Publications

A new beginning for retired laboratory rabbits

This article describes the rehoming of 10 laboratory female rabbits now living as a group in a private shelter.

Year Published: 2019Topics: Relocation & Transport, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rabbit

Citation: Animal Welfare Institute. 2019. A new beginning for retired laboratory rabbits. Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) Quarterly 68(4) Winter, 10-11.

Technician spotlight: Jessica Brekke’s “rat hammock” design

This article describes how to make an inexpensive 'rat hammock' out of PVC tunnels for standard-housed laboratory rats.

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

Citation: Animal Welfare Institute. 2019. Technician spotlight: Jessica Brekke's “rat hammock” design. AWI Quarterly 68(4) Winter, 9.

Let’s get serious about animal play

This article describes the importance of providing laboratory animals with opportunities to engage in play, and provides a few practical ideas for how to do this.

Year Published: 2019Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: All/General, Baboon, Capuchin, Chimpanzee, Lemur, Macaque, Marmoset, Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate, Owl Monkey, Rat, Rodent, Squirrel Monkey, Vervet (African Green Monkey)

Citation: Animal Welfare Institute. 2019. Let's get serious about animal play. AWI Quarterly 68(3) Fall, 19.

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.