Humane Endpoint

Automated and continuous monitoring of animal welfare through digital alerting

A primary goal in preclinical animal research is respectful and responsible care aimed toward minimizing stress and discomfort while enhancing collection of accurate and reproducible scientific data. Researchers use hands-on clinical observations and measurements as part of routine husbandry procedures...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, Humane Endpoint, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Do, J. P., Defensor, E. B., Ichim, C. V. et al. 2020. Automated and continuous monitoring of animal welfare through digital alerting. Comparative Medicine 70(4), 313-327.

Recognition and Alleviation of Pain in Laboratory Animals

Recognition and Alleviation of Pain in Laboratory Animals, the second of two reports revising the 1992 publication Recognition and Alleviation of Pain and Distress in Laboratory Animals from the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research (ILAR), focuses on pain experienced by...

Year Published: 2009Topics: Humane Endpoint, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: National Research Council. 2009. Recognition and Alleviation of Pain in Laboratory Animals. The National Academies Press: Washington, DC, 198 pp.

Identifying and implementing endpoints for geriatric mice

The types of changes in physical appearance and behavior that occur in elderly people similarly develop in elderly animals. Signs and symptoms that might cause concern in younger people or mice may be normal in their elderly but generally healthy...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, Humane EndpointAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Toth, L. A. 2018. Identifying and implementing endpoints for geriatric mice. Comparative Medicine 68(6), 439–451.

Monitoring the health status of mice with bleomycin-induced lung injury by using body condition scoring

Well-defined, humane endpoints aid in monitoring animal health status during disease development. Body condition scoring (BCS) is a method for assessing health status in mouse studies where wasting and death are potential endpoints. Whether BCS is useful in monitoring animals...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, Humane EndpointAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Cowley, P. M., Roberts, C. R., Baker, A. J. 2019. Monitoring the health status of mice with bleomycin-induced lung injury by using body condition scoring. Comparative Medicine 69(2), 95–102.

Humane endpoints for guinea pigs used for Mycobacterium tuberculosis vaccine research

Guinea pigs are a commonly used model for tuberculosis vaccine research. Loss of body weight is the most frequently described humane endpoint for animals used in these studies. During a chronic study, we noted labored breathing in some tuberculosis-infected guinea...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, Humane EndpointAnimal Type: Guinea Pig, Rodent

Citation: Collymore, C., Kent, L., Ahn, S. K. et al. 2018. Humane endpoints for guinea pigs used for Mycobacterium tuberculosis vaccine research. Comparative Medicine 68(1), 41–47.

Refinement and successful implementation of a scoring system for myxomatosis in a susceptible rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) model

Myxoma virus is a member of Leporipoxviridae whose tropism is tightly restricted to lagomorphs. In susceptible Oryctolagus rabbits, the virus causes a highly lethal disease known as myxomatosis, which begins as a localized infection but rapidly disseminates throughout the animal,...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, Humane EndpointAnimal Type: Rabbit

Citation: Wolfe, A. M., Rahman, M., McFadden, D. G. et al. 2018. Refinement and successful implementation of a scoring system for myxomatosis in a susceptible rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) model. Comparative Medicine 68(4), 280–285.

Humane Endpoints website huge success in Spain and the rest of the world

The Humane Endpoints website (https://www.humane-endpoints.info/) provides information and training modules on how to recognize humane endpoints in laboratory animals. This helps to prevent further distress in the animals by removing the animals from the experiment (e.g. euthanizing the animals) or...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Humane EndpointAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Kliphuis, S. 2017. Humane Endpoints website huge success in Spain and the rest of the world. Laboratory Animals 51(2), 218-219.

Report from the 2017 Annual SGV (Swiss Laboratory Animal Science Association ) Meeting

The Scientific Committee of the Swiss Laboratory Animal Science Association (Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Versuchstierkunde, SGV) reports on the Annual SGV Meeting held on 28 and 29 November 2017, at Technopark, Zürich, Switzerland. Feedback after the 2016 meeting and recent developments...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Euthanasia, Humane Endpoint, Husbandry & Management, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Deurinck, M., Schindler, S., Bugnon, P. et al. 2018. Report from the 2017 Annual SGV (Swiss Laboratory Animal Science Association ) Meeting. Laboratory Animals 52(2), 211-213. [Meeting Report]

Criteria for humane endpoints

Refinement incorporates all measures taken to avoid, minimize, recognize and alleviate pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm - or to otherwise improve the welfare and well-being of the experimental subjects. [p. 27]

Year Published: 1999Topics: Humane EndpointAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Richmond, J. 1999. Criteria for humane endpoints. In: Humane Endpoints in Animal Experiments for Biomedical Research: Proceedings of the International Conference. Hendriksen, C. F. M. , Morton, D. B. (eds), 26-32. The Royal Society of Medicine Press, London, UK.