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Animals
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Care and Well-Being of Laboratory Animals
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Care and Well-Being of Laboratory Animals

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Welfare".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 July 2024 | Viewed by 7412

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Stephanie Krämer

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Laboratory Animal Science and Animal Welfare, Justus-Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
2. 3R Centre JLU Giessen, Interdisciplinary Centre for 3Rs in Animal Research (ICAR3R), Giessen, Germany
Interests: stereotypies in laboratory rodents; assessment of suffering; 3R-Education; culture of care

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

Animals have been attributed an intrinsic value. Ethological studies allow us to better understand the complexity of animals' sensory perceptions and suffering capacities. Thus, enormous responsibilities arise in the use and husbandry of experimental animals as sentient beings. Comprehensive measures are indispensable to continuously improve care and to provide the best possible opportunities to maintain animal welfare.

Care work describes the unpaid and paid (re-)productive activities of mindfulness and solicitude, reflecting both caring and self-care. The concept of care, thus, refers to the everyday, recurring nursing and supervision of animals by animal caretakers. In addition, however, all stakeholders are involved in a far more comprehensive way. Thus, the concept of care also extends to the knowledge, organization and responsibility required in this process.

The maintenance of well-being repeatedly poses challenges for all those involved, as laboratory animal husbandry predominantly occurs in a highly anthropogenic husbandry environment. It seems necessary to change the perspective in terms of the animals' perception to meet their needs and demands.

This Special Issue highlights the multifaceted aspects of care and well-being of laboratory animals from different professional perspectives, addressing ethical views as well as the most recent insights from practice for practice.

Prof. Dr. Stephanie Krämer
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • animal husbandry
  • animal welfare
  • refinement
  • enrichment
  • animal ethics
  • concept of care

