Unique characteristics of the naked mole-rat (NMR) have made it increasingly popular as a laboratory animal model. These rodents are used to study many fields of research including longevity and aging, cancer, circadian rhythm, pain...
Overdose of carbon dioxide gas (CO2) is a common euthanasia method for rodents; however, CO2 exposure activates nociceptors in rats at concentrations equal to or greater than 37% and is reported to be painful in...
Male Zucker Diabetic Sprague Dawley rats were housed in standard individually ventilated cages with floor area of 1500 cm2, and were placed in a ‘playcage’ (a large open cage) for three visits per week from the...
Heat supplementation during surgery is a common practice; however, thermal support is not commonly used during anesthesia induction. Mice lose body temperature quickly, and air movement can exacerbate this, potentially putting mice at a thermal...
Due to a lack of evidence-based standards for cage-change intervals for antelope ground squirrels (AGS, Ammospermophilus leucurus), we evaluated cage ammonia accumulation in our colony of adult, wild-caught AGS and identified factors that influenced ammonia...
Improving the effectiveness of mating schemes for large-scale production of mice is an ongoing challenge in animal facilities. Continuous mating, which requires fewer breeding cages than intermittent mating, has traditionally been used to take advantage...
Light is a key factor influencing the welfare of laboratory rodents, but little is known about their optimal lighting condition. It i common knowledge that rats prefer dim light, so bright light is mitigated with...
Laboratory mice are typically housed in “shoebox” cages with limited opportunities to engage in natural behaviour. Temporary access to environments with increased space and complexity (playpens) may improve mouse welfare. Previous work by our group...
Stereotypies are repetitive, unvarying, apparently purposeless behavioural patterns. They develop in animals kept in barren environments and are highly prevalent in laboratory mice (Mus musculus), yet their underlying mechanisms have remained elusive. In humans, stereotypies...
Transportation of laboratory rodents unavoidably causes stress. Nevertheless, very little is known about the effects of transportation and how long it takes for the animal to recuperate. In the present study, we investigated physiological and...