Publications

Does the location of enrichment material affect behavior and dirtiness in growing female pigs?

The objective of this study was to investigate if female growing pigs spend similar amounts of time exploring a wooden stick as they do exploring enrichment material regardless of its proximity to the feeder. Forty-eight pigs aged 18 to 26...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Dalmau, A., Areal, B., Machado, S. et al. 2019. Does the location of enrichment material affect behavior and dirtiness in growing female pigs? Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 22(2), 116-126.

Maternal-neonatal pheromone/interomone added to cat litter improves litter box use and reduces aggression in pair-housed cats

Introducing a new cat into a household with one or more resident cats can be a significant source of stress for the cats involved. These studies sought to determine if rabbit maternal-neonatal pheromone (2-methyl-2-butenal [2M2B]) in litter impacted cat social...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Cat

Citation: McGlone, J. J., Garcia, A., Thompson, W. G. et al. 2019. Maternal-neonatal pheromone/interomone added to cat litter improves litter box use and reduces aggression in pair-housed cats. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 22(2), 127-138.

Effect of simple and low-cost enrichment items on behavioral, clinical, and productive variables of caged laying hens

Housing layers in battery cages is a practice still used by many countries but it has been criticized because of its influence on behavioral repertoire of birds. We investigated whether simple and affordable enrichment devices alone impact behavior, foot condition...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Frediani, M. H., Pizzutto, C. S., Alves, M. B. R. et al. 2019. Effect of simple and low-cost enrichment items on behavioral, clinical, and productive variables of caged laying hens. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 22(2), 139-148.

Individuality matters for substrate-size preference in the Nile tilapia juveniles

Preference tests have usually been used to identify nonhuman animal preferences for welfare purposes (environmental enrichment), but they are mostly at the group level—that is, group preferences for resources or environmental conditions. However, a more robust method was developed to...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Fish, Tilapia

Citation: Maia, C. M., Volpato, G. L. 2018. Individuality matters for substrate-size preference in the Nile tilapia juveniles. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 21(4), 316-324.

Reducing the stress of drug administration: Implications for the 3Rs

Restraint in animals is known to cause stress but is used during almost all scientific procedures in rodents, representing a major welfare and scientific issue. Administration of substances, a key part of most scientific procedures, almost always involves physical restraint...

Year Published: 2015Topics: Drug/Substance Administration, RestraintAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Stuart, S., Robinson, E. S. J. 2015. Reducing the stress of drug administration: Implications for the 3Rs. Scientific Reports 5, 14288.

Exercise reward induces appetitive 50-kHz calls in rats

Rats express affective states by visible behaviors (like approach or flight) and through different kinds of ultrasonic vocalizations (USV). 50-kHz calls are thought to reflect positive affective states since they occur during rewarding situations like social play or palatable food....

Year Published: 2015Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Heyse, N. C., Brenes, J. C., Schwarting, R. K. W. 2015. Exercise reward induces appetitive 50-kHz calls in rats. Physiology & Behavior 147, 131-140.

Refinement of intraperitoneal injection of sodium pentobarbital for euthanasia in laboratory rats (Rattus norvegicus)

Background: The Canadian Council on Animal Care and American Veterinary Medical Association classify intraperitoneal (IP) pentobarbital as an acceptable euthanasia method in rats. However, national guidelines do not exist for a recommended dose or volume and IP euthanasia has been...

Year Published: 2016Topics: EuthanasiaAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Zatroch, K. K., Knight, C. G., Reime, J. N. et al. 2017. Refinement of intraperitoneal injection of sodium pentobarbital for euthanasia in laboratory rats (Rattus norvegicus). BMC Veterinary Research 13, 60.

Do fish perceive anaesthetics as aversive?

This study addresses a fundamental question in fish welfare: are the anaesthetics used for fish aversive? Despite years of routine general use of many agents, within both scientific research and aquaculture, there is a paucity of information regarding their tolerance...

Year Published: 2013Topics: Anesthesia & SedationAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Readman, G. D., Owen, S. F., Murrell, J. C. et al. 2013 Do fish perceive anaesthetics as aversive? PLOS ONE. 8(9), e73773.

Refinement of analgesia following thoracotomy and experimental myocardial infarction using the Mouse Grimace Scale

What is the central question of this study? There is an ethical imperative to optimize analgesia protocols for laboratory animals, but this is impeded by our inability to recognize pain reliably. We examined whether the Mouse Grimace Scale (MGS) provides...

Year Published: 2015Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Faller, K. M., McAndrew, D. J., Schneider, J. E. et al. 2015. Refinement of analgesia following thoracotomy and experimental myocardial infarction using the Mouse Grimace Scale. Experimental Physiology 100(2), 164-172.

The effect of gentle handling on depressive-like behavior in adult male mice: Considerations for human and rodent interactions in the laboratory

Environmental factors play a significant role in well-being of laboratory animals. Regulations and guidelines recommend, if not require, that stressors such as bright lighting, smells, and noises are eliminated or reduced to maximize animal well-being. A factor that is often...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Handling, Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Neely, C., Lane, C., Torres, J. et al. 2018. The effect of gentle handling on depressive-like behavior in adult male mice: Considerations for human and rodent interactions in the laboratory. Behavioural Neurology 2018, 2976014.