scholarly journals Εvaluation of an environmental enrichment device used for laboratory rabbits

2017 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 41
Author(s):  
N. KOSTOMITSOPOULOS (Ν. ΚΩΣΤΟΜΗΤΣΟΠΟΥΛΟΣ) ◽  
M. SERAFETINIDOU (Μ. ΣΕΡΑΦΕΤΙΝΙΔΟΥ) ◽  
A. KATSAROU (Α. ΚΑΤΣΑΡΟΥ) ◽  
C. VOYAZAKI (Χ. ΒΟΓΙΑΤΖΑΚΗ) ◽  
I. DONTAS (Ι. ΔΟΝΤΑ)
Keyword(s):  
Laboratory Animal ◽  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Housing Conditions ◽  
Light Phase ◽  
Video Recordings ◽  
International Laboratory ◽  
Acclimatization Period ◽  
Familiarization Period ◽  
Resting Period ◽  
Observation Period

Improving the housing conditions of individually caged laboratory rabbits using environmental enrichment devices is a source of concern in the scientific community and is encouraged in the guidelines of the local and international laboratory animal associations and national regulations. In this report, we inform on the results of an investigation whose aim was to evaluate the use of a commercially available shelter as an enrichment device for six individually caged rabbits (mean body weight 2.5 Kg) during their resting period. After an acclimatization period of five days in an animal room, a commercially available enrichment device, the Rabbit Hut (BioServ, New Jersey, USA), was introduced into every cage. After a 3-day familiarization period, the interactions of the rabbits with the device were video recorded for 12 hours during the light phase (06:00 – 18:00) on five consecutive days. Each rabbit’s interaction with the device was monitored and analyzed from the video recordings. We found that the rabbits used the enrichment device in different ways, which included passing through the device, staying under the device, gnawing the device, pulling and dragging the device using their teeth, and playing with the device. We also found that the rabbits mainly interacted with the device during the first two hours (06:00 – 08:00) and last four hours (14:00 – 18:00) of each 12-hour observation period of the 5-day investigation. Although the Rabbit Hut is marketed as an environmental enrichment item that could be used as a shelter for individually caged laboratory rabbits, our analysis of the interactions of individually caged  laboratory rabbits with the device has generated new questions about the usefulness of the device and its benefit for the rabbits. However, further investigation is needed to clarify whether some of the expressed interactions indicate curiosity, interest or frustration with the item.

scholarly journals Age - related behaviour on individually caged rabbits

2017 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 21 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. KATSAROU (Α. ΚΑΤΣΑΡΟΥ) ◽  
A. TSIRONI (Α. ΤΣΙΡΩΝΗ) ◽  
M. SERAFETINIDOU (Μ. ΣΕΡΑΦΕΤΙΝΙΔΟΥ) ◽  
C. VOYAZAKI (Χ. ΒΟΓΙΑΤΖΑΚΗ) ◽  
V. BAUMANS ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Age Differences ◽  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Housing Conditions ◽  
Enrichment Programs ◽  
Video Recordings ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Age Dependent ◽  
Enrichment Program ◽  
Group A

Housing conditions and environmental enrichment of individually caged laboratory rabbits is of great importance for the welfare of the animals and the quality of the experimental results. In order to improve the design of existing environmental enrichment programs for laboratory rabbits, considerable knowledge of the behavioural needs of this species is necessary. Taking this into consideration, the aim of this study was to monitor and analyze the behaviour of juvenile and young adult rabbits in order to establish whether there are any age-dependent differences in grooming, rearing, sniffing, eating, drinking and gnawing. 12 NZW rabbits were divided into two groups: group A consisted of six 6-month-old rabbits (young adults) and group Β consisted of six 2-month-old rabbits (juvenile). All animals were already housed for more than twenty days under the same conditions in the animal facility. Both groups of rabbits were video-recorded between 06:00h - 18:00h for four consecutive days. The frequency of each behaviour was determined and compared in the two groups of rabbits from the video recordings. The frequencies of grooming, eating and gnawing in the young rabbits were significantly greater than those in the older rabbits (p<0.05). No statistical differences were found between the two groups for rearing, sniffing and drinking. From these results, we concluded that even small age differences should be taken into account when designing an environmental enrichment program for individually caged rabbits.

