Publications

Mice aversion to sevoflurane, isoflurane and carbon dioxide using an approach-avoidance task

Euthanasia of laboratory animals is one of the main concerns for animal welfare, especially the use of carbon dioxide (CO2) which has been described to induce aversive-like behaviours. In order to refine mass euthanasia in rodents, this study aims to...

Year Published: 2017Topics: EuthanasiaAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Guedes, S. R., Valentim, A. M., Antunes, L. M. 2017. Mice aversion to sevoflurane, isoflurane and carbon dioxide using an approach-avoidance task. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 189, 91-97.

Self-administration by consumption of flunixin in feed alleviates the pain and inflammation associated with castration and tail docking of lambs

It can be impractical for farmers to provide pain relief to livestock following husbandry procedures such as castration and tail-docking, particularly in pasture-based systems because animals need to be repeatedly gathered to handling facilities and restrained. We investigated whether voluntary...

Year Published: 2017Topics: AnalgesiaAnimal Type: Sheep

Citation: Marini, D., Colditz, I. G., Hinch, G. et al. 2017. Self-administration by consumption of flunixin in feed alleviates the pain and inflammation associated with castration and tail docking of lambs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 188, 26-33.

Impact of analgesic drugs on the behavioural responses of larval zebrafish to potentially noxious temperatures

Recent studies have demonstrated that fish exhibit behavioural responses to noxious stimuli, including mechanical, chemical or thermal stimulation. In many cases, these responses are characterised by a reduction in the locomotor activity, which in turn can be ameliorated by using...

Year Published: 2017Topics: AnalgesiaAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Lopez-Luna, J., Al-Jubouri, Q., Al-Nuaimy, W. et al. 2017. Impact of analgesic drugs on the behavioural responses of larval zebrafish to potentially noxious temperatures. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 188, 97-105.

Associations between the dominance status and sexual development, skin lesions or feeding behaviour of intact male pigs

In boars, social relationships could influence pubertal development and feeding behaviour. The objectives of the present study were to determine the relationships between behaviour (agonistic, mounting and feeding behaviours), plasma sex steroids (oestradiol, testosterone) and fat androstenone. A total of...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Reproduction, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Parois, S., Larzul, C., Prunier, A. 2017. Associations between the dominance status and sexual development, skin lesions or feeding behaviour of intact male pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 187, 15-22.

Exploring the efficacy of immersion analgesics in zebrafish using an integrative approach

Home Office guidelines recommend the use of analgesics for all protected species, including fish during scientific procedures likely to result in pain, suffering, distress and lasting harm. In larger fish species some drugs have shown efficacy in terms of perioperative...

Year Published: 2017Topics: AnalgesiaAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Schroeder, P. G., Sneddon, L. U. 2017. Exploring the efficacy of immersion analgesics in zebrafish using an integrative approach. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 187, 93-102.

The impact of bedding volumes on laboratory mice

Environmental refinement is considered to be an improvement in housing conditions for laboratory animals. Previous preference tests showed that female BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice prefer deeper bedding in comparison to shallow bedding (Freymann et al., 2015). In order to give...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Freymann, J., Tsai, P.-P., Stelzer, H. et al. 2017. The impact of bedding volumes on laboratory mice. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 186, 72-79.

The effect of auditory enrichment, rearing method and social environment on the behavior of zoo-housed psittacines (Aves: Psittaciformes); implications for welfare

The psychological and physiological effects of different genres of music are well documented in humans. These concepts have also been studied in kenneled dogs and some exotic animals, implying that animals may experience benefits similar to those of humans. This...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Bird, Parrot

Citation: Williams, I., Hoppitt, W., Grant, R. 2017. The effect of auditory enrichment, rearing method and social environment on the behavior of zoo-housed psittacines (Aves: Psittaciformes); implications for welfare. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 186, 85-92.

Housing conditions do not alter cognitive bias but affect serum cortisol, qualitative behaviour assessment and wounds on the carcass in pigs

Measures of animal emotions are essential to assess animal welfare. Recently, the cognitive bias technique has been proposed as a measure of animal affective state. This technique is based on the premise that subjects in negative affective states make more...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Carreras, R., Mainau, E., Arroyo, L. et al. 2016. Housing conditions do not alter cognitive bias but affect serum cortisol, qualitative behaviour assessment and wounds on the carcass in pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 185, 39-44.

A synthetic olfactory agonist reduces aggression when sows are mixed into small groups

Synthetic olfactory agonists mimic odours secreted by mammary glands in several mammal species and their application can reduce anxiety levels in both juvenile and adult animals. This investigation determined the effect of a commercially available synthetic olfactory agonist administration on...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Plush, K., Hughes, P., Herde, P. et al. 2016. A synthetic olfactory agonist reduces aggression when sows are mixed into small groups. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 185, 45-51.

Buprenorphine via drinking water and combined oral-injection protocols for pain relief in mice

Buprenorphine is the opioid analgesic most commonly used in laboratory mice. However, to maintain therapeutically effective serum levels, repeated injections are required. To overcome negative aspects of restraint and injection, oral self-administration is a promising alternative but has been criticized...

Year Published: 2016Topics: AnalgesiaAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Sauer, M., Fleischmann, T., Lipiski, M. et al. 2016. Buprenorphine via drinking water and combined oral-injection protocols for pain relief in mice. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 185, 103-112.