Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement

Impact of three commonly used blood sampling techniques on the welfare of laboratory mice: Taking the animal’s perspective

Laboratory mice are the most frequently used animals in biomedical research. In accordance with guidelines for humane handling, several blood sampling techniques have been established. While the effects of these procedures on blood quality and histological alterations at the sampling...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological MeasurementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Meyer, N., Kröger, M., Thümmler, J. et al. 2020. Impact of three commonly used blood sampling techniques on the welfare of laboratory mice: Taking the animal’s perspective. PLOS ONE 15(9), e0238895.

It’s Okay to Cry – Discussions by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum [LAREF], Volume V

This is the 5th volume of selected discussions that took place on the electronic Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum between February 2016 and December 2019. The forum was created in October 2002; it allows the international animal care community...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Animal Training, Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, Drug/Substance Administration, Environmental Enrichment, External Bodily Equipment, Housing, Human-Animal Interaction, Relocation & TransportAnimal Type: Cat, Chinchilla, Dog, Ferret, Guinea Pig, Macaque, Marmoset, Mouse, Nonhuman Primate, Pig, Rabbit, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Reinhardt, V. (ed.) 2020. It’s Okay to Cry - Discussions by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum [LAREF], Volume V. Animal Welfare Institute, Washington, DC.

Monitoring great ape heart health through innovative electrocardiogram technology: Training methodologies and welfare implications

Assessing and treating cardiovascular disease (or heart disease) is a growing concern for institutions housing great apes, as it is a major cause of mortality in all four taxa managed in human care. As part of a proactive monitoring plan,...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Chimpanzee, Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Cloutier Barbour, C., Danforth, M. D., Murphy, H. et al. 2020. Monitoring great ape heart health through innovative electrocardiogram technology: Training methodologies and welfare implications. Zoo Biology 39(6), 443-447.

New device for noninvasive telemetric monitoring of vital signs in healthy and newly operated piglets

Measuring vital signs is central to medical practice, but they are difficult to monitor in awake laboratory animals. We examined the feasibility of a noninvasive device [Cortrium C3 device] for telemetric assessment of respiration rate, heart rate, temperature and movement...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, External Bodily EquipmentAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Bøgh, N., Agger, P., Omann, C. et al. 2020. New device for noninvasive telemetric monitoring of vital signs in healthy and newly operated piglets. JAALAS 59(1), 90–93.

Non-contact vital signs monitoring of dog and cat using a UWB radar

As pets are considered members of the family, their health has received widespread attention. Since pets cannot talk and complain when they feel uncomfortable, monitoring vital signs becomes very helpful in disease detection, as well as observing their progression and...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, External Bodily Equipment, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Cat, Dog

Citation: Wang, P., Ma, Y., Liang, F. et al. 2020. Non-contact vital signs monitoring of dog and cat using a UWB radar. Animals 10(2), 205.

Non-invasive monitoring of adrenocortical function in female domestic pigs using saliva and faeces as sample matrices

Intensive pig management involves in a commercial setting the housing and implementation of certain procedures, such as castration and tail docking, which may be stressful for the animal. Good farming practices include the reduction of stress due to management processes,...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Wolf, T. E., Mangwiro, N., Fasina, F. O. et al. 2020. Non-invasive monitoring of adrenocortical function in female domestic pigs using saliva and faeces as sample matrices. PLOS ONE 15(6): e0234971.

Noninvasive multielectrode array for brain and spinal cord local field potential recordings from live zebrafish larvae

Zebrafish are an important and expanding experimental system for brain research. We describe a noninvasive electrophysiology technique that can be used in living larvae to measure spontaneous activity in the brain and spinal cord simultaneously. This easy-to-use method uses a...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological MeasurementAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Tomasello, D. L., Sive, H. 2020. Noninvasive multielectrode array for brain and spinal cord local field potential recordings from live zebrafish larvae. Zebrafish 17(4), 271-277.

Novel bleeding techniques in hamsters

Hamsters have historically been used in our pharmacokinetic (PK) studies using the retro-orbital (RO) bleeding technique to collect blood samples. If performed incorrectly, this technique has the potential for animal welfare complications not usually seen with other phlebotomy methods. Our...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological MeasurementAnimal Type: Hamster, Rodent

Citation: Filliettaz, C., Maxwell, L., Dragon, M. et al. 2020. Novel bleeding techniques in hamsters. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 8(1) (January/February), 44-46.

In-Homecage Blood Collection from Conscious Stumptailed Macaques

Six adult female stumptailed macaques (Macaca aretoides) were trained within a two week period to actively co-operate during in-homecage venipuncture rather than in a restraint apparatus away from the homecage. The training was based on consistent firmness, gentleness and patience....

Year Published: 1992Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological MeasurementAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Reinhardt, V., Cowley, D. (1992). In-Homecage Blood Collection from Conscious Stumptailed Macaques. Animal Welfare, 1(4), 249–255.

Thermoneutral environment improves mouse welfare and reduces stress in metabolic cages

Metabolic cages (MCs) are often used to collect feces and urine samples. However, the housing of mice in MCs can be stressful, potentially affecting parameters of interest. Here we compare our standard protocol for individual MC housing (4 days at 23 °C:...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Villiger, P., Calvet, C., Pastor-Arroyo, E. M. et al. 2025. Thermoneutral environment improves mouse welfare and reduces stress in metabolic cages. Lab Animal 54(11), 303–312.