brunt, M. W., Améndola, L., Weary, D. M. 2021. Attitudes of laboratory animal professionals and researchers towards carbon dioxide euthanasia for rodents and perceived barriers to change. Laboratory Animals 55(6), 531-539.

Refined acquisition of high-resolution chest CTs in macaques by free breathing

The use of medical imaging as a non-invasive or minimally invasive method to assess disease or treatment response continues to grow. A similar trend is observed in pre-clinical research, in general, and more specifically in macaques, enabling longitudinal assessment of...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Imaging & Electrophysiological RecordingAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Tölgyesi, B., Bakker, J., Nagy, K. et al. 2021. Refined acquisition of high-resolution chest CTs in macaques by free breathing. Laboratory Animals 55(6), 551-559.

DIY: Acacia gum hanging saucer

This article describes the ingredients, supplies, and directions to make this DIY hanging item, which is great for NHP and swine.

Year Published: 2021Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Baboon, Capuchin, Chimpanzee, Lemur, Macaque, Marmoset, Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate, Owl Monkey, Pig, Squirrel Monkey, Vervet (African Green Monkey)

Citation: Lambert, K. 2021. DIY: Acacia gum hanging saucer. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 9(5) (September/October), 50.

Design and construction of a low-cost mirror for enrichment of socially isolated pigs

Due to their social needs, every effort should be made to house pigs with compatible conspecifics; however, there may be instances where due to experimental or veterinary concerns, single housing is necessary. In those situations, sensory contact with other pigs...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Merley, A. L., Duke Boynton, F. D. 2021. Design and construction of a low-cost mirror for enrichment of socially isolated pigs. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 9(5) (September/October), 56-57.

Group housing procedure of laboratory farm pigs

Our initial attempt was to individually place pigs in cages according to the serial numbers assigned by the vendor and remove cage inserts to combine those that happened to be next to each other. Unfortunately, this resulted in many fighting...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Watai, Y., Uchihashi, M. 2021. Group housing procedure of laboratory farm pigs. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 9(5) (September/October), 58-60.

DIY: Busy boxes

This article describes the ingredients and directions to make this simple DIY destructible enrichment for NHP and swine.

Citation: Lambert, K. 2021. DIY: Busy boxes. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 9(6) (November/December), 32.

Grinding on a last nerve: Attempting to curb food grinding in mice

Food grinding, or chewing food without ingestion, is a topic of interest in the laboratory animal community. In addition to increased effort needed to deal with this excess waste and provide suitable microenvironment for animals, ort production in the captive...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Garcia, T., Brown, C., Margolies, D. et al. 2021. Grinding on a last nerve: Attempting to curb food grinding in mice. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 9(6) (November/December), 34-36.

Optimal colloidal water gel type and novel placement for frequent travelers

During transportation, animals must have a water source available to prevent dehydration. Some shipping facilities use potatoes whereas, others use colloidal water gels that provide a uniform water source. The problem occurs when colloidal water gel containers are placed on...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Husbandry & Management, Relocation & TransportAnimal Type: Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Locklear, J., Whiteside, T. E. 2021. Optimal colloidal water gel type and novel placement for frequent travelers. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 9(6) (November/December), 38-40.

Adapting positive reinforcement training to novel laboratory species

Positive reinforcement training (PRT) is a component of a comprehensive species-appropriate enrichment program to train specific species behaviors and reduce the stress on animals. Our facility has historically used PRT with nonhuman primates, so we adapted the PRT model and...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Animal TrainingAnimal Type: Goat

Citation: Tresler, A., Rasbach, C., Stevens, T. et al. 2021. Adapting positive reinforcement training to novel laboratory species. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 9(6) (November/December), 42-44.

Replacing soiled bedding sentinel rodents with environmental health monitoring: Evidence and tips

Traditional rodent health monitoring programs involve transferring soiled bedding from colony cages to sentinel cages. While it can vary, the sentinel animals are ultimately euthanized after 3-6 mo of soiled bedding exposure. Using traditional soiled bedding sentinel rodents has several...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: LaFollette, M. R., Cunningham-Faughnan, T., Foley, P. L. et al. 2021. Replacing soiled bedding sentinel rodents with environmental health monitoring: Evidence and tips. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 9(6) (November/December), 46-48.