Improving housing conditions for laboratory mice: a review of 'environmental enrichment'

2002 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 243-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Anna S. Olsson ◽  
Kristina Dahlborn
Keyword(s):  
Physical Health ◽  
Laboratory Animal ◽  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Present Knowledge ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Housing Conditions ◽  
Laboratory Mice ◽  
Housing Systems ◽  
Welfare Problem ◽  
Nesting Material

Laboratory animal facilities have been designed to provide a standard environment where animals can be kept in good physical health at the same time as economic and ergonomic considerations are met. Recognizing the potential welfare problem associated with behavioural restriction in such housing systems, a number of attempts have been made to improve this environment, generally described under the term 'environmental enrichment'. Modifications of cages for mice usually consist of providing material for nest building and structures which can serve as hiding places and/or for climbing. We have reviewed 40 studies carried out between 1987 and 2000, in which preferences as well as the effect of housing modifications have been studied. Mice will work for access to nesting material and make use of this material to make nests in which they rest. They prefer a more complex cage to the standard cage and will also work for access to cages with shelter and raised platforms. On the basis of present knowledge, it is recommended that mice should have access to nesting material. Strategies for future research are outlined in the article.

scholarly journals Effect of Environmental Enrichment on the Brain and on Learning and Cognition by Animals

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 973
Author(s):  
Thomas R. Zentall
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Behavioral Effect ◽  
Enriched Environment ◽  
Main Concern ◽  
Accurate Assessment ◽  
Housing Conditions ◽  
Complex Tasks ◽  
Learning And Cognition ◽  
The Brain

The humane treatment of animals suggests that they should be housed in an environment that is rich in stimulation and allows for varied activities. However, even if one’s main concern is an accurate assessment of their learning and cognitive abilities, housing them in an enriched environment can have an important effect on the assessment of those abilities. Research has found that the development of the brain of animals is significantly affected by the environment in which they live. Not surprisingly, their ability to learn both simple and complex tasks is affected by even modest time spent in an enriched environment. In particular, animals that are housed in an enriched environment are less impulsive and make more optimal choices than animals housed in isolation. Even the way that they judge the passage of time is affected by their housing conditions. Some researchers have even suggested that exposing animals to an enriched environment can make them more “optimistic” in how they treat ambiguous stimuli. Whether that behavioral effect reflects the subtlety of differences in optimism/pessimism or something simpler, like differences in motivation, incentive, discriminability, or neophobia, it is clear that the conditions of housing can have an important effect on the learning and cognition of animals.

scholarly journals Applied Institutional Approaches for the Evaluation and Management of Zoonoses in Contemporary Laboratory Animal Research Facilities

ILAR Journal ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 134-143
Author(s):  
Lesley A Colby ◽  
Lois Zitzow
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Laboratory Animal ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Research Integrity ◽  
Control Program ◽  
Zoonotic Diseases ◽  
Team Approach ◽  
Housing Conditions ◽  
Endemic Diseases ◽  
Animal Medicine

Abstract Zoonoses, diseases transmitted between animals and humans, have been a concern in laboratory animal medicine for decades. Exposure to zoonotic organisms not only poses health risks to personnel and research animals but may also affect research integrity. Early laboratory animal programs were ineffective at excluding and preventing transmission of zoonotic diseases: the health status of the animals were often unknown, endemic diseases occurred frequently, housing conditions were less controlled, and veterinary care programs were decentralized. Over time, these conditions improved, but despite this, zoonotic diseases remain a contemporary concern. To reduce the incidence of zoonoses, management should perform an accurate risk assessment that takes into account the type of research performed, animal species used, animal sources, and housing conditions. Specific research practices, such as the use of biological materials, can also affect the risk assessment and should be considered. Once identified, the characteristics of significant zoonotic organisms can be examined. In addition, personnel attitudes and training, facility design and management, equipment availability, personal protective equipment used, standard operating procedures, and the institution’s vermin control program can impact the risk assessment. The effectiveness of the occupational health and safety program at managing risks of zoonoses should also be examined. Risk assessment, in the context of zoonotic disease prevention, is a complex exercise and is most effective when a team approach is used and includes research, husbandry, veterinary, and biosafety personnel.

scholarly journals The effect of visitor number and spice provisioning in pacing expression by jaguars evaluated through a case study