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 280 KiB  
Article
Humane Endpoints in Swiss Webster Mice Infected with Toxoplasma gondii RH Strain
by Igor Falco Arruda, Maria Regina Reis Amendoeira, Thamires Francisco Bonifácio, Clarissa Nascimento da Silveira Raso, Hyago da Silva Medeiros Elidio, Jhônata Willy Rocha Coelho, Luiz Cesar Cavalcanti Pereira da Silva and Isabele Barbieri dos Santos
Animals 2024, 14(9), 1326; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14091326 - 29 Apr 2024
Viewed by 352
Abstract
The highly virulent Toxoplasma gondii RH strain is maintained through successive passages in mice, but there is still a lack of studies that refine these procedures from a 3Rs perspective, where humanitarian ideals aim to minimize the stress, pain, or suffering of the [...] Read more.
The highly virulent Toxoplasma gondii RH strain is maintained through successive passages in mice, but there is still a lack of studies that refine these procedures from a 3Rs perspective, where humanitarian ideals aim to minimize the stress, pain, or suffering of the animals used in the research without the loss of results. The aim of this study was to establish humane endpoints in Swiss Webster mice inoculated with the T. gondii RH strain. A total of 52 mice were infected with 5 × 106 tachyzoites/mL and monitored for periods of up to 5 days. The parameters body weight; hair condition; higher than normal body temperature; hypothermia; respiratory function; pain; soft stools or diarrhea; bloody diarrhea; tense, nervous, or in distress during handling; and ascites were recorded daily in score tables. The results showed that prominent piloerection, respiratory function, pain parameters, and ascites are important clinical signs to be used as a cut-off point for implementing euthanasia. The application of this refinement method helped to avoid animal suffering and pain without compromising the number of parasites recovered. We therefore suggest adopting these parameters in research protocols that require the maintenance of the T. gondii RH strain in murine models to avoid and reduce animal suffering. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Care and Well-Being of Laboratory Animals)
16 pages, 10586 KiB  
Article
What Can Laboratory Animal Facility Managers Do to Improve the Welfare of Laboratory Animals and Laboratory Animal Facility Staff? A German Perspective
by Birte von der Beck, Andreas Wissmann, Rene H. Tolba, Philip Dammann and Gero Hilken
Animals 2024, 14(7), 1136; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14071136 - 8 Apr 2024
Viewed by 683
Abstract
Laboratory animal facility managers must ensure that animal experiments can be carried out under optimal scientific conditions, that all legal requirements are met, and that animal welfare is maximized. Animal experimentation is stressful not only for the animals involved but also for the [...] Read more.
Laboratory animal facility managers must ensure that animal experiments can be carried out under optimal scientific conditions, that all legal requirements are met, and that animal welfare is maximized. Animal experimentation is stressful not only for the animals involved but also for the people who maintain these animals or carry out the experiments. Many of those involved find themselves in a constant conflict between scientific necessity, care, and harm. Under the term Culture of Care, procedures have been developed to reduce the burden of animal experimentation on the animals and the staff involved. The focus here is on what laboratory animal facility managers can do to improve the welfare of laboratory animals and the people working with them. Exemplary measures are the improvement of the housing conditions of laboratory animals, the introduction of uniform handling measures, clear and transparent structures via a quality management system, implementation of a no-blame culture of error (e.g., via Critical Incident Reporting System in Laboratory Animal Science [CIRS-LAS]), and open and respectful communication with all parties involved in animal experimentation, including the public and representatives of the authorities (public webpage, open house policy). The 6 Rs must be considered at all times: replacement, reduction, refinement, respect, responsibility, and reproducibility. We are writing this article from the perspective of laboratory animal facility managers in Germany. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Care and Well-Being of Laboratory Animals)
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15 pages, 2290 KiB  
Article
Potential Food Inclination of Crab-Eating Macaques in Laboratory Environments: Enhancing Positive Reinforcement Training and Health Optimization
by Ji Woon Kim, Yoon Beom Lee, Yeon Su Hong, Hoesu Jung and Gwang-Hoon Lee
Animals 2024, 14(7), 1123; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14071123 - 7 Apr 2024
Viewed by 574
Abstract
Positive reinforcement and training for health optimization are pivotal for successful studies with monkeys. Potential food inclination is important for studies on crab-eating macaques in laboratory environments, but evaluations remain scarce. We explored crab-eating macaques’ potential food inclination to establish a reward system [...] Read more.
Positive reinforcement and training for health optimization are pivotal for successful studies with monkeys. Potential food inclination is important for studies on crab-eating macaques in laboratory environments, but evaluations remain scarce. We explored crab-eating macaques’ potential food inclination to establish a reward system for future behavioral assessments. Twelve male and three female monkeys underwent a food inclination assessment in which they were offered four food categories—fruits, vegetables, proteins, and nuts. The monkeys exhibited a higher inclination for plant-based foods, particularly fruits and vegetables, over animal-based proteins like chicken and tuna (p < 0.0001), with a notable inclination for nuts (eaten/provided = 100%). Additionally, the consistency of potential food inclination after repeated offerings was investigated, revealing a time-dependent increase in inclination for protein items. Food consumption ratios correlated positively with caloric intake (r = 0.59, p = 0.02), implying that individuals with a regular high caloric intake and increased body weight are more likely to accept food during positive reinforcement training. Our findings suggest fruits, vegetables, protein-rich foods, and nuts can help with health optimization. However, animal-based protein-rich foods initially had a low preference, which may increase over time. Our study can provide guidelines for positive reinforcement training and health optimization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Care and Well-Being of Laboratory Animals)
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16 pages, 811 KiB  
Article
Rat Grimace Scale as a Method to Evaluate Animal Welfare, Nociception, and Quality of the Euthanasia Method of Wistar Rats
by Adriana Domínguez-Oliva, Adriana Olmos-Hernández, Ismael Hernández-Ávalos, Hugo Lecona-Butrón, Patricia Mora-Medina and Daniel Mota-Rojas
