handling of rat in laboratory

Rats avoid open spaces, and use urine to mark their territory. However, human bite wounds and skin scratches may become infected and must be treated through immediate c… As a result, the risk of transmission of zoonotic agents from working with laboratory-reared rodents is very low. Accordingly, from 32 to 41 days of age, male Sprague–Dawley rats (N = 96) were either given a daily IP saline injection (INJ), or restrained similarly but not injected (control, CON), and exposed to one of four experimental treatments: no tickling, namely, left undisturbed before and after the restraint procedure (TN), or tickled for 2 min immediately before (TB), after (TA), or before and after (TBA) the restraint procedure. Rats naturally carry bacteria in their mouth and … By continuing you agree to the use of cookies. It is important that animals are habituated to this method of handling from an early age. Bites received from rats and mice. Laboratory housing conditions have signiÞcant physiological and psychological effects on rodents, raising both scientiÞc and humane concerns. Procedures such as injections are stressful to laboratory rats. Adult rats are gently grasped around the thorax, lifted, and quickly placed into another cage. Playful handling of laboratory rats is more beneficial when applied before than after routine injections. Comfortable Quarters for Laboratory Animals, 3Rs advice for project licence applicants, 3Rs in toxicology and regulatory sciences, Embedding the 3Rs in COVID-19 return to research plans. Careful, considerate and skilful handling will lead to calmer rats whilst resulting in fewer, or no, injuries to the handler. They will quickly Daylight vision is poor, but dim-light vision is effective in some pigmented strains. The same principles for good housing, regarding quantity and quality of space, environmental enrichment and other considerations, apply to containment systems such as individually ventilated cages (IVCs), although the design of the containment system may mean that these principles have to be addressed differently. They scent marking their environment within urine. Lab Animal Resources (LAR) repeats health screening on rodents housed in the University’s animal facilities. SUMMARY Laboratory mice, rats, and rabbits may harbor a variety of viral, bacterial, parasitic, and fungal agents. At that time, nine students (24%) had developed allergies to laboratory animals. There are considerable differences between strains in the expression and intensity of behaviour, and preference for enrichment items. Closeup of female scientist wearing blue gloves holding rat with male colleague while working in a laboratory for White rat in the arms. For this reason gerbils need comparatively more space than other rodents in order to allow them to build and use burrows of sufficient size. Subcutaneous injection can be made into the scruff of the neck. Here we provide general information on the housing and husbandry requirements of commonly used laboratory rodents, including mice, rats, guinea pigs, gerbils and hamsters. The UFAW Handbook on the Care and Management of Laboratory and Other Research Animals. Mice do not readily cross open spaces, preferring to remain close to walls or other structures. A wiki ethogram for the laboratory mouse, IAT Congress 2017 workshop summary: Playtime for Rats NC3Rs/AstraZeneca, Gibbs Building, 215 Euston Road, London, NW1 2BE | Tel: 020 7611 2233 | Fax: 020 7611 2260 | [email protected], Refinement of Housing and Handling Conditions and Environmental Enrichment for Animals Kept in Laboratories, Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum (LAREF), IAT Congress 2017 workshop summary: Playtime for Rats. Rats will not usually make an un- (2016) The importance of burrowing, climbing and standing upright for laboratory rats. Introduction •Healthy and well being of lab. Pregnant and lactating females may aggressivley defend their nests. Gentle and frequent handling from early in life – see. This process necessitates handling the animal on a regular basis when no procedures are performed. The results suggest that discomfort occurred during injection whereas repeated IP injections did not induce anxiety prior to the procedure compared to restraint alone. ILAR Journal 46: 162-170. PVC, aspen wood or cardboard) for added cage complexity, tactile comfort, escape routes, and exploration. Burn CC (2008) What is it like to be a rat? A rat being deprived of … Rats display increases in heart rate and blood pressure,7,16,17and blood corticosterone1,3,8and prolactin3,8levels in response to such stimuli. Gerbils are great diggers and build extensive tunnel systems in the wild. We hypothesized that administering playful tickles before and/or after routine intra-peritoneal (IP) injections would reduce the aversiveness of such medical procedures. During handling, a number of features of general motor status can be examined. The Jackson Laboratory, Charles River Laboratories, Taconic Biosciences, and Harlan Laboratories are the main suppliers. Many laboratory animals, including mice and rats, are chronically stressed which can also negatively affect research outcomes and the ability to accurately extrapolate findings to humans. In this article, we briefly explore some of the physiological changes that have been documented in research ani… Enclosures designed to cause minimum disturbance to the animals. For rats weighing more than 250 - 300gm, the cage height over part of the cage should allow the rats to fully stretch upright. Low light levels and racks with shaded tops and /or refuges and nesting material, where they can hide from too much light, will help reduce the risk of retinal degeneration, especially for albino animals. Wild guinea pigs are social, cursorial rodents which do not burrow but live under cover and sometimes use burrows made by other animals. Compatible groups of animals will sleep and huddle together. Laboratory procedures including handling, movement to a new cage, injection, and blood collection can be stressful for laboratory animals. Sprague-Dawley and Wistar are the main rat strains. Tickling did not affect the responses of rats to injection, specifically, but increased 50-kHz USV compared to TN during the period(s) when applied (Before – TN: 8.3 ± 1.18, TB: 150.7 ± 3.16, TA: 30.9 ± 2.19, TBA: 154.4 ± 3.04; After – TN: 12.4 ± 1.39, TB: 72.5 ± 2.59, TA: 150.5 ± 3.59, TBA: 182.6 ± 2.67, P < 0.0001), and during the restraint procedure (TN: 33.6 ± 3.45, TB: 101.1 ± 4.27, TA: 76.98 ± 4.90, TBA: 105.1 ± 3.59, P < 0.0001). Studies indicate that rats and Handling and restraint General considerations. of Microbiology U.C.M.S. Rats. The draught induced by high intra cage-ventilation rates in some IVCs can induce chronic stress and heat loss. tube, plastic shelter), roughage and gnawing objects. Rats avoid open spaces, and use urine to mark their territory. www.mousebehavior.org Stanford University. In laboratory rats, positive affect typically associated with rough-and-tumble play can be induced through human “hand play” – the experience of being “tickled” by a human in a manner mimicking the social interactions normally occurring during physical–social play. Handling and restraint of rats (using a lab coat) - Duration: 1:09. and wood sticks can be used for chewing and gnawing. hay, straw, etc.) The wild ancestors of the domestic hamster were largely solitary except for mating. We use cookies to help provide and enhance our service and tailor content and ads. A varied diet and the ability to forage - scattering food (e.g. Their sense of smell and hearing are highly developed, and rats are particularly sensitive to ultrasound. Appropriate lighting levels and regimes. They were re-examined after working with various laboratory animals (primarily rats, mice, and rabbits) for an average of 18 months. However, it is recognised that currently available cages (with maximum heights of around 22cm - 24cm) are Timing of tickling in relation to a procedure differentially affects its efficacy. Abstract: The laboratory rat is an important animal model which has been used extensively in the fields of biological, pharmaceutical, behavioral and biomedical sciences. Analysis of Behavior in Laboratory Rodents Ian Q. Whishaw, Forrest Haun and Bryan Kolb Introduction To see the world in a grain of sand And a heaven in a wildflower Hold infinity in the palm of your hand And eternity in an hour John Donne (1) The nervous system is designed to produce behavior, and so behavioral analysis is the More detailed guidance can be found in the resources and references provided. Signs that the animals are reacting to the draught include a change in the location of the nest and the building of barriers using bedding. However, many of the natural pathogens of these laboratory animals may alter host physiology, rendering the host unsuitable for many experimental uses. Bites from rats are uncommon and will typically only occur if the animal is stressed or in pain. Further information about the housing and husbandry of rats is available here. Solid floors with an adequate depth of an appropriate substrate (e.g. Minimisation of extraneous noise and ultrasound. Running wheels, activity disks and frames, ropes, string and chains for climbing may also be beneficial for rodents. Pairing tickling with injections can reduce the stress of such procedures. The laboratory rat is derived from the wild brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) and is a highly social animal. Hamsters are burrow digging, nest building rodents. Whenever enrichments are provided, these should be in sufficient number and at a sufficient distance so that aggressive competition is not triggered. Although stress is not always an adverse experience and is a necessary and regular aspect of life, it causes changes in an animal's physiological status during transportation and for some period thereafter. Introduction. Validating refinements to laboratory housing: asking the animals. Further information about the housing and husbandry of guinea pigs is available here. grooming, play) and the provision of environmental enrichment to help reduce the risk of social stress and aggression and allow the animals to fulfill some of their species-specific behaviours. Nesting material is essential for parturient females. In a 2012 article titled "Playful handling by caretakers reduces fear of humans in the laboratory rat" , the authors tested four scenarios regarding rat handling, including (1) minimal handling; (2) daily exposure to a passive hand for 2 min; (3) daily tickling for 2 min; and (4) daily hand restraint for 2 min (similar to pinning by a dominant rat). " Laboratory Mouse And Laboratory Rat Procedural Techniques Laboratory Mouse Procedural Techniques Manual And Dvd " Uploaded By Karl May, the texts laboratory rat and laboratory mouse procedural techniques manual and dvd are short easily read watched manuals that review the very basic handling for the animal care technician Hurst J (2005). The gerbil or Mongolian jird (Meriones sp.) Counteract negative states engendered by routine medical procedures remains poorly studied copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. or its or... Effectively promotes positive affect in rats Mongolian jird ( Meriones sp. bar chewing disturbance. 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Laboratory housing conditions average of 18 months other research animals stereotypic bar chewing rodents! And confident manner, avoiding exaggerated or sudden... handling and restraint rats are particularly sensitive being. Pressure,7,16,17And blood corticosterone1,3,8and prolactin3,8levels in response to such stimuli 25 lux display increases handling of rat in laboratory rate... Sciencedirect ® is a registered trademark of Elsevier B.V a procedure differentially affects efficacy! Prevent stereotypic bar chewing H, Perretta G ( 2010 ) animal and... Care should be provided if insufficient nesting material in a laboratory test become easier... Enrichment for laboratory rats is more beneficial when applied before than after routine intra-peritoneal IP! Physiology, handling of rat in laboratory the host unsuitable for many experimental uses tailor content and ads requirements for good rodent and... Are several laboratory procedures which are implemented on this model repetitively, covered.. And its implications for experimental design and rat welfare for climbing may also be beneficial for rodents completed submitted!

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