Publications

Enriched environment prevents hypernociception and depression-like behavior in a psychiatric disorder and neuropathic pain comorbidity experimental condition

Pain is a multifactorial debilitating condition associated with some psychiatric comorbidities such as generalized anxiety and depression. Concerning pharmacological treatment, which is often inefficient or associated with intense side effects, the physical and social context may be fundamental for patient’s...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Medeiros, P., Medeiros, A. C., de Freitas, R. L. et al. 2025. Enriched environment prevents hypernociception and depression-like behavior in a psychiatric disorder and neuropathic pain comorbidity experimental condition. Physiology & Behavior 291, 114795.

Positive reinforcement training improves behaviour and welfare of captive Indian leopards (Panthera pardus fusca)

Rescued animals, including leopards, often experience stress from routine husbandry practices such as feeding, movement, and regrouping. Positive Reinforcement Training (PRT) has emerged as a valuable tool for reducing stress and enhancing the welfare of captive animals. This study investigated...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Animal TrainingAnimal Type: Other Animal

Citation: Mane, A. M., Deshmukh, A., Gupta, B. K. 2025. Positive reinforcement training improves behaviour and welfare of captive Indian leopards (Panthera pardus fusca). Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 28(4), 715–729.

Do the ear and tail positions reflect the emotional state of calves?

This study aimed to determine the associations between ear and tail position and stroking or umbrella stimuli in dairy calves at different stimulus application times (before the test, pretest, test, and posttest). Thirty-two mixedbred Holstein calves of different ages were...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Machado, M., Silveira, R. M. F., Bittar, C. M. M. et al. 2024. Do the ear and tail positions reflect the emotional state of calves? Journal of Animal Behaviour and Biometeorology 12(2), e2024017.

Comparison of intrarenal and intravenous injections of sodium pentobarbital for euthanasia in New Zealand white rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

Peripheral venous access in rabbits can be difficult to obtain. When failure occurs, there is a dire need for alternative vascular access routes to be available. The AVMA categorizes intrarenal injection of pentobarbital as acceptable with conditions for euthanasia. Animals...

Year Published: 2025Topics: EuthanasiaAnimal Type: Rabbit

Citation: LeGrand, J. L., Ozawa, S. M., Silverstein-Metzler, M. G. et al. 2025. Comparison of intrarenal and intravenous injections of sodium pentobarbital for euthanasia in New Zealand white rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). JAALAS 64(4), 770–777.

Applicability of the micropipette-guided drug administration (MDA) method for assessing reward-related behaviors in mice

Oral gavage is the standard method for acute or chronic per os treatments in laboratory rodents. It can, however, induce significant stress responses and compromise the welfare of animals. To mitigate these concerns, we recently introduced the micropipette-guided drug administration...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Drug/Substance AdministrationAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Krzyzaniak, O., Steiner, S., Nilsson, F. A. M. et al. 2025. Applicability of the micropipette-guided drug administration (MDA) method for assessing reward-related behaviors in mice. Physiology & Behavior 299, 114967.

Hidden in plain sound: The scientific potential of house mouse squeaks

The house mouse (Mus musculus) is an emerging model organism for the study of vocal communication. While mice emit a diversity of calls, most publications on adult mouse vocalizations primarily focus on ultrasonic vocalizations and only a small proportion include...

Year Published: 2025Topics: VocalizationAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Keesom, S. M., Leuner, L. R., Hood, K. E. et al. 2025. Hidden in plain sound: The scientific potential of house mouse squeaks. Biology Letters 21(8), 20250333.

Effects of dietary restriction on regulation of energy metabolism in male Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus)

Laboratory rats are most often fed ad libitum (AL), but dietary restriction (DR) is commonly used to provide appropriate experimental designs. The current methods of DR have shortcomings; animals are often subjected to social isolation, periods of fasting, and disturbed...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Kasanen, I. H. E., Inhilä, K. J., Nevalainen, T. O. et al. 2025. Effects of dietary restriction on regulation of energy metabolism in male Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus). JAALAS 64(4), 744–749.

Straight from the horse’s mouth: Changes in salivary oxytocin, cortisol and behaviour in horses interacting with unfamiliar humans

Human-horse interactions can have positive outcomes for humans, but not much is known about their effects on horses. As horses are increasingly used for equine-assisted interactions and many horses interact with unfamiliar humans on a daily basis, there is a...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Kapteijn, C. M., Vinke, C. M., van Lith, H. et al. 2025. Straight from the horse’s mouth: Changes in salivary oxytocin, cortisol and behaviour in horses interacting with unfamiliar humans. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 292, 106826.

Diet gel-based oral drug delivery system for controlled dosing of small molecules for microglia depletion and inducible Cre recombination in mice

Small molecules such as PLX5622 for microglia depletion and tamoxifen for inducible Cre recombination are commonly used in mouse research. Traditional application methods such as drug-infused chow, oral gavage or injections have limitations, including uncontrolled dosing (chow) or risk of...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Drug/Substance AdministrationAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Jovanovic, J., Stone, M. L., Dooyema, S. R. et al. 2025. Diet gel-based oral drug delivery system for controlled dosing of small molecules for microglia depletion and inducible Cre recombination in mice. Lab Animal 54(10), 278–285.

Dairy cows prefer cubicles with a 3% versus 10% slope

Cows rest 8–16 hours a day to reduce energy expenditure, optimize digestion, and promote recovery. The cubicle’s slope is crucial for cow comfort and proper positioning during rest. This study evaluated dairy cow preferences for two cubicle slopes (3% vs....

Year Published: 2025Topics: HousingAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Jannah, Z. N., Hoof, M. V., Eecke, J. V. et al. 2025. Dairy cows prefer cubicles with a 3% versus 10% slope. Journal of Animal Behaviour and Biometeorology 13(4), e2025028.