2016 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 506-510 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. S. Vidal ◽  
F. R. Guilherme ◽  
V. F. Silva ◽  
M. C. S. R. Faccio ◽  
M. M. Martins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Black Pepper ◽  
Housing Conditions ◽  
Panthera Onca ◽  
Human Contact ◽  
Olfactory Stimuli ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Enrichment Techniques ◽  
Mean Time

Abstract Captive animals exhibit stereotypic pacing in response to multiple causes, including the inability to escape from human contact. Environmental enrichment techniques can minimize pacing expression. By using an individual-based approach, we addressed whether the amount of time two males and a female jaguar (Panthera onca) devote to pacing varied with the number of visitors and tested the effectiveness of cinnamon and black pepper in reducing pacing. The amount of time that all jaguars engaged in pacing increased significantly with the number of visitors. Despite the difference between the males regarding age and housing conditions, both devoted significantly less time to pacing following the addition of both spices, which indicates their suitability as enrichment techniques. Mean time devoted to pacing among the treatments did not differ for the female. Our findings pointed out to the validity of individual-based approaches, as they can reveal how suitable olfactory stimuli are to minimizing stereotypies irrespective of particular traits.

scholarly journals PSI-29 Impact of sociometric status on brush utilization in environmentally-enriched, feedlot steers

2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 249-249
Author(s):  
Xandra Christine A Meneses ◽  
Rachel M Park ◽  
Courtney L Daigle
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Equal Opportunity ◽  
Stocking Density ◽  
Feedlot Cattle ◽  
Sociometric Status ◽  
Physical Stimulation ◽  
Video Recordings ◽  
Feedlot Steers ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Common Resource

Abstract Environmental enrichment (EE) provides mental and physical stimulation to animals housed in captivity. Provision of brushes as EE allow cattle to perform diverse grooming behaviors, and previous research demonstrated that cattle engage in fewer stereotypic and aggressive behaviors when provided a brush. However, competition incited by a novel object may compromise animal welfare and prevent socially low-ranking individuals from using the brush. The objective of this study was to evaluate individual social relationships of feedlot cattle exposed to a brush as EE. Twenty-seven British and British-Continental crossbred steers were blocked by weight and assigned to three pens (n = 3 pens with 9 animals/pen), each containing an L-shaped, mounted brush. Video recordings were decoded from 0800 to 1730 for displacement frequency, as well as frequency and duration of brush usage on d 0, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64 relative to brush implementation. A sociometric index was calculated for each individual by dividing the number of displacements initiated (Di) by the number of displacements received (Dr). A positive number indicated Di &gt; Dr, and a negative number indicated Di &lt; Dr. No linear or quadratic relationships (PROC REG) were observed between sociometric index and duration of brush usage (P &gt; 0.05). Regardless of sociometric status, each steer had an equal opportunity to use and benefit from the cattle brush. EE efficacy is influenced by stocking density with the goal of each animal having the same level of access to a common resource, and this goal was achieved in this study. Displacement behaviors and sociometric indexes can be used as effective metrics to determine optimal stocking density in pens for EE and resource use.

scholarly journals Evaluation of a Configurable, Mobile and Modular Floor-Pen System for Group-Housing of Laboratory Rabbits

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 977
Author(s):  
Dana Matzek ◽  
Hanna-Mari Baldauf ◽  
Rico Schieweck ◽  
Bastian Popper
Keyword(s):  
Laboratory Animal ◽  
Animal Experiments ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Housing System ◽  
Biomedical Science ◽  
Group Housing ◽  
Housing Conditions ◽  
General Health Status ◽  
Behavioral Requirements ◽  
Species Specific

The major responsibility of researchers and laboratory animal facilities is to ensure animal well-being during the time of acclimatization, experiments, and recovery. In this context, animal housing conditions are of utmost importance. Here, we implemented a mobile and modular floor-pen housing system for laboratory rabbits that combines rabbits’ natural behavioral requirements and the high hygiene standards needed in biomedical science. Twelve female New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits were single- or group-housed for 12 months in mobile and modular floor-pens. Their general health status was evaluated at the end of the experimental setup. Further, we performed behavioral analysis of six additional NZW females group-housed for eight weeks in pens of two different sizes. We show that our improved housing concept supported species-specific behavioral patterns. Taken together, our housing system provides an optimal setup for rabbits in animal facilities that combines strict requirements for animal experiments with animal welfare.

