Animal Welfare

Question 1

What can we do to implement the 3Rs?

Answer 1

• Characterisation - know your animal
• Standardisation
• Education and training

All of this in order to minimise variation between animals

Question 2

What is the reasoning behind laboratory animal welfare?

Answer 2

High quality laboratory animal science requires optimal welfare of the animals

Question 3

What is included in the definition of animal welfare?

Answer 3

• The animals are in good physiological condition and health
• the animals are feeling well (mentally)
• the animals can live according to their nature and perform their full range of behaviours

Question 4

Which areas do we assess when we talk about quality of life?

Answer 4

• Feelings and experiences
• biological function
• natural behaviour

Question 5

Name the 5 freedoms of animal welfare

Answer 5

• Freedom from hunger and thirst
• freedom from discomfort
• freedom from pain, injury, and disease
• freedom from fear and distress
• freedom to express normal behaviour

Question 6

How do we know if the animal feels pain?

Answer 6

• Similar to anatomical and physiological mechanisms to those involved in pain perception in man
• display of behavioural response to noxious stimuli
• response inhbited by analgesic drugs

Question 7

Name the three levels of pain

Answer 7

• pain reflex (e.g. burn your hands)
• painful experience (you feel the pain)
• suffering (chronic pain)

Question 8

Which changes associated with pain can be observed in animals?

Answer 8

• inactive
• cringes
• careless about hygiene
• aggressive
• “scream” when touched
• different walking pattern
• decreased body weight

Question 9

How reliable are face pain scores in mice and rabbits?

Answer 9

• 97% in mice
• 82% in rabbit

Question 10

What are the three levels of stress?

Answer 10

• acute stress (positive)
• chronic stress (negative)
• distress

Question 11

What is acute stress?

Answer 11

• Survival mechanism
• aid to adapt and cope
  
  • fight - flight - fright
• increased activity of HPA axis and sympathetic NS
• rapid recovery to basal level

Question 12

What is chronic stress?

Answer 12

• dystress = bad stress (greek)
• difficulties to cope - prolonged levels of stress hormones

Question 13

What is distress?

Answer 13

• result of long-term stress
• poor mental condition
• boredom, frustration, anxiety, etc.
• more difficult to define and detect in animals
• stereotypic behaviour

Question 14

Name some endocrine stress parameters

Answer 14

• adrenal hormones (cortisol, corticosterone, adrenaline, NA)
• pituitary hormone ACTH
• NTs (NA)
• opioid peptides
• immunological markers

Question 15

Name some physiological stress parameters

Answer 15

• heart rate
• blood pressure
• body weight

Question 16

Name some pathological stress parameters.

Answer 16

• ulcers in GI tract
• enlarged adrenals
• atherosclerosis
• lesions

Question 17

Optimisation of Welfare in concordance with reduction

Answer 17

• high quality animals
• good quality animal facilities and husbandry
• good experimental design

Question 18

Optimisation of welfare in terms of refinement

Answer 18

• condition animals and staff to set-up
• use non-invasive methods when possible
• eliminate pain
• thorough care and monitoring
• establish welfare protocols
• introduce early endpoints