Drug/Substance Administration

Behavioural and faecal cortisol metabolite monitoring of harbour (Phoca vitulina) and grey seal pups (Halichoerus grypus) in rehabilitation centres

Harbour (Phoca vitulina) and grey (Halichoerus grypus) seals face numerous anthropogenic and environmental threats around the UK and Ireland. These commonly lead to seal pups becoming stranded and in need of rescue and rehabilitation. Although rehabilitation supports the recovery and...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Drug/Substance Administration, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Marine Mammal

Citation: Zatrak, M., Shaw, K. J., Geary, M. et al. 2026. Behavioural and faecal cortisol metabolite monitoring of harbour (Phoca vitulina) and grey seal pups (Halichoerus grypus) in rehabilitation centres. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 297, 106910.

Advancing ethical standards in Göttingen Minipigs studies: The feasibility and reliability of Vascular Access ButtonsTM

The use of Vascular Access ButtonsTM (VABs) is gaining traction in animal research as a less invasive alternative to traditional venipuncture methods and a superior option compared with existing alternatives, such as vascular access ports (VAPs). By enabling repeated blood...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, Drug/Substance AdministrationAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Reijnaers, M., van Dijk, J., Warmels, G. et al. 2026. Advancing ethical standards in Göttingen Minipigs studies: The feasibility and reliability of Vascular Access ButtonsTM. Laboratory Animals 60(1), 85–95.

Cuprizone in peanut butter: An alternative method of cuprizone administration to model demyelination of the central nervous system

Modeling disease in rodents is essential for preclinical research, particularly in the development of drugs and therapies. Traditional disease modeling approaches often rely on invasive and stressful procedures such as repeated injections and/or surgical approaches. These methods raise welfare concerns...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Drug/Substance AdministrationAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Hawker, B., Chiddicks, E., Flanagan, J. et al. 2026. Cuprizone in peanut butter: An alternative method of cuprizone administration to model demyelination of the central nervous system. JAALAS 65(2), 270–278.

Report of the 2024 RSPCA/UFAW rodent welfare group meeting

The RSPCA/UFAW Rodent Welfare Group has held a one-day meeting every autumn for the last 31 years. These meetings provide an opportunity for members to discuss current welfare research, exchange views on welfare issues and share their experiences of the...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Animal Training, Drug/Substance Administration, Environmental Enrichment, Handling, Housing, Husbandry & Management, Imaging & Electrophysiological RecordingAnimal Type: Mouse, Rabbit, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Stevens, C., Robinson, E., Jackson, M. et al. 2025. Report of the 2024 RSPCA/UFAW rodent welfare group meeting. Animal Welfare and Technology 4(3), 219–226.

Small changes, big differences: Collaborative refinements in animal research

Our unit opened in 2017, during the procurement of new equipment we had the opportunity to purchase a digital ventilated rack system from Tecniplast UK. The cages are referred to as the Digitally Ventilated Cage or DVC. This system uses...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Drug/Substance Administration, Surgery & Post-OpAnimal Type: Mouse, Rabbit, Rodent

Citation: Onions, L., WIlkinson, G. 2025. Small changes, big differences: Collaborative refinements in animal research. Animal Technology and Welfare 24(3), 239–240.

Exploring the impact of acute solvent exposure on larval zebrafish behaviour

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are commonly used to test the impact of pharmacological and toxicological compounds. Larval zebrafish are extensively used because of high throughput procedures allowing simultaneous behavioural measurement in 24-, 48-, or 96-well plates. Often solvents are used as...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Drug/Substance AdministrationAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Hagen, E. V., Harper, M. M. M., Zhang, Y. et al. 2025. Exploring the impact of acute solvent exposure on larval zebrafish behaviour. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 19.

The cotton rat – a new challenge

This poster describes how the Animal Technologists at Envigo adapted their current practices and procedures for a new species at their laboratory: the cotton rat. The paper describes cotton rat biology and behaviour; housing; environmental enrichment; health; dosing and blood...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Anesthesia & Sedation, Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, Drug/Substance Administration, Environmental Enrichment, Euthanasia, Housing, Husbandry & Management, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Ballantine, A., Rodgers, D., Watts, C. et al. 2020. The cotton rat – a new challenge. Animal Technology and Welfare 19(1), 92-95.

Gastrostomy tube placement via a laparotomic procedure in growing conventional piglets to perform multidose preclinical paediatric drug studies

The use of juvenile conventional pigs as a preclinical animal model to perform pharmacokinetic (PK), pharmacodynamic (PD) and safety studies for the paediatric population is increasing. Repetitive oral administration of drugs to juvenile pigs is however challenging. A representative method...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Drug/Substance AdministrationAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Millecam, J., van Bergen, T., Devreese, M. 2020. Gastrostomy tube placement via a laparotomic procedure in growing conventional piglets to perform multidose preclinical paediatric drug studies. Laboratory Animals 54(3), 261-271.

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.

Sex and strain differences in the micropipette-guided drug administration (MDA) method in mice

To provide an alternative to oral gavage for per os treatments in laboratory mice, we have recently developed and introduced the micropipette-guided drug administration (MDA) method. This procedure is based on the presentation of a palatable solution consisting of sweetened...

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

Citation: Steiner, S., Krzyzaniak, O., Nilsson, F. A. M. et al. 2025. Sex and strain differences in the micropipette-guided drug administration (MDA) method in mice. Laboratory Animals 59(5), 578–587.