Publications

Rabbit enrichment items: Getting bang for the buck (and doe)

A recent discussion on the Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum (LAREF) focused on new enrichment ideas for rabbits. Contributors shared their experiences about which toys and treats get rave reviews from rabbits.

Year Published: 2019Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rabbit

Citation: Animal Welfare Institute. 2019. Rabbit enrichment items: Getting bang for the buck (and doe). AWI Quarterly 68(1) Spring, 24-25.

Assessing the safety and suitability of nesting material for singly housed mice with surgically fitted head plates

Nesting material, for example shredded paper, is a common form of enrichment for laboratory mice. However, there has been limited research performed regarding its apparent safety when given to mice fitted with exteriorised devices such as head plates. Anecdotally, shredded...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Environmental Enrichment, External Bodily EquipmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Windsor, Z., Bate, S. T. 2019. Assessing the safety and suitability of nesting material for singly housed mice with surgically fitted head plates. Heliyon 5(7), e02097.

Guide to the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, 8th Edition

A respected resource for decades, the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals has been updated by a committee of experts, taking into consideration input from the scientific and laboratory animal communities and the public at large. The...

Year Published: 2011Topics: Regulations & Ethical ReviewAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: National Research Council. 2011. Guide to the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, 8th Edition. The National Academies Press: Washington, DC, 246 pp.

Principles and guidelines for the care and use of non-human primates for scientific purposes

The Principles and guidelines for the care and use of non-human primates for scientific purposes is a revision of NHMRC's Policy on the care and use of non-human primates for scientific purposes 2003 (the Policy). The major differences between the...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Regulations & Ethical ReviewAnimal Type: Baboon, Capuchin, Chimpanzee, Lemur, Macaque, Marmoset, Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate, Owl Monkey, Squirrel Monkey, Vervet (African Green Monkey)

Citation: National Health and Medical Research Council [NHMRC]. 2016. Principles and guidelines for the care and use of non-human primates for scientific purposes. National Health and Medical Research Council: Canberra, Australia, 25 pp.

Recognition and Alleviation of Pain in Laboratory Animals

Recognition and Alleviation of Pain in Laboratory Animals, the second of two reports revising the 1992 publication Recognition and Alleviation of Pain and Distress in Laboratory Animals from the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research (ILAR), focuses on pain experienced by...

Year Published: 2009Topics: Humane Endpoint, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: National Research Council. 2009. Recognition and Alleviation of Pain in Laboratory Animals. The National Academies Press: Washington, DC, 198 pp.

Measuring cortisol, the major stress hormone in fishes

Stress in teleosts is an increasingly studied topic because of its interaction with growth, reproduction, immune system and ultimately fitness of the animal. Whether it is for evaluating welfare in aquaculture, adaptive capacities in fish ecology, or to investigate effects...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological MeasurementAnimal Type: Fish, Other Fish, Salmon, Tilapia, Trout, Zebrafish

Citation: McKenzie, D. J., Sadoul, B., Geffroy, B. 2019. Measuring cortisol, the major stress hormone in fishes. Journal of Fish Biology 94(4), 540-555.

Ethical considerations in fish research

In this review, we focus primarily on the refinement of common methods used in fish research based on emerging knowledge with the aim of improving the welfare of fish used in scientific studies. We consider the use of anaesthetics and...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Analgesia, Anesthesia & Sedation, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Fish, Other Fish, Salmon, Tilapia, Trout, Zebrafish

Citation: Sloman, K, A., Bouyoucos, I. A., Brooks, E. J. et al. 2019. Ethical considerations in fish research. Journal of Fish Biology 94(4), 556-577.

Structural complexity in the hatchery rearing environment affects activity, resting metabolic rate and post-release behaviour in brown trout Salmo trutta

The effects of structural enrichment in the hatchery rearing environment of brown trout Salmo trutta was linked to post-release performance. Enrichment resulted in reduced swimming activity scored in an open field test and reduced movement in a natural river after...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Relocation & TransportAnimal Type: Fish, Trout

Citation: Watz, J. 2019. Structural complexity in the hatchery rearing environment affects activity, resting metabolic rate and post-release behaviour in brown trout Salmo trutta. Journal of Fish Biology 95(2), 638-641.

Non-lethal sampling for stable isotope analysis of pike Esox lucius: How mucus, scale and fin tissue compare to muscle

Stable isotope analysis (SIA) was used to examine the isotopic relationships between dorsal muscle and fin, scale and epidermal mucus in pike Esox lucius. δ13C and δ15N varied predictably within each tissue pairing, with conversion factors calculated for the surrogate...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological MeasurementAnimal Type: Fish, Other Fish

Citation: Winter, E. R., Nyqvist, M., Britton, J. R. 2019. Non-lethal sampling for stable isotope analysis of pike Esox lucius: How mucus, scale and fin tissue compare to muscle. Journal of Fish Biology 95(3), 956-958.

Postapproval monitoring practices at biomedical research facilities

Federal regulations and policies require institutions to establish procedures for ongoing IACUC oversight of approved animal care and use program activities including animal procedures. To fulfill these requirements, research institutions implement postapproval monitoring (PAM) programs designed to assure compliance in...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Regulations & Ethical ReviewAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Davis, J. N., Greer, W., Banks, R. E. et al. 2019. Postapproval monitoring practices at biomedical research facilities. JAALAS 58(4), 469-474.