scholarly journals Technological recommendations in rabbit production

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 132-138
Author(s):  
Károly Bodnár ◽  
László Makra ◽  
Erika Skobrák Bodnár
Keyword(s):  
Everyday Life ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Animal Rights ◽  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Housing Conditions ◽  
Economic Interests ◽  
Floor Space ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Cage Floor ◽  
The Everyday

In the last ten years a number of research were done and articles were published in order to improve or change the housing conditions of rabbits. These studies focus on the customer needs and changes in expectations based usually on animal welfare. During farm visits we found that the housing circumstances among those factors which are emphasized individually or jointly appeared in the everyday life of rabbit farming (for example: optimal micro-climate, cage floor space, type of floor, keeping mode, environmental enrichment, etc.). In our work we tried to determine the advantages and disadvantages of each procedure. In many cases it is difficult to create perfect coherence with the ideas of animal rights, animal needs and economic interests of the farmers. The number of results and ideas for implementation of all the correct procedures is so great that it is certainly impossible to keep them a time and place in a single technology. Of course, if the changes are generated by the consumer demands, then the farmer has to adapt to expectations in order to keep the market (and sometimes ignoring some other aspects).

scholarly journals Differential Effects of Physical and Social Enriched Environment on Angiogenesis in Male Rats After Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Zhang ◽  
Jing-Ying Liu ◽  
Wei-Jing Liao ◽  
Xiu-Ping Chen
Keyword(s):  
Reperfusion Injury ◽  
Functional Recovery ◽  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Ischemia Reperfusion Injury ◽  
Ischemia Reperfusion ◽  
Artery Occlusion ◽  
Male Rats ◽  
Immunofluorescent Staining ◽  
Housing Conditions ◽  
Adhesive Removal

Different housing conditions, including housing space and the physiological and social environment, may affect rodent behavior. Here, we examined the effects of different housing conditions on post-stroke angiogenesis and functional recovery to clarify the ambiguity about environmental enrichment and its components. Male rats in the model groups underwent right middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) followed by reperfusion. The MCAO rats were divided into four groups: the physical enrichment (PE) group, the social enrichment (SE) group, the combined physical and social enrichment (PSE) group and the ischemia/reperfusion + standard conditioning (IS) group. The rats in the sham surgery (SS) group were housed under standard conditions. In a set of behavioral tests, including the modified Neurological Severity Score (mNSS), rotarod test, and adhesive removal test, we demonstrated that the animals in the enriched condition groups exhibited significantly improved neurological functions compared to those in the standard housing group. Smaller infarction volumes were observed in the animals of the PSE group by MRI detection. The enriched conditions increased the microvessel density (MVD) in the ischemic boundary zone, as revealed by CD31 immunofluorescent staining. The immunochemical and q-PCR results further showed that environmental enrichment increased the expression levels of angiogenic factors after ischemia/reperfusion injury. Our data suggest that all three enrichment conditions promoted enhanced angiogenesis and functional recovery after ischemia/reperfusion injury compared to the standard housing, while only exposure to the combination of both physical and social enrichment yielded optimal benefits.

scholarly journals Stress Evaluation of Various Breeding Environments in Mouse

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
GwangHoon Lee ◽  
Hye-Yoon Choi ◽  
Woori Jo ◽  
KilSoo Kim
Keyword(s):  
Animal Study ◽  
Laboratory Animal ◽  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Cortisol Concentration ◽  
Laboratory Animals ◽  
Stress Evaluation ◽  
Physiological Indicators ◽  
Group Breeding ◽  
Fixed Space ◽  
The Individual

Laboratory animals are raised in a fixed space during the study period and are environmentally bound. Laboratory animal may be under stress on the constrained environment, which changes physiological indicators, affecting the reproducibility and accuracy of animal study. Therefore, reducing animal stress by providing proper breeding environment and environmental enrichment can be the basis for animal study. In this study, the stress level was assessed according to the mouse breeding environment. According to the results of the experiment, it was determined that the individual ventilation cage had less cortisol concentration in serum and body weight increased in the individual ventilation cage than individual isolated cage, when providing environmental enrichment rather than group breeding or not providing environmental enrichment. The results will provide appropriate guidelines for laboratory animal welfare.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document