Chapter 3 - Terrestrial Housing

Question 1

Animals SHOULD be housed under conditions that provide what?

Answer 1

Sufficient space and supplementary structures and resources required to meet physical, physiologic, and behavioral needs.

Question 2

Primary enclosures or spaces MAY need to be enriched to avoid which effects?

Answer 2

Abnormal brain development, physiologic dysfunction, and behavioral disorders.

Question 3

Describe social housing. When may social animals be housed alone? What SHOULD be provided in such a way to prevent monopolization?

Answer 3

Appropriate housing space or enclosure SHOULD account for animals’ social needs. Social animals SHOULD be housed in stable pairs or groups of compatible individuals unless they must be housed alone for experimental reasons or social incompatibility. Food, water, and shelter should be provided to avoid monopolization by dominant animals.

Question 4

What SHOULD be four features of caging?

Answer 4

1. Secure that does not permit animal escape
2. Durable, nontoxic material that resists corrosion
3. Withstands rigors of cleaning and regular handling
4. Not determinantal to health and research use of animals

Question 5

When does rusting or oxidized equipment need to be repaired or replaced?

Answer 5

When it threatens the health or safety of the animals.

Question 6

Can less durable materials such as wood be used? What SHOULD be considered?

Answer 6

Yes, in appropriate select situations. May need to be periodically replaced due to damage or sanitation difficulties. Painting or sealing may improve durability

Question 7

Flooring SHOULD be:

Answer 7

Solid, perforated, or slatted and slip-resistant. Perforated or slatted floor holes/slats should have smooth edges and size and spacing should be appropriate for animal size

Question 8

What can wire-mesh flooring cause? What also plays a factor? What can be beneficial to add?

Answer 8

Development of foot lesions in rodents and rabbits. Size and weight also impacts. Add solid resting area.

Question 9

Animals SHOULD be provided what for resting and sleeping? What are advantages of contact bedding? (4)

Answer 9

Bedding substrate and/or structures. Opportunities for species-typical behavior, absorbs urine and feces, facilitates thermoregulation, should be provided to breeding animals

Question 10

Who SHOULD play a role in appropriate housing strategies for a particular species?

Answer 10

Developed and implemented by animal care management, in consultation with animal user and vet, reviewed by IACUC

Question 11

What two things SHOULD housing provide?

Answer 11

Animal well-being and be consistent with intended objectives of animal use.

Question 12

When SHOULD expert advice be sought?

Answer 12

New species or specific requirements associated with the animals or their intended use

Question 13

What type of assessments SHOULD be made to substantiate the adequacy of the animal’s environment, housing, and management?

Answer 13

Objective

Question 14

What SHOULD be documented regarding maintaining animals?

Answer 14

Routine procedures for maintaining animals to ensure consistency of management and care

Question 15

What is the primary aim of environmental enrichment?

Answer 15

Enhance animal well-being by providing animals with sensory and motor stimulation through structures and resources that facilitate the expression of species-typical behaviors and promote psychological well-being through physical exercise, manipulative activities, and cognitive challenges according to species-specific characteristics.

Question 16

What is a pro and con of enrichment rotation?

Answer 16

Novelty, but changing animals’ environments too frequently may be stressful.

Question 17

How does enrichment help animals better cope with environmental stressors?

Answer 17

Provides choice and degree of control

Question 18

What are potential concerns of enrichment devices? (5)

Answer 18

1. Disease transmission
2. Increased body weight (foraging)
3. Allergies and skin rash
4. Foreign material in intestine
5. Aggression and social stress with object monopolization

Question 19

Who SHOULD review enrichment programs? How often? Why?

Answer 19

IACUC, researchers, and veterinarians on a regular basis. To ensure they are beneficial to animal well-being and consistent with the goals of animal use.

Question 20

Why SHOULD personnel responsible for animal care and husbandry receive training in the behavioral biology of the species they work with?

Answer 20

Appropriately monitor the effects of enrichment and identify the development of adverse or abnormal behavior

Question 21

Why SHOULD enrichment be considered an experimental variable?

Answer 21

Affects animal phenotype and may affect experimental outcome

Question 22

Did a study in mice support the view that addition of environmental enrichment causes variation to animals’ response to treatment? What does contribute to variation in experimental data?

Answer 22

No. Housing conditions can be enriched without compromising the precision or reproducibility of experimental results. Higher-stress reactivity does increase variation in experimental data, with environmental enrichment reducing anxiety and stress.

Question 23

What MUST animals maintained in outdoor runs, pens, or other large enclosures have?

