ANIMAL WELFARE (LAM) Flashcards
Animals used at Usask:
-chickens
-mice
-fish
-rats
-pigs
-cattle
-dogs
LAM vets:
-university vet
-clinical vet
-post-approval vet
Specific pathogen free (PSF):
-animals bred to:
>eliminate pathogens
>reduce disease outbreak
>reduce zoonoses
>increase research reliability and replicability
Lab animal allergies:
-handlers exposed to allergenic proteins in lab
-urine, dander, salvia, bedding, feed, mold, insects
-33% in workers
-often develop more (especially to rodents and rabbits)
Tube handling: mice
-use to transport the mice
-can then dump into your hand
-place tunnel on side of cage, and actively encourage mouse to the tunnel
-don’t chase the mouse with the tunnel
Restrain a mouse:
-forefinger and your thumb (2 finger): pushes on the trachea=more stressful (longitudinal fold)
-now a push to 3 fingers (fore, middle and thumb): transverse fold
-support it with the palm of your hand (on it’s back)
*don’t dangle when holding the tail
Examination: mice
-distance exam: movement, nesting, housing, social interactions, fur, eyes, grimace score, feces
-physical exam
Common conditions: mice
-barbering: pull the fur off other mice (skin not damaged)
-ulcerative dermatitis: continuous scratching, typically the back of neck (skin damaged)
-tail injury
-fight wounds
-congenital conditions
*importance of BCS
*stereotypies
Nest scoring:
-don’t want it scattered around
-want it as a pile with a hole and a roof structure on top
Mouse stereotypies:
-barbering
-chewers: chew the food and just leave a bunch of food crumbs, don’t really eat it
-backflips
-circling
*mitigate: environmental enrichment (wheels, sticks, group housing)
Rats:
-similar to mouse
-environmental enrichment similar, but don’t build nests
-like to chew a lot
-2 level caging
Rat handling:
-prefer full body hold (V or circle grip, support back legs with other hand)
-towel wrap
-transfer pipes
-bags
*never by tail!
Rat blood volume:
-more than mouse so can get more blood production and do less time slots
Rat exams:
-distance
-physical
-grimace scoring
Common conditions: rats
-bumble foot: pressure sores
-obesity
-ringtail (ends of tail can fall off)
-porphyrin staining (redness around the eyes)
-mammary tumour
*importance of BCS
-no mycoplasma due to SPF status
Grimace chart:
-eyes: squinting
-nose/check flattering
-ear
-whisker (closer to face=stressed)
Rabbits:
-New Zealand white rabbits
-tend to be individual housed and not paired
-enrichment (chew toys, hay, exercise area)
Rabbit restraint:
-arm holds
-towels
-bags
-cover eyes
Rabbit examination:
-distance (feces and urine protection!)
-physical exam
-grimace scoring
Rabbit grimace score:
-eyes
-check flattening
-nostril shape
-whisker shape and position
-ear shape
Rabbit common conditions
-no Pasteurella
-foot lesions
-fight wounds
-overgrown incisors and molars
-broken back
-anorexia
Zebrafish:
-environmental enrichment: need something but we don’t know what they need
-males are territorial and can fit objects more
Zebrafish common conditions:
-popeye
-mycobacteriosis
-general ill-health
*water quality
