Publications

Environmental enrichment attenuates reproductive adversity in a mouse model of Parkinson disease

Environmental enrichment is the provision of different substrates to mimic an animal’s natural environment and encourage natural, species-specific behavior. However, the use of enrichment to improve breeding efficiency in mouse models for neurologic conditions is not well described. There are...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental Enrichment, ReproductionAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Walsh, C. A., Johnson, L., Cirillo, P. A. et al. 2025. Environmental enrichment attenuates reproductive adversity in a mouse model of parkinson disease. Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science 64(1), 58–63.

Behavioral effects of floor pens as environmental enrichment for laboratory rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

Laboratory animals are indispensable for science, particularly in biomedical research. Their welfare must meet their physical, social and physiological needs. Ethological evaluations are crucial for identifying and correcting abnormal behaviors caused by captivity, often through tools like environmental enrichment (EE)....

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Rabbit

Citation: Vilardo, V. B., Pinto, M. S. F., de Carvalho e Silva, A. M. P. T. et al. 2025. Behavioral effects of floor pens as environmental enrichment for laboratory rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Applied Animal Behaviour Science 286, 106629.

Lambs cope better with gradual weaning and definitive maternal separation when housed with known-adult companion ewes

Gradual weaning reduces lambs’ distress during definitive maternal separation by progressively decreasing milk intake and maternal contact. However, repeated temporary separation during gradual weaning, followed by definitive separation, remains stressful and negatively impacts lamb behavior, immune function, and overall physiological...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Rearing & WeaningAnimal Type: Sheep

Citation: Titto, C. G., Pantoja, M. H. de A., Martins, M. M. et al. 2025. Lambs cope better with gradual weaning and definitive maternal separation when housed with known-adult companion ewes. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 288, 106662.

Hypothermia as a sole euthanasia method for neonatal mice (Mus musculus)

Per the AVMA euthanasia guidelines, there are no data supporting the use of hypothermia as a solitary method of euthanasia for neonatal mice. However, the use of a secondary physical method of euthanasia, such as decapitation, could be time-consuming and...

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

Citation: Tang, N.-K., Theil, J. H., Oates, R. S. 2025. Hypothermia as a sole euthanasia method for neonatal mice (Mus musculus). Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science 64(3), 500–506.

A gentling program decreases fear-related behaviour towards humans but not towards novel objects in broiler chickens

The human-animal-relationship is a crucial aspect of good animal welfare. Improvements in this regard might be particularly relevant for chickens, as their relationship with humans in commercial husbandry conditions is often limited to brief animal inspections (visual contact) on a...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Stocker, T., Nawroth, C., Puppe, B. et al. 2025. A gentling program decreases fear-related behaviour towards humans but not towards novel objects in broiler chickens. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 290, 106710.

Regular play opportunities during the grow-finish phase improve pig trainability and learning in a cognitive bias test

Promoting play behaviour could enhance pig welfare in intensive production systems. Play is associated with positive emotions, and regular play opportunities may positively alter pigs’ affective states. The affective state of pigs can be indirectly assessed through a behavioural test...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Steinerová, K., Parker, S. E., Seddon, Y. M. 2025. Regular play opportunities during the grow-finish phase improve pig trainability and learning in a cognitive bias test. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 283, 106502.

Pharmacokinetics and effectiveness of precise voluntary consumption compared to subcutaneous administration of cephalosporins in rats following orthopedic surgery

The administration of antibiotics is a critical variable when developing animal models of infection. Handling and needle use, however, can cause distress in the animals, leading not only to irritability of the animal but potentially skewed inflammatory data in studies...

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

Citation: Shiels, S. M., Sandoval, C. M., Riddle, L. E. et al. 2025. Pharmacokinetics and effectiveness of precise voluntary consumption compared to subcutaneous administration of cephalosporins in rats following orthopedic surgery. Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science 64(3), 385–392.

An opportunistic study to assess African green monkey (Chlorocebus sabaeus aethiops) welfare using novel and classical biomarkers

The care and well-being of nonhuman primates (NHPs) in biomedical science have benefited from species-specific enrichment research. However, there remain few publications on African green monkey (AGM) welfare and husbandry. This opportunistic study aimed to explore the use of novel...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Nonhuman Primate, Vervet (African Green Monkey)

Citation: Roman, B. C., Hooper, S. E., Beierschmitt, A. M. et al. 2025. An opportunistic study to assess African green monkey (Chlorocebus sabaeus aethiops) welfare using novel and classical biomarkers. Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science 64(3), 480–487.

The impact of enriched housing on the behaviour and welfare of captive leopard geckos (Eublepharis macularius)

Substantial evidence demonstrates the benefits of environmental enrichment in mammals and birds. However, far less is known about this topic in reptiles—an increasingly popular group of pets. This study compared the effects of housing conditions (Standard vs. Enriched) on the...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Lizard, Reptile

Citation: Rickman, E. L., Wilkinson, A., Pike, T. W. et al. 2025. The impact of enriched housing on the behaviour and welfare of captive leopard geckos (Eublepharis macularius). Applied Animal Behaviour Science 283, 106487.

Gavage-needle voluntary consumption administration of a dose-specific measure to mice (Mus musculus)

Orogastric gavage is a common technique used to administer test articles to rodents with risks ranging from increased stress to death of the animal. In this study, we propose a novel technique to administer treatments to mice for voluntary consumption...

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

Citation: Punger, E. M., Norris, S. L., Stevens, S. C. et al. 2025. Gavage-needle voluntary consumption administration of a dose-specific measure to mice (Mus musculus). Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science 64(2), 287–293.