Publications

Risk factors for barbering in laboratory mice (2025)

Barbering is a common abnormal behavior in laboratory mice, where mice pluck their own fur and/or the fur or whiskers of their cage mates. Barbering mice are a concern for welfare and research quality, as well as serving as a...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Abnormal/Problematic BehaviorAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Ratuski, A. S., Theil, J. H., Ahloy-Dallaire, J. et al. 2025. Risk factors for barbering in laboratory mice. Scientific Reports 15(1), 7456.

Functional significance and welfare implications of chewing in dogs (Canis familiaris) (2025)

Dogs chew on both nutritive and non-nutritive items as part of their food acquisition, ingestive behaviour, self-care, and social interactions. Various definitions distinguish chewing from related oral activities, such as gnawing, masticating, and biting. Surprisingly, despite chewing being a ubiquitous...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Quinn, R., Masters, S., Starling, M. et al. 2025. Functional significance and welfare implications of chewing in dogs (Canis familiaris). Frontiers in Veterinary Science 12.

Early-life environmental enrichment promotes positive animal welfare for juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in aquaculture research (2025)

Early life experiences have long-lasting effects on behaviour and physiology, influencing development of adaptive natural behaviours. Enriching farmed environments encourages expression of natural behaviours in captive fish, promoting positive animal welfare, important for conducting valid and reproducible research and informing...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Fish, Salmon

Citation: Prentice, P. M., Chivite Alcalde, M., Císař, P. et al. 2025. Early-life environmental enrichment promotes positive animal welfare for juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in aquaculture research. Scientific Reports 15(1), 5828.

Hematological reference intervals for Danish crossbred Landrace Yorkshire Duroc (LYD) pigs used in biomedical research (2025)

The health and welfare of pigs used in biomedical research is essential to research quality and compliance with the 3Rs (replacement, reduction, and refinement). Hematological variables are objective markers to quantitatively determine health issues and evaluate physiological differences before and...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Præstegaard, K. F., Winther-Larsen, A., Kousholt, B. S. 2025. Hematological reference intervals for Danish crossbred Landrace Yorkshire Duroc (LYD) pigs used in biomedical research. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 67(1), 11.

Validation of indicators for the welfare assessment of captive Yangtze finless porpoises (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis) (2025)

The Five Domains model (FDM) is a widely accepted framework for developing welfare assessment tools across various contexts, including wild animals under human care. However, only two protocols have been developed for captive cetaceans. This study aimed to create a...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Marine Mammal

Citation: Platto, S., Serres, A., Normando, S. C. et al. 2025. Validation of indicators for the welfare assessment of captive Yangtze finless porpoises (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis). Animal Welfare 34, e31.

A guide for junior technicians: The importance of giving the correct amount of nesting in a mouse IVC and the benefits of an enriched cage (2025)

During our experience of working on the breeding floor of the University of Cambridge's Anne McLaren Building, we have recognised the importance of giving the correct amount of nesting and the benefits of additional enrichment.

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Pitcher, L., Stringer, A. 2025. A guide for junior technicians: The importance of giving the correct amount of nesting in a mouse IVC and the benefits of an enriched cage. Animal Technology and Welfare 24(1), 65–66.

Mixing groups of sheep changes vocalizations when an individual animal is isolated (2025)

In recent years, welfare, which includes pleasurable and unpleasant emotions, is of utmost importance in animals reared under intensive farming systems. Various indices have been reported to evaluate welfare. Among them, vocalizations form non-invasive indices of animals' inner state. The...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Sheep

Citation: Papadaki, K., Bizelis, I., Laliotis, G. P. 2025. Mixing groups of sheep changes vocalizations when an individual animal is isolated. Discover Animals 2(1), 5.

A surgical recovery matrix to evaluate post-surgical recovery in mice using sham and myocardial infarction models of cardiac surgery as prototypes (2025)

Examinations of biomarkers are useful in measuring overall health. Endpoints are critical to assess the threshold where the scientific aim of the study does not prevail over the wellbeing of experimental laboratory animal. However, parameters able to assess health and...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Surgery & Post-Op, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Pal, E., Shokoples, B., Naik, S. et al. 2025. A surgical recovery matrix to evaluate post-surgical recovery in mice using sham and myocardial infarction models of cardiac surgery as prototypes. PLOS ONE 20(5), e0323317.

Dairy calves provided with environmental enrichment are more active, playful and have fewer feeding interruptions (2025)

Concerns for farm animal welfare have led to the use of environmental enrichment to stimulate natural behaviours and promote positive emotions. In cattle, the provision of brushes is sometimes recommended but their use in calves and the effects they may...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Occhiuto, F., Vázquez-Diosdado, J. A., Thomas, M. et al. 2025. Dairy calves provided with environmental enrichment are more active, playful and have fewer feeding interruptions. Scientific Reports 15(1), 4241.

Refining intratracheal administration (2024)

Intratracheal administration is one of the primary methods for introducing substances into the lungs of experimental mice. In order for all lobes of the lungs to be targeted intubation under anesthesia is the ideal method. This procedure has been amended...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Cannulation, Catheterization, & IntubationAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: O'Brien, J., Easter, H. 2024. Refining intratracheal administration. Animal Technology and Welfare 23(3), 222–224.