Handling

Crying with laughter: Adapting the tickling protocol to address individual differences among rats in their response to playful handling

In this Opinion paper, we consider whether current methods of tickling overemphasize the use of pinning (Figure 1) to which there may be a wider response variation than commonly acknowledged. We do not dispute that tickling can be a positive...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Handling, Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Bombail, V., Brown, S. M., Hammond, T. J. et al. 2021. Crying with laughter: Adapting the tickling protocol to address individual differences among rats in their response to playful handling. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 8, 677872.

A good life for laboratory rodents?

Most would agree that animals in research should be spared “unnecessary” harm, pain, or distress, and there is also growing interest in providing animals with some form of environmental enrichment. But is this the standard of care that we should...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Handling, Housing, Husbandry & Management, Natural Behavior, RestraintAnimal Type: Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Makowska, I. J., Weary, D. M. 2019. A good life for laboratory rodents? ILAR Journal 60(3), 373-388.

Husbandry and healthcare of the Olive python (Liasis olivaceus)

The article describes the care of the Olive python (Liasis olivaceus) including information on housing, feeding, handling, as well as the general health care of these animals. Some of the information presented is derived from Standard Operating Procedures which have...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Handling, Housing, Husbandry & Management, Natural Behavior, Relocation & TransportAnimal Type: Reptile, Snake

Citation: Martinic, G. 2021. Husbandry and healthcare of the Olive python (Liasis olivaceus). Animal Technology and Welfare 20(1), 44-50.

Report of the 2020 RSPCA/UFAW rodent and rabbit welfare meeting

The RSPCA/UFAW rodent and rabbit welfare group has held a one-day meeting every autumn for the last 27 years, so that its members can discuss current welfare research, exchange views on welfare issues and share experiences of the implementation of...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Drug/Substance Administration, Environmental Enrichment, Handling, Housing, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Stevens, C., Hawkins, P., Smulders, T. V. et al. 2021. Report of the 2020 RSPCA/UFAW rodent and rabbit welfare meeting. Animal Technology and Welfare 20(1), 21-33.

Animal-centric Care and Management – Enhancing Refinement in Biomedical Research

The concept of the 3Rs (Refinement, Reduction and Replacement) has been used as a framework for improving the welfare of laboratory animals for the last half century. By establishing an animal-centric view on housing and management, Animal-centric Care and Management:...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Animal Training, Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Environmental Enrichment, Handling, Housing, Human-Animal Interaction, Husbandry & Management, Natural Behavior, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: All/General, Dog, Fish, Macaque, Marmoset, Mouse, Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate, Pig, Rabbit, Rat, Rodent, Zebrafish

Citation: Sørensen, D., Cloutier, S., Gaskill, B. (Eds.). 2021. Animal-centric Care and Management - Enhancing Refinement in Biomedical Research. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.

Rams recognize and prefer the human who regularly brushed them

Brushing produces a relaxing effect and improves the welfare of ewes and lambs and the human-animal relationship. Lambs gently handled during rearing are less fearful to humans in their adulthood, but there are few studies on the development of a...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Handling, Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Sheep

Citation: Chaumont, S., Freitas-de-Melo, A., Pinto-Santini, L., Menant, O. et al. 2021. Rams recognize and prefer the human who regularly brushed them. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 236, 105250.

Improving animal welfare at Newcastle University by introducing the low stress handling of mice

The primary focus of this project was to introduce the low stress handling of mice to Newcastle University and resulting in all researchers and technicians using this method. It aimed to bring a team together, working to promote and communicate...

Year Published: 2020Topics: HandlingAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Hamilton, E. 2020. Improving animal welfare at Newcastle University by introducing the low stress handling of mice. Animal Technology and Welfare 19(3), 185-194.

Playtime! Exploring habituation techniques in laboratory rats

Our rat training program teaches the standard method of handling and restraining that involves picking the rat up by the base of the tail and placing it on the wire mesh to be restrained. We observed that there was excessive...

Year Published: 2019Topics: HandlingAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Low, D. D., Leong Peng, J. Z., Tay, Y. Q. et al. 2019. Playtime! Exploring habituation techniques in laboratory rats. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 7(4) (December), 42-45.

Effects of three non-confrontational handling techniques on the behavior of horses during a simulated mildly aversive veterinary procedure

During mildly aversive healthcare procedures, horses often exhibit behaviors that may interrupt or prolong the procedure. Handler response often includes increased restraint and/or positive punishment, which can be ineffective or counterproductive. The purpose of this study was to compare the...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Handling, Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Watson, J., McDonnell, S. 2016. Effects of three non-confrontational handling techniques on the behavior of horses during a simulated mildly aversive veterinary procedure. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 15, 85-86. (12th International Society of Equitation Science (ISES) Conference Abstract)

Comparison of 2 gentling programs for laboratory rats: Effects on the behavior toward humans

Gentling can reduce the fear reactions of young laboratory rats toward people long term. We were able to show this outcome in a previous study that involved a successful but elaborate gentling program. In the study at hand, we investigated...

Year Published: 2016Topics: HandlingAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Schneider, B. M., Erhard, M. H., Scheipl, F. et al. 2016. Comparison of 2 gentling programs for laboratory rats: Effects on the behavior toward humans. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 12, 73-81.