Lab animal welfare

3Rs

Reduction - Minimise use, but enough that necessary so not wasted

Refinement - Improvements to procedures/husbandry to maximise welfare and minimise harm

Replacement - Avoid/replace use of protected animals

All licenced research using vertebrate must address 3Rs

Animals used in research

  • Mostly mice, 61%
  • Fish 14%
  • Rats 12%
  • Birds 7%
  • Other 5%

Regulation

Animals (scientific procedures) act 1986 = ASPA

Directive 2010/63/EU

Protects all vertebrates (excl humans) & cephalopods in research/testing

[See picture from lecture in notes for regulation structure]

Housing and husbandry

Strictly regulated to exact wording of licence

Level of cumulative suffering each individual experiences recorded

Assessment of suffering

Depends on ability to accurately assess individual welfare

Procedure must list all likely adverse effects

Regulated conditions

Housing and husbandry; regulation focuses on physical conditions as easily defined

Animals must be provided with suitable conditions to meet "ethological needs" of particular species

Assessment of pain

Changes in facial expression (mice, rats & rabbits)

Grimace scales based on species specific changes in facial action units

Animal welfare assessment

Measures of welfare

Behavioural measures

Pathology and clinical signs

Physiological stress responses

Animal exhibiting normal behaviour patterns for species or are there abnormal behaviours

Handling for rodents (generally)

Lab rats domesticated but not inherently tame

Handling for mice

Tail handling - Worst

Home cage tunnel - Best

Cupping on open hand - Middle, but good, requires training though

Anxiety in behavioural tests

Anxiety behaviour: Freezing, stretch attend, thigmotaxis

Good welfare needed for good science

Abnormal behaviours (mice)

Barbering (self or cage mates)

Somersaulting (stereotypies)

Bar twilring (steroetypies)

Repeated jumping (stereotypies)

Covers, shelters & enrichments

Tubers provide cover

Shelters for resting

Physical cover

Social grouping

Ethological need (most species)

Important source of stimulation and 'variation'

However beware intolerant companions

Strongly motivated to seek contact with familiar group members

Social animals should be group housed if possible but monitored for signs of intolerance