Publications

Interactive feeding technique: Elicit predatory instincts in the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) and grow a research colony of eaters

Xenopus laevis have a unique process for consuming food. They lack a tongue and must utilize inertial suction, jaw prehension, forearm scooping, overhead kicking, and terrestrial lunges when hunting prey. The mechanism by which Xenopus eat elicits a frenzied behavior...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Amphibian, Frog & Toad

Citation: Heyworth, C., Owens, D. 2019. Interactive feeding technique: Elicit predatory instincts in the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) and grow a research colony of eaters. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 7(2) (June), 52-53.

Fight Club: Using housing conditions to curb male cage aggression

Those who have worked with C57BL/6 males know how aggressive they can be towards their cage mates. We poured over academic journals, reading every article we could find regarding male home cage aggression. Three articles piqued our interest and suggested...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Sherrill, C., Kavanagh, K. 2019. Fight Club: Using housing conditions to curb male cage aggression. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 7(1) (March), 38-40.

Eureka! Enhanced water recipe and enrichment for oocyte quality and embryo development in the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis)

Husbandry staff set a goal to develop a health monitoring program for a Xenopus laevis colony that included not only specific pathogen freedom, but wellness. This article describes environmental enrichment and a water recipe for the insurance of proper water...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Amphibian, Frog & Toad

Citation: Heyworth, C., Owens, D. 2019. Eureka! Enhanced water recipe and enrichment for oocyte quality and embryo development in the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis). Laboratory Animal Science Professional 7(1) (March), 43-45.

Use of more naturalistic nesting material helps decrease food shredding in mice

Shredding of feed (food grinding or food wasting) is a common behavior among certain strains of mice. It is seen in both captive and wild rodents and may either be an abnormal behavior or a normal behavior that is simply...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: MacDuff, A., Loera, F., Adamson, T. W. 2019. Use of more naturalistic nesting material helps decrease food shredding in mice. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 7(1) (March), 46-48.

Development of edible environmental enrichment objects for weaned pigs

Studies on environmental enrichment for weaned pigs have predominantly focused on stimulating exploration through “nonedible toys.” The research on edible enrichment objects is very limited. For this reason, the aim of this study was to develop and characterize edible environmental...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Durán, E., Churio, O., Lagos, J. et al. 2019. Development of edible environmental enrichment objects for weaned pigs. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 34, 7-12.

The use of synthetic grass as a novel substrate within veterinary practice canine inpatient elimination enclosures

Dogs form toileting preferences that may influence canine elimination behaviors. This study aimed to assess the effect of providing a novel substrate (synthetic grass) on indices of canine willingness to eliminate, plus associated behavioral parameters. At a veterinary hospital, an...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Buckley, L. A., Whalley, C. 2019. The use of synthetic grass as a novel substrate within veterinary practice canine inpatient elimination enclosures. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 34, 42-51.

Facial expression of pain in Nellore and crossbred beef cattle

Although the science of facial expression of pain in humans is advanced, it has not been extensively explored in nonhuman animals. The study of facial expression as an indicator of pain might represent a substantial advance in pain recognition and...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Müller, B. R., Souza Soriano, V., Biscarra Bellio, J. C. et al. 2019. Facial expression of pain in Nellore and crossbred beef cattle. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 34, 60-65.

Saliva sampling in dogs: How to select the most appropriate procedure for your study

Saliva sampling is an easy, noninvasive method to assess short-term physiological changes, and as such is a valuable addition to behavioral studies in dogs. Different methods for collecting saliva samples in dogs have been reported in literature, and there appears...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological MeasurementAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Lensen, C. M. M., Moons, C. P. H., Diederich, C. 2015. Saliva sampling in dogs: How to select the most appropriate procedure for your study. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 10(6), 504-512.

Home sweet home cage

This feature describes creative ways in which technology can be used to study animals within their home cages, eliminating the need to handle, restrain, and separate them from cage mates. One example includes voluntary brain imaging in mice. In biomedical...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Imaging & Electrophysiological RecordingAnimal Type: Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Neff, E. P. 2018. Home sweet home cage. Lab Animal 47(10), 261–264.

Non-lethal sex identification of sea urchins: Method and advantages

A simple method for sex determination can reduce the number of sea urchins used in the lab and help to optimize experimental design. Our new methodology developed with Paracentrotus lividus is simple and inexpensive, requiring only a syringe and a...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Invertebrate, Other Invertebrate

Citation: Paredes, E., Costas, D. 2020. Non-lethal sex identification of sea urchins: Method and advantages. Lab Animal 49(1), 7–8.