Drug/Substance Administration

Playful handling mitigates the stressfulness of injections in laboratory rats

Rats can be playfully handled (tickled) in a manner that mimics playful social contact with conspecifics. We hypothesized that the timing of tickling in relation to an intraperitoneal injection would affect the efficacy of tickling in reducing stress associated with...

Year Published: 2010Topics: Drug/Substance Administration, HandlingAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Cloutier, S., Wahl, K., Newberry, R. C. 2010. Playful handling mitigates the stressfulness of injections in laboratory rats. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 721 (Abstract #P126).

A technique for single-person oral gavage in rabbits

The physiologic and anatomic structure of rabbits can cause high mortality rates in rabbit oral gavage. Rabbits are capable of a wide variety of jaw movement due to 3 jaw-closing muscle groups (masseter, temporalis, pterygoid). This complex and intricate architecture...

Year Published: 2010Topics: Drug/Substance AdministrationAnimal Type: Rabbit

Citation: Van Dyk, A., Rickers, M. 2010. A technique for single-person oral gavage in rabbits. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 749 (Abstract #P215).

Report of the 2010 RSPCA/UFAW rodent welfare group meeting – The effect of husbandry on welfare and promoting good practice

The RSPCA/UFAW Rodent Welfare Group holds a one-day meeting every autumn so that its members can discuss current welfare research, exchange views on rodent welfare issues and share experiences of the implementation of the 3Rs of replacement, reduction and refinement...

Year Published: 2011Topics: Drug/Substance Administration, Handling, Husbandry & Management, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rabbit, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Hawkins, P., Burn, C., Hurst, J. et al. 2011. Report of the 2010 RSPCA/UFAW rodent welfare group meeting - The effect of husbandry on welfare and promoting good practice. Animal Technology and Welfare 10(2), 105-114.

Using olive oil to orally dose laboratory rats

Many compounds are orally administered to laboratory rats using the gavage technique. This technique is stressful for the animal and can cause injury or death if performed incorrectly. Often compounds are suspended in food oils such as corn oil for...

Year Published: 2011Topics: Drug/Substance AdministrationAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Fitchett, A., Judge, S., Morris, C. 2011. Using olive oil to orally dose laboratory rats. Animal Technology and Welfare 10(1), 39-41.

A method for reliable voluntary oral administration of a fixed dosage (mg/kg) of chronic daily medication to rats

Stress can influence a number of physiological processes including adult neurogenesis, metabolism, cardiovascular function, immune function, neurophysiological function, endocrine function and inflammatory processes following injury. In testing drugs which may be used to treat various diseases or injuries, reducing stress...

Year Published: 2012Topics: Drug/Substance AdministrationAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Corbett, A., McGowin, A., Sieber, S. et al. 2012. A method for reliable voluntary oral administration of a fixed dosage (mg/kg) of chronic daily medication to rats. Laboratory Animals 46(4), 318-324.

A safe, gentle and effective method of oral dosing guinea-pigs

Guinea pigs are difficult to oral gavage dose. Previous adverse effects from this dosing method, using rigid catheters, had caused an earlier endpoint to studies and loss of data. We therefore developed a prototype gag made from a 2.5 mL...

Year Published: 2012Topics: Drug/Substance AdministrationAnimal Type: Guinea Pig, Rodent

Citation: Blyth, L. 2012. A safe, gentle and effective method of oral dosing guinea-pigs. Animal Technology and Welfare 11, 187-188.

Voluntary ingestion of nut paste for administration of buprenorphine in rats and mice

An adequate analgesic strategy is important to improve the postoperative recovery and welfare of laboratory rats and mice. It is desirable that the method for administering the drug is non-invasive and stress-free. We have previously validated a method for administering...

Year Published: 2012Topics: Drug/Substance AdministrationAnimal Type: Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Abelson, K. S. P., Jacobsen, K. R., Sundbom, R. et al. 2012. Voluntary ingestion of nut paste for administration of buprenorphine in rats and mice. Laboratory Animals 46(4), 349-351.

Refinement of a macaque transplantation model: Application of a subcutaneous port as a means for long-term enteral drug administration and nutritional supplementation

A new application of a device enabling the long-term enteral administration of drugs or nutritional supplementation was developed for implementing in research entailing the use of macaques (Macaca fascicularis). After implanting a subcutaneous port, a surgically-placed gastrostomy (SPG) was completed...

Year Published: 2012Topics: Drug/Substance AdministrationAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Fante, F., Baldan, N., De Benedictis, G. M. et al. 2012. Refinement of a macaque transplantation model: Application of a subcutaneous port as a means for long-term enteral drug administration and nutritional supplementation. Laboratory Animals 46(2), 114-121.

Compassion Makes a Difference – Discussions by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum [LAREF], Volume III

This is the third volume of discussions that took place on the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum (LAREF). This forum is dedicated to the exchange of personal experiences of refining the conditions under which animals are housed and handled...

Year Published: 2013Topics: Animal Training, Drug/Substance Administration, Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Amphibian, Baboon, Cat, Chimpanzee, Dog, Fish, Frog & Toad, Goat, Macaque, Marmoset, Mouse, Nonhuman Primate, Owl Monkey, Pig, Rabbit, Rat, Reptile, Rodent, Sheep, Snake, Squirrel Monkey, Vervet (African Green Monkey), Zebrafish

Citation: Reinhardt, V. (ed.) 2013. Compassion Makes a Difference - Discussions by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum [LAREF], Volume III. Animal Welfare Institute, Washington, DC.