Animals 2023, 13(20), 3161; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13203161 - 10 Oct 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1917
Abstract
Refinement of experimental procedures in animal research has the objective of preventing and minimizing pain/distress in animals, including the euthanasia period. This study aimed to evaluate pain associated with six methods of euthanasia in Wistar rats (injectable, inhalational, and physical), by applying the [...] Read more.
Refinement of experimental procedures in animal research has the objective of preventing and minimizing pain/distress in animals, including the euthanasia period. This study aimed to evaluate pain associated with six methods of euthanasia in Wistar rats (injectable, inhalational, and physical), by applying the Rat Grimace Scale (RGS), comparing the scores, and determining the method with the highest score that might indicate pain for laboratory rodents. Sixty adult male and female Wistar rats were used and assigned to six treatments: pentobarbital, CO2, decapitation, isoflurane, ketamine + xylazine, and ketamine + CO2. Video recording to assess the RGS scores was performed in four events: basal: 24 h before the procedure; Ti1: three minutes before the procedure; Ti2: during the application of the euthanasia method; and Ti3: immediately after the application until LORR. The main findings of this study showed that, during Ti2, decapitation and ketamine + xylazine had the highest scores (0.6 ± 0.26 and 0.6 ± 0.16, respectively) (p < 0.0001), while at Ti3, CO2 (0.9 ± 0.18) and isoflurane (1.2 ± 0.20) recorded the highest scores (p < 0.0001). According to the present results, decapitation and ketamine + xylazine elicited short-term acute pain, possibly due to tissue damage caused by both methods (injection and guillotine). In contrast, isoflurane’s RGS scores recorded during Ti3 might be associated with nociception/pain due to the pungency of the drug or to the pharmacological muscle relaxant effect of isoflurane. Further research is needed to establish a comprehensive study of pain during euthanasia, where RGS could be used minding the limitations that anesthetics might have on facial expression. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Care and Well-Being of Laboratory Animals)
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21 pages, 1474 KiB  
Article
Reduction in Cold Stress in an Innovative Metabolic Cage Housing System Increases Animal Welfare in Laboratory Mice
by Laura Wittek, Chadi Touma, Tina Nitezki, Thomas Laeger, Stephanie Krämer and Jens Raila
Animals 2023, 13(18), 2866; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13182866 - 9 Sep 2023
Viewed by 1318
Abstract
Housing in metabolic cages can induce a pronounced stress response. Metabolic cage systems imply housing mice on metal wire mesh for the collection of urine and feces in addition to monitoring food and water intake. Moreover, mice are single-housed, and no nesting, bedding, [...] Read more.
Housing in metabolic cages can induce a pronounced stress response. Metabolic cage systems imply housing mice on metal wire mesh for the collection of urine and feces in addition to monitoring food and water intake. Moreover, mice are single-housed, and no nesting, bedding, or enrichment material is provided, which is often argued to have a not negligible impact on animal welfare due to cold stress. We therefore attempted to reduce stress during metabolic cage housing for mice by comparing an innovative metabolic cage (IMC) with a commercially available metabolic cage from Tecniplast GmbH (TMC) and a control cage. Substantial refinement measures were incorporated into the IMC cage design. In the frame of a multifactorial approach for severity assessment, parameters such as body weight, body composition, food intake, cage and body surface temperature (thermal imaging), mRNA expression of uncoupling protein 1 (Ucp1) in brown adipose tissue (BAT), fur score, and fecal corticosterone metabolites (CMs) were included. Female and male C57BL/6J mice were single-housed for 24 h in either conventional Macrolon cages (control), IMC, or TMC for two sessions. Body weight decreased less in the IMC (females—1st restraint: −6.94%; 2nd restraint: −6.89%; males—1st restraint: −8.08%; 2nd restraint: −5.82%) compared to the TMC (females—1st restraint: −13.2%; 2nd restraint: −15.0%; males—1st restraint: −13.1%; 2nd restraint: −14.9%) and the IMC possessed a higher cage temperature (females—1st restraint: 23.7 °C; 2nd restraint: 23.5 °C; males—1st restraint: 23.3 °C; 2nd restraint: 23.5 °C) compared with the TMC (females—1st restraint: 22.4 °C; 2nd restraint: 22.5 °C; males—1st restraint: 22.6 °C; 2nd restraint: 22.4 °C). The concentration of fecal corticosterone metabolites in the TMC (females—1st restraint: 1376 ng/g dry weight (DW); 2nd restraint: 2098 ng/g DW; males—1st restraint: 1030 ng/g DW; 2nd restraint: 1163 ng/g DW) was higher compared to control cage housing (females—1st restraint: 640 ng/g DW; 2nd restraint: 941 ng/g DW; males—1st restraint: 504 ng/g DW; 2nd restraint: 537 ng/g DW). Our results show the stress potential induced by metabolic cage restraint that is markedly influenced by the lower housing temperature. The IMC represents a first attempt to target cold stress reduction during metabolic cage application thereby producing more animal welfare friendlydata. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Care and Well-Being of Laboratory Animals)
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Review

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19 pages, 544 KiB  
Review
Research Animal Behavioral Management Programs for the 21st Century
by Patricia V. Turner and Kathryn Bayne
Animals 2023, 13(12), 1919; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13121919 - 8 Jun 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1888
Abstract
Behavioral management programs have been developed commonly for research dogs and primates but rarely has program consideration been expanded to include all research species worked with. This is necessary to reduce animal stress and promote natural behaviors, which can promote good animal welfare [...] Read more.
Behavioral management programs have been developed commonly for research dogs and primates but rarely has program consideration been expanded to include all research species worked with. This is necessary to reduce animal stress and promote natural behaviors, which can promote good animal welfare and result in more robust and reproducible scientific data. We describe the evolution of consideration for research animal needs and define an umbrella-based model of research animal behavioral management programs, which may be used for all research species. In addition to developing a more comprehensive program, we emphasize the need for regular welfare assessments to determine whether the program is working cohesively and whether any aspects require modification. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Care and Well-Being of Laboratory Animals)
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