Handling

Issues to consider for preparing ferrets as research subjects in the laboratory

Successful housing requires knowledge of ferret behaviors including social behavior, eating habits, a general inquisitive nature, and a species-typical need to burrow and hide. Regular handling is necessary to maintain well-being. A ferret health care program consists of physical examination,...

Year Published: 2006Topics: Anesthesia & Sedation, Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, Euthanasia, Handling, Husbandry & Management, Natural Behavior, Rearing & Weaning, Relocation & Transport, Reproduction, RestraintAnimal Type: Ferret

Citation: Ball, R. S. 2006. Issues to consider for preparing ferrets as research subjects in the laboratory. ILAR Journal 47(4), 348-357.

Influence of environmental enrichment and handling on the acute stress response in individually housed mice

In this study we investigated the effect of environmental enrichment and handling on the acute physiological stress response caused by short periods of restraint in individually housed female mice. Heart rate (HR) and body temperature (BT) were measured by radiotelemetry...

Year Published: 2007Topics: Environmental Enrichment, HandlingAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Meijer, M. K., Sommer, R., Spruijt, B. M. et al. 2007. Influence of environmental enrichment and handling on the acute stress response in individually housed mice . Laboratory Animals 4(2), 161-173.

Chapter 7.4. Pole-and-collar training of macaques

While strictly using positive reinforcement and applying patient gentle-firmness, most macaques can be trained to cooperate during the pole-attachment-chairing procedure. Some cannot be trained, because they have problems overcoming their often-legitimate mistrust of humans.

Year Published: 2007Topics: Animal Training, Handling, RestraintAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: LAREF [Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum] 2007. Chapter 7.4. Pole-and-collar training of macaques. In: Making Lives Easier for Animals in Research Labs: Discussions by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum. Baumans, V., Coke, C., Green, J., Moreau, E., Morton, D., Patterson-Kane, E., Reinhardt, A., Reinhardt, V., Van Loo, P. (eds), 127-130. Animal Welfare Institute, Washington, DC.

Chapter 7.5. Catching animals who have escaped

Monkeys presumably escape not because they really want to leave their familiar home environment, but because something alarms them, such as an investigator trying to grab them with heavy leather gloves through the partially opened cage door. If they can...

Year Published: 2007Topics: Handling, Human-Animal Interaction, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Nonhuman Primate

Citation: LAREF [Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum] 2007. Chapter 7.5. Catching animals who have escaped. In: Making Lives Easier for Animals in Research Labs: Discussions by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum. Baumans, V., Coke, C., Green, J., Moreau, E., Morton, D., Patterson-Kane, E., Reinhardt, A., Reinhardt, V., Van Loo, P. (eds), 131-133. Animal Welfare Institute, Washington, DC.

Effects of a gentling programme on the behaviour of laboratory rats towards humans

The present study investigated the effects of a gentling programme on the later behaviour of laboratory rats towards humans. For that purpose, 24 female Wistar rats were purchased from a laboratory animal breeding facility at the age of 21 days...

Year Published: 2008Topics: Handling, Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Maurer, B. M., Doring, D., Scheipl, F. et al. 2008. Effects of a gentling programme on the behaviour of laboratory rats towards humans. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 114, 554-571.

Socialization of Dutch Belted Rabbits for Use in Research

This program includes adaptation to common handling procedures, environmental enrichment devices, and othe materials encountered in the laboratory. .. At seven weeks of age, the rabbits are paired with a partner for two weeks.

Year Published: 2008Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Handling, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rabbit

Citation: Pritt, S., Wood, J., Fetter, B. et al. 2008. Socialization of Dutch Belted Rabbits for Use in Research. Tech Talk [The Newsletter for Laboratory Animal Science Technicians] 13(4), 1-3.

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).

Taming anxiety in laboratory mice

Handling experience (which includes routine maintenance) can have positive or negative effects on stress responses that influence experiments, depending on the animals' experience during handling. The most common method used to capture and handle laboratory mice is to pick up...

Year Published: 2010Topics: HandlingAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Hurst, J. L., West, R. S. 2010. Taming anxiety in laboratory mice. Nature Methods 7(10), 825-826.

The COST Manual of Laboratory Animal Care and Use: Refinement, Reduction, and Research (1st Ed)

COST Action B-24 established four working groups to research and discuss issues relevant to laboratory animal science. These included the housing of animals, environmental needs, refinement of procedures, genetically modified animals, and cost-benefit analysis. Based on the groups' findings, The...

Year Published: 2010Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Euthanasia, Handling, Housing, Regulations & Ethical Review, Surgery & Post-OpAnimal Type: Mouse, Rabbit, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Howard, B., Nevalainen, T., Perretta, G. (ed). 2010. The COST Manual of Laboratory Animal Care and Use: Refinement, Reduction, and Research (1st Ed). CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.

Effects of increased interaction between research rodents and their handlers

We conclude that handling experimental animals more often than only at the time their cage is changes is beneficial.

Year Published: 2010Topics: Handling, Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Stewart, K. 2010. Effects of increased interaction between research rodents and their handlers. Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) Quarterly 59(1) Winter, 28-29.