Husbandry & Management

What can associations between emotional states and management-based measures teach us about shelter dogs’ welfare? Journal of Veterinary Behavior 69–70, 32–38

It is crucial to understand the effect of living in a shelter on dog's well-being. We hypothesized that mental states may indicate the presence of environmental stressors. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between specific emotional...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Cuglovici, D. A. 2023. What can associations between emotional states and management-based measures teach us about shelter dogs' welfare? Journal of Veterinary Behavior 69–70, 32–38.

Rapid ammonia build-up in small individually ventilated mouse cages cannot be overcome by adjusting the amount of bedding

We sought to investigate if varying levels of bedding had an effect on intra-cage ammonia levels in individually ventilated mouse cages (Euro Standard Types II and III). Employing a routine 2 week cage-changing interval, our goal is to keep ammonia levels...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Eskandarani, M. A., Hau, J., Kalliokoski, O. 2023. Rapid ammonia build-up in small individually ventilated mouse cages cannot be overcome by adjusting the amount of bedding. Lab Animal 52(6), 130–135.

Evaluation of disinfection methods for artificial plants in zebrafish (Danio rerio) recirculating water systems

The use of artificial plants as environmental enrichment for zebrafish (Danio rerio) in biomedical research facilities has been shown to provide benefits in animal welfare and care. Despite the benefits of artificial plants to zebrafish welfare, some research facilities are...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Camson, C. T., Palillo, J. A., Fehrenbach, L. A. et al. 2023. Evaluation of disinfection methods for artificial plants in zebrafish (Danio rerio) recirculating water systems. JAALAS 62(6), 512–517.

Measuring motivation for alfalfa hay in feedlot cattle using voluntary interaction with an aversive stimulus

Typical diets for finishing cattle are concentrate-rich and low in roughage, which may limit species-specific feeding behaviours and increase the risk of digestive disorder. Our objective was to measure how motivated finishing steers are to access alfalfa hay compared with...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Coon, R. E., Tucker, C. B. 2024. Measuring motivation for alfalfa hay in feedlot cattle using voluntary interaction with an aversive stimulus. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 271, 106165.

Zebrafish nutrition: Everything known and to be known

Despite the widespread use of zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a research animal in many studies including toxicologic and biomedical research, the nutritional requirements of this species have yet to be determined. Several aquafeed companies currently produce zebrafish diets that, with...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Ramezani-Fard, E. 2023. Zebrafish nutrition: Everything known and to be known. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 11(1) (January/February), 30-32.

The Chinchilla Consortium: Standardizing health and husbandry

Although chinchillas (Chinchilla lanigera, C. chinchilla) are categorized as a USDA-covered species, little information and guidance is available with regard to appropriate husbandry in a research setting. Here, the Consortium offers advice on standardized care of the chinchillas for health...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Chinchilla, Rodent

Citation: Darbyshire, A., Osborne, A., Jackson, G. et al. 2023. The Chinchilla Consortium: Standardizing health and husbandry. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 11(2) (March/April), 22-27.

Use of a toy soak to maximize staff efficiency in cage wash operations

The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals emphasizes that the primary aim of environmental enrichment is to enhance animal well-being. At our facility, at the end of a two-week cycle in a rodent cage, enrichment accessories and...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Hamster, Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Molnar, D. L., Vernasco Price, E. J. 2023. Use of a toy soak to maximize staff efficiency in cage wash operations. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 11(2) (March/April), 40-41.

A fat tailed what?!: Navigating husbandry for the fat tailed dunnart (Sminthopsis crassicaudata)

FTDs are Australian carnivorous nocturnal marsupials, whose diet, environmental needs, and enrichment vary from typical research species. Due to the limited working knowledge on the husbandry and care of this species in a biomedical setting, information was compiled from multiple...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Handling, Husbandry & Management, ReproductionAnimal Type: Other Animal

Citation: Powell, J., Collins, T., Beaty, T. et al. 2023. A fat tailed what?!: Navigating husbandry for the fat tailed dunnart (Sminthopsis crassicaudata). Laboratory Animal Science Professional 11(4) (July/August), 46-48.

Comparison of agents to maintain hydration of Yucatan minipig skin

Itchy, dry skin…on pigs? Yes! Yucatan minipigs are commonly used in biomedical research and are prone to dry skin (xerosis) accompanied by itchy skin (pruritus). At our institution, minipigs were oiled twice weekly with lanolin to mitigate this condition, however,...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Davis, C., Brown, J., Matthews, L. et al. 2023. Comparison of agents to maintain hydration of Yucatan minipig skin. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 11(4) (July/August), 50-52.

Vivarium lighting and the new measurement metrics

In February 2023, a workshop entitled The 3rd International Workshop on Circadian and Neurophysiological Photometry was held in Manchester, UK to address the problem of light measurement in laboratory animal research. This workshop resulted in a consensus view of an...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Dauchy, R. T. 2023. Vivarium lighting and the new measurement metrics. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 11(6) (November/December), 16-18.