Answer 23

MUST have protection from extremes in temperature or other harsh weather conditions and adequate opportunities for retreat for subordinate animals.

Question 24

Shelters for outdoor-housed animals SHOULD be: (4)

Answer 24

1. Large enough to accommodate all animals housed in the enclosure
2. Accessible at all times
3. Have sufficient ventilation
4. Designed to prevent buildup of waste materials and excessive moisture

Question 25

What SHOULD outside-housing structures be constructed of?

Answer 25

Materials that allow cleaning or replacement in accord with generally accepted husbandry practices.

Question 26

Outdoor-housing floors can be covered with what type of material? How SHOULD excessive buildup of animal waste and stagnant water be controlled? Other surfaces SHOULD be what?

Answer 26

Dirt, absorbent bedding, sand, gravel, grass, or similar material that can be removed or replaced when needed to ensure appropriate sanitation. Excessive buildup of animal waste or stagnant water should be avoided. Other surfaces SHOULD be able to withstand elements and be easily maintained.

Question 27

What does successful management of outdoor housing rely on?

Answer 27

1. Stable social groups of compatible animals
2. Sufficient and species-appropriate feeding and resting places
3. Acclimation period in advance of seasonal changes when animals are first introduced to outdoor housing
4. Training of animals to cooperate with vet and investigative personnel
5. Adequate security via a perimeter fence or other means

Question 28

What SHOULD be balanced when housing animals in naturalistic environments?

Answer 28

Loss of control over nutrition, health care and surveillance, and pedigree management vs animals living in more natural conditions

Question 29

When adding, removing, and returning animals to social groups in naturalistic environments, what SHOULD be considered?

Answer 29

Effect on individual animal and group

Question 30

What SHOULD be ensured for animals living in naturalistic environments?

Answer 30

Adequate supply of food, fresh water, and natural or constructed shelter.

Question 31

What considerations are there for determining space needs of an animal?

Answer 31

Age and sex, number of animals, duration of accommodation, use of intended animals, any special needs

Question 32

Do adolescents of adults typically require more space? Group or single-housed? Breeding or maintenance? Enriched or barren?

Answer 32

Adolescents, single-housed, breeding. Enrichment may increase activity and species-specific behavior, requiring more space.

Question 33

Socially housed animals SHOULD have sufficient space and structural complexity for what?

Answer 33

Escape aggression or hide from other animals

Question 34

Space allocations SHOULD be assessed, reviewed, and modified as necessary by who? What SHOULD this group consider?

Answer 34

Reviewed by IACUC, who considers performance indices, special needs determined by the characteristics of the animal strain or species, and experimental use.

Question 35

At a minimum animals MUST have enough space to:

Answer 35

1. Express natural postures and postural adjustments without touching the enclosure walls or ceiling
2. Be able to turn around
3. Have ready access to food and water
4. MUST be sufficient space to comfortably rest away from areas soiled by urine and feces

Question 36

What SHOULD not be considered floor space?

Answer 36

Area taken up by food bowls, water containers, litter boxes, and enrichment devices

Question 37

For species not specifically indicated, where should advice be sought for space recommendations?

Answer 37

Scientific literature and species-relevant experts.

Question 38

Cats, dogs, and some rabbits prefer housing enclosures that allow what?

Answer 38

Greater freedom of movement and less restricted vertical space.

Question 39

Dogs and cats, especially when housed individually or in smaller enclosures, SHOULD be provided what?

Answer 39

Exercise and positive human interaction.

Question 40

What type of species-specific plans SHOULD be developed? What SHOULD these plans also include?

Answer 40

Housing and management plans. Should also include strategies for environmental enrichment.

Question 41

How long SHOULD individual housing of animals be for?

Answer 41

Shortest duration possible

Question 42

If single animals are housed in small enclosures, what SHOULD be considered, especially for animals housed singly for extended periods of time?

Answer 42

Opportunity for periodic release into larger enclosures with additional enrichment items

Question 43

Species-specific housing and management plans for NHPs SHOULD include strategies for what?

Answer 43

Environmental and psychological enrichment.

Question 44

Space configuration of the space to allow animals to turn around and move freely is particularly important for what species?

Answer 44

Large swine

Question 45

How many food troughs and water devices SHOULD be provided?

Answer 45

Sufficient numbers to allow access for all animals.

Question 46

Single-housed species may require more space than recommended for what reasons?

Answer 46

To enable them to turn around and move freely without touching food or water troughs, have ready access to food and water, and have sufficient space to rest away from areas soiled by urine and feces.