Publications

Analysis of the reliability of feather sections for corticosterone measurement in pekin ducks

The aim of this study was to identify the feather section, among the whole feather, rachis, and vane, with the highest reliability for corticosterone measurement in 10 Pekin ducks aged 42 days. In total, 60 samples (i.e., 20 per section)...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological MeasurementAnimal Type: Bird, Fowl

Citation: Lim, S.-J., Kim, C. H., Yang, K. Y. et al. 2025. Analysis of the reliability of feather sections for corticosterone measurement in pekin ducks. Animals 15(2), 138.

Welfare implications of low-dose atipamezole reversal of tiletamine/zolazepam/xylazine anaesthesia in pigs (2025)

Anaesthesia is sometimes required for the effective restraint of laboratory pigs for sample collection. Yet, anaesthesia can initiate a range of physiological disruptions that can increase variability in study data and lead to poorer animal welfare. Judicious use of anaesthesia...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Anesthesia & SedationAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Layton, R., Beggs, D. S., Fisher, A. et al. 2025. Welfare implications of low-dose atipamezole reversal of tiletamine/zolazepam/xylazine anaesthesia in pigs. Animals 15(2), 258.

A positive-reinforcement training regimen for refined sample collection in laboratory pigs (2025)

Positive-reinforcement training of laboratory pigs can reduce the reliance on forced manual restraint and anaesthesia for sample collection, reducing stress and physiological disruption. Training regimens for laboratory pigs typically rely on specialised equipment for restraint, such as Panepinto slings, with...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Animal Training, Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, RestraintAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Layton, R., Beggs, D., Fisher, A. et al. 2025. A positive-reinforcement training regimen for refined sample collection in laboratory pigs. Animals 15(4), 471.

Implementing refinement in the EAE mouse model (2025)

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is a model used in rodents to induce inflammation in the central nervous system. It is commonly used as a model for human multiple sclerosis (MS) and other diseases that involve demyelination. EAE has the potential...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Disease/Experimental ModelAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Kuncova, S. 2025. Implementing refinement in the EAE mouse model. Animal Technology and Welfare 24(1), 57–61.

By your side: How social support affects training duration, task performance and behaviour of pigs in a judgement bias task (2025)

Pigs (Sus scrofa domesticus) and most other farmed species are social animals for whom social isolation is known to cause stress. However, their social nature is commonly ignored in behavioural and cognitive tasks, on which they are trained and tested...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Kroell, M., Winckler, C., Hintze, S. 2025. By your side: How social support affects training duration, task performance and behaviour of pigs in a Judgement Bias Task. Animal Welfare 34, e25.

Evaluation of tricaine methanesulfonate concentrations for flow anesthesia in zebrafish (Danio rerio) (2025)

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are often anesthetized by immersion in buffered tricaine methanesulfonate (MS-222). Although commonly utilized, immersion anesthesia presents a shortcoming of lethal asphyxiation with increased duration of exposures. A newer technique that circumvents this issue, known as flow anesthesia,...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Anesthesia & SedationAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Kramer, A. G., Bern, L. R., Ferguson, L. T. et al. 2025. Evaluation of tricaine methanesulfonate concentrations for flow anesthesia in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Zebrafish 22(3), 99–106.

Analgesia administration practices to support minimal handling (2024)

An adequate analgesic strategy is important to improve the postoperative recovery and welfare of laboratoy animals. It is desirable that the method for administering the drug is non-invasive and stress-free. Below are a few methods that we use to minimise...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Analgesia, Drug/Substance Administration, Surgery & Post-OpAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Keenan, R., Lynch, A., Murphy, S. et al. 2024. Analgesia administration practices to support minimal handling. Animal Technology and Welfare 23(3), 239–240.

Testing the level of cortisol in dogs (2025)

This paper focuses on cortisol levels in different dog matrices, emphasising the importance of non-invasive sampling for animal welfare and research ethics. The study reviewed over 18,000 articles from various databases, identifying 78 relevant studies that met the inclusion criteria....

Year Published: 2025Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological MeasurementAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Kaszycka, K., Goleman, M., Krupa, W. 2025. Testing the level of cortisol in dogs. Animals 15(9), 1197.

Heart rate monitoring during behavioral stress tests in bold and shy rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Monitoring stress in captive fish is crucial for their welfare, but continuous physiological measures in unrestrained animals are challenging. Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) exhibit divergent personalities, ranging from bold to shy, which correlate with cortisol-mediated stress responses. To determine whether...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Fish, Trout

Citation: Kasiouras, E., Riberolles, G., Gräns, A. et al. 2025. Heart rate monitoring during behavioral stress tests in bold and shy rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Fishes 10(1), 23.

Analgesic efficacy of hydromorphone in American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) (2025)

Background American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) are maintained in zoos, aquaria, and farms for educational, research, and production purposes. The standard of veterinary medical care and welfare for captive reptiles requires managing pain and discomfort under conditions deemed painful in mammals....

Year Published: 2025Topics: AnalgesiaAnimal Type: Crocodile & Alligator, Reptile

Citation: Henke, S. E., Wester, D. B., Eversole, C. B. et al. 2025. Analgesic efficacy of hydromorphone in American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis). Frontiers in Veterinary Science 12.