Publications

Tactile stimulation reduces aggressiveness but does not lower stress in a territorial fish

Body tactile stimulation has a positive effect upon highly social animals, such as mammals and cleaner-client coral-reef fish, by relieving stress and improving health. Conversely, some tactile contacts are naturally detrimental, such as those resulted from aggressive interactions. To study...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Fish, Tilapia

Citation: Bolognesi, M. C., dos Santos Gauy, A. C., Gonçalves-de-Freitas, E. 2019. Tactile stimulation reduces aggressiveness but does not lower stress in a territorial fish. Scientific Reports 9, 40.

A sensitive scoring system for the longitudinal clinical evaluation and prediction of lethal disease outcomes in newborn mice

Neonatal animal models are increasingly employed in order to unravel age-specific disease mechanisms. Appropriate tools objectifying the clinical condition of murine neonates are lacking. In this study, we tested a scoring system specifically designed for newborn mice that relies on...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Fehlhaber, B., Heinemann, A. S., Rübensam, K. et al. 2019. A sensitive scoring system for the longitudinal clinical evaluation and prediction of lethal disease outcomes in newborn mice. Scientific Reports 9, 5919.

Behavioural response to the environmental changes of various types in Lister-Hooded male rats

The animal preference for complexity is most clearly demonstrated when the environmental change takes the form of an increase in complexity. Therefore, one of the potential difficulties in interpretation is that the preference for perceptual novelty may be confounded with...

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

Citation: Pisula, W., Modlinska, K., Chrzanowska, A. 2019. Behavioural response to the environmental changes of various types in Lister-Hooded male rats. Scientific Reports 9, 7111.

Evaluating analgesic efficacy and administration route following craniotomy in mice using the grimace scale

Most research laboratories abide by guidelines and mandates set by their research institution regarding the administration of analgesics to control pain during the postoperative period. Unfortunately, measuring pain originating from the head is difficult, making adequate decisions regarding pain control...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Analgesia, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Cho, C., Michalidis, V., Lecker, I. et al. 2019. Evaluating analgesic efficacy and administration route following craniotomy in mice using the grimace scale. Scientific Reports 9, 359.

Opportunities for improving animal welfare in rodent models of epilepsy and seizures

Animal models of epilepsy and seizures, mostly involving mice and rats, are used to understand the pathophysiology of the different forms of epilepsy and their comorbidities, to identify biomarkers, and to discover new antiepileptic drugs and treatments for comorbidities. Such...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Disease/Experimental ModelAnimal Type: Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Lidster, K., Jefferys, J. G., Blümcke, I. et al. 2016. Opportunities for improving animal welfare in rodent models of epilepsy and seizures. Journal of Neuroscience Methods 260, 2-25.

Carbon dioxide, but not isoflurane, elicits ultrasonic vocalizations in female rats

Gradual filling of a chamber with carbon dioxide is currently listed by the Canadian Council on Animal Care guidelines as a conditionally acceptable method of euthanasia for rats. Behavioural evidence suggests, however, that exposure to carbon dioxide gas is aversive....

Year Published: 2013Topics: EuthanasiaAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Chisholm, J., De Rantere D., Fernandez, N. J. et al. 2013. Carbon dioxide, but not isoflurane, elicits ultrasonic vocalizations in female rats. Laboratory Animals 47(4), 324-7.

Does group size matter? Captive chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) behavior as a function of group size and composition

The National Institutes of Health and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums recommend that captive chimpanzees be housed in multi‐male, multi‐female, age‐diverse groups of no less than seven individuals. These recommendations are rooted in the idea that captive chimpanzee groups...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Chimpanzee, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Webb, S. J. N., Hau, J., Schapiro, S. J. 2019. Does group size matter? Captive chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) behavior as a function of group size and composition. American Journal of Primatology 81(1), e22947.

Individuals in larger groups are more successful on spatial discrimination tasks

To understand how natural selection may act on cognitive processes, it is necessary to reliably determine interindividual variation in cognitive abilities. However, an individual's performance in a cognitive test may be influenced by the social environment. The social environment explains...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Bird, Fowl

Citation: Langley, E. J. G., van Horik, J. O., Whiteside, M. A. et al. 2018. Individuals in larger groups are more successful on spatial discrimination tasks. Animal Behaviour 142, 87-93.

Refinements to captive chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) care: a self-medication paradigm

In an effort to enhance welfare, behavioural management continually refines methods of non-human primate (NHP) care. Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) are one of the most cognitively complex captive NHPs and they have been observed to self-medicate in the wild. The population...

Year Published: 2018Topics: AnalgesiaAnimal Type: Chimpanzee, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Webb, S. J. N., Hau, J., Schapiro, S. J. 2018. Refinements to captive chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) care: a self-medication paradigm. Animal Welfare 27(4), 327-341.

The effect of electrical head-to-chest stunning on the EEG in sheep

Head-to-body stunning is regarded as ‘best practice' stunning for sheep. The benefits are loss of consciousness followed by cardiac arrest, death, prevention of animal movements post stun/kill and improved meat quality. Commercial equipment places electrodes on the head and back,...

Year Published: 2018Topics: EuthanasiaAnimal Type: Sheep

Citation: Mason, A., Tolo, E., Hektoen, L. et al. 2018. The effect of electrical head-to-chest stunning on the EEG in sheep. Animal Welfare 27(4), 343-350.