Housing

Kidding around in the laboratory animal facility – Goat enrichment

Goat enrichment can be incredibly rewarding, not only for the goat, but for personnel as well. In our facility, we often refer to goatenrichment tasks as technician (or vet!) enrichment. Somewhere in the evolutionary development of Capra hircus, curiosity and...

Year Published: 2013Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Goat

Citation: Savage, S. 2013. Kidding around in the laboratory animal facility - Goat enrichment. Enrichment Record 14, 14-15.

Environmental enrichment for Xenopus Laevis

Environmental enrichment has become an important aspect of animal care in research facilities over the years. It is easy to come up with enrichment for mice, rats, and other mammals; however, what do you get for enrichment for aquatics such...

Year Published: 2013Topics: Environmental Enrichment, HousingAnimal Type: Amphibian, Frog & Toad

Citation: Miller, S. 2013. Environmental enrichment for Xenopus Laevis. Enrichment Record 14, 12-13.

Clinical Laboratory Animal Medicine: An Introduction (4th Ed)

Clinical Laboratory Animal Medicine: An Introduction, Fourth Edition offers a user-friendly guide to the unique anatomy and physiology, care, common diseases, and treatment of small mammals and nonhuman primates. Carefully designed for ease of use, the book includes tip boxes,...

Year Published: 2013Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Husbandry & Management, Regulations & Ethical Review, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Baboon, Capuchin, Chimpanzee, Chinchilla, Ferret, Gerbil, Guinea Pig, Hamster, Lemur, Macaque, Marmoset, Mouse, Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate, Owl Monkey, Rabbit, Rat, Rodent, Squirrel Monkey, Vervet (African Green Monkey)

Citation: Hrapkiewicz, K., Colby, L. A., Denison, P. 2013. Clinical Laboratory Animal Medicine: An Introduction (4th Ed). Wiley-Blackwell, Ames, IA.

Individually ventilated cages impose cold stress on laboratory mice: A source of systemic experimental variability

Individual ventilated cages (IVC) are increasing in popularity. Although mice avoid IVC in preference testing, they show no aversion when provided additional nesting material or the cage is not ventilated. Given the high ventilation rate in IVC, we developed 3...

Year Published: 2013Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: David, J. M., Knowles, S., Lamkin, D. M. et al. 2013. Individually ventilated cages impose cold stress on laboratory mice: A source of systemic experimental variability. JAALAS 52(6), 738-744.

Individually ventilated cages impose cold-stress on laboratory mice: A source of systemic experimental variability

Individual ventilated cages (IVC) have recently been increasing in popularity. Based on the high rates of ventilation with IVCs, we developed 3 hypotheses: first, mice housed in IVCs experience significantly more cold-stress than mice housed in static cages; second, the...

Year Published: 2013Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: David, J. M., Stout, D. 2013. Individually ventilated cages impose cold-stress on laboratory mice: A source of systemic experimental variability. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 610 (Abstract #PS10).

Colored enrichment devices influence behavior and circadian metabolism and physiology in Sprague-Dawley rats

Enrichment devices and strategies, as currently endorsed by the Guide, are used to improve laboratory animal health and wellbeing. Many conclusions supporting this premise, however, are based primarily on observational studies with minimal consideration for circadian physiology and metabolism. Our...

Year Published: 2013Topics: Environmental Enrichment, HousingAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Wren, M. A., Dauchy, R. T., Hill, S. M. et al. 2013. Colored enrichment devices influence behavior and circadian metabolism and physiology in Sprague-Dawley rats. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 608 (Abstract #PS2).

Risk factors for stereotypic behavior and self-biting in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta): Animal’s history, current environment, and personality

Captive rhesus macaques sometimes exhibit undesirable abnormal behaviors, such as motor stereotypic behavior (MSB) and self-abuse. Many risk factors for these behaviors have been identified but the list is far from comprehensive, and large individual differences in rate of behavior...

Year Published: 2013Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Housing, Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Gottlieb, D. H., Capitanio, J. P., McCowan, B. 2013. Risk factors for stereotypic behavior and self-biting in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta): Animal's history, current environment, and personality. American Journal of Primatology 75(10), 995-1008.

Effect of housing conditions and owner’s schedule on daily total locomotor activity in dogs (Canis familiaris)

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of housing conditions on daily rhythm of total locomotor activity in dogs. Seven clinically healthy dogs (Canis familiaris) were used and divided into two groups: Group A lived with its...

Year Published: 2013Topics: Housing, Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Piccione, G., Arfuso, F., Giannetto, C. et al. 2013. Effect of housing conditions and owner's schedule on daily total locomotor activity in dogs (Canis familiaris). Biological Rhythm Research 44, 778-786.

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.

Use of visual barriers by breeding groups of long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis): An indication of color or location preference?

Visual barriers have been shown to be valuable environmental components of nonhuman primate housing to break visual contact between conspecifics as well as between primates and their human keepers. The effect of visual barriers can be to reduce aggression and...

Year Published: 2014Topics: HousingAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Andrianjazalahatra, T., Honess, P. 2014. Use of visual barriers by breeding groups of long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis): An indication of color or location preference? American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 539-540 (Abstract #PS54).