|
 |
|
|
|
||
 |
 |
|
||||
 |
||||||
|
|
Session B1: Enrichment, Science, and Animal WelfareChairs: Kathryn Bayne (USA) and Joe Garner (USA) B1: Why Every Scientist Should Care About Animal Welfare: Abnormal Repetitive Behavior and Brain Function in Captive Animals B1: Preparing Laboratory Beagles for Life as Working Dogs This paper will discuss the relevance of behavioral theory in a laboratory context and the practical application of this theory. The importance of socialization and habituation processes will be stressed, and the relevance of the five freedoms to the welfare of laboratory beagles and the role of behavioral techniques in their preparation for life in a research context will also be discussed. To prepare dogs for their work in a laboratory environment, they need to be able to socialize with their own species and with people. Laboratory dogs need to be able to adapt to change as they may move between different establishments and encounter a wide variety of challenging environments and interactions. Dogs need to be trained and habituated to specific procedural work and trained to differentiate between work and play. The most important developmental phase in relation to canine social and emotional development is the socialization period, which is believed to run from 4-14 weeks of age. Manipulations made during this time have the most pronounced effect on future welfare and the consequences of failure to socialize laboratory beagles in an adequate and appropriate manner will be explored. The relevance of habituation to the emotional development of the laboratory beagle will also be discussed, and the consequences of failure to provide suitable environmental and experiential stimulation will be explained. Methods of achieving habituation to specific procedures or training will be described, as will the application of context learning to teach dogs to differentiate between work and play. Socialization, habituation, and training are all ongoing procedures and even well socialized puppies will regress if the processes are not continued into adulthood. Accordingly, there is a need for a complex environment throughout the lives of laboratory beagles. The methods by which these processes can be incorporated into laboratory environments will be illustrated through description and video clips of current practice within GlaxoSmithKline and Astra Zeneca. Practical issues arising in the development of these schemes will be discussed. The type of handling that a laboratory beagle experiences as a puppy has immense welfare implications, and correct handling can help prevent behavioral problems later in life. A lack of appropriate primary socialization and habituation can seriously threaten the welfare of the animal. However, appropriate handling, interactions, and experiences must continue into adulthood if dogs are to become well-adjusted members of a research colony. As with all working animals, any dogs used in research need to be prepared for the specific circumstances of their environment and by paying adequate attention to the provision of socialization, habituation, training, and play, the welfare of research dogs can be vastly improved. B1: Taming and Training of Pregnant Ewes and Newborn Lambs Before Experiment Familiarity with handling and routine procedures reduces the stress experienced by pregnant ewes and newborn lambs during experiment. The present paper will consider the ewe and lamb in turn, drawing out general principles by reference to specific examples. The factors considered for pregnant ewes will include: behavioral and physiological effects of daily handling for 6-8 weeks before surgically preparing fetuses for study; the impact of the ewe's progesterone status on her responses to taming and training; the attainment of physiological stability after surgery; impact on monitoring the nutritional status of the ewe; and comparison of tamed and trained ewes with non-handled ewes. The factors considered for newborn lambs will include: being part of the lamb's birth environment; the impact of handing on lamb responses to feeding and painful procedures; and remote sampling effects on physiological responses. The relative value of taming and training for the human management of animals and for producing meaningful results will be assessed. B1: Refinement of Routine Procedures: Can Environmental Enrichment Reduce the Stress Response of Laboratory Mice? Laboratory animals are frequently subjected to procedures like injections or blood sampling. We investigated the effect of environmental enrichment and handling on the stress response caused by such procedures. Female mice (BALB/c and C57BL/6) were divided into two groups. One group housed minimal (standard cage; handled when necessary), one group housed maximal (enriched cage; handled daily). Initially, all mice were housed in groups of three; halfway into the experiment, the animals of the minimal groups were housed individually. Twenty-eight mice were implanted with radio-telemetry transmitters for measurement of heart rate, temperature, and activity and were subjected to restraint or i.p. injections once a week. Non-implanted mice served as controls. Urine was collected for corticosterone analysis. At the end of the experiment, blood, adrenals and thymuses were collected. Behavioral observations showed that minimal housed BALB/c mice reacted with more anxiety to procedures than maximal housed BALB/c mice. To a lesser extent, C57BL/6 mice showed the same effect. Preliminary telemetry results show an overall housing effect: heart rates of minimal groups were increased compared to maximal groups. Moreover, heart rates were increased after procedures when compared to the pre-procedural period or the same period in the weekend. The results seem to be similar for both strains. B1: A Better Mouse Cage Static or individually ventilated micro-isolation caging fails to provide optimal micro-environmental conditions and animal comfort. We studied a closed-system caging with exhaust ventilation and environmental enrichment structures. Monitoring of air velocity noise, and vibration, as well as temperature, relative humidity, and waste gases inside three (3) different occupied caging systems were recorded over a month period. Also, behavioral assessments were reported on a behavioral chart. Data suggest stable and comfortable micro-environmental conditions in the enriched closed-system caging with exhaust ventilation. We conclude that this type of cages does REFINE mouse caging and might help REDUCE the number of mice used in biomedical research and testing.
|
|
|
|
|
