Lab Animals Flashcards

1
Q

Animals frequently used for research

A
  • Mice
  • Rats
  • Pig
  • Rabbit
  • Zebrafish
  • Chicken
  • Cattle/sheep
  • Various wildlife

AT USASK, highest used species is chickens, then mice

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2
Q

Specific pathogen free (SPF) animals

A
  • Animals bred to eliminate certain pathogens, reduce disease outbreaks, reduce zoonosis, increases research
  • Bred by C-section, dam-fostering
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3
Q

Acclimation

A
  • Lab animals often need a week to adjust to new environment before use. This will allow for cortisol levels to go back to normal
  • Expose to routine handling and common procedures to familiarize animals. Includes Classical and operant conditioning (positive reinforcement training)
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4
Q

Positive reinforcement training (PRT)

A
  • Operant conditioning
  • Reduces stress on the animals for procedures

Ex. mice tunnel handling

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5
Q

Laboratory animal allergies (LAA)

A

Workers have allergic symptoms when exposed to allergenic proteins from lab animals. If allergic to one, often become allergic to others over time

  • Urine, dander, saliva, bedding, feed, mold, insects
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6
Q

Zoonosis risk with lab animals

A
  • Few zoonoses from SPF rodents and rabbits besides LAA and fecal bacterial exposure
  • Chance of mycobacterial exposure from fish if you have open cuts or sores
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7
Q

Mouse/rat housing

A
  • Ventilated vs. static caging
  • Barrier facilities to prevent wild rodent disease transmission
  • Workers can’t have rodents at home
  • Controlled temperature, humidity, lighting
  • Bedding, nesting material, environmental enrichment
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8
Q

Most common mouse strains

A

C57BI/6, Balb/c, Nude

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9
Q

Catching mice with tube

A
  • Can use tube, place around edge of cage. Mice will run around edge into tube
  • Pick up tube and tip mouse backwards into your hand
  • Don’t chase mouse with tunnel
  • Handling should be quick, don’t be hesitant
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10
Q

Restraint of mice

A
  • Use scruffing; don’t hold upside down by tail
    1. One-handed restraint
    –> 3 finger hold. Scruff mouse but support body with other fingers while mouse is upside down on palm
    2. Two-handed restraint

**Can use scruff guard

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11
Q

Scruffing

A

Don’t scruff with 2 fingers and create longitudinal fold, as this causes choking/pressure on throat INSTEAD use 3 fingers and create different angle of fold

Support body

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12
Q

Injections for mice and rats

A
  • Subcutaneous- most common (anywhere in scruff)
  • Intramuscular- rare (hind leg)
  • Intraperitoneal- common (lower abdomen)
  • Intravenous- common (tail vein)
  • Intravenous- retro-orbital (stick behind eye)- not as common, need to be anesthetized first
  • Oral gavage
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13
Q

Blood collection in mice

A
  • Small circulating volume between 1-1.5ml
  • Typically collect 10-100ul per collection
  • Repeated collections need rest period to allow blood production and prevent anemia
  • Taken at tail vein or artery, saphenous vein, facial vein, jugular vein, cardiac (when under anesthesia), and rarely but can be taken at retro-orbital plexus
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14
Q

Mouse and rat anesthesia

A
  • Isoflurane induction box and mask
  • Injection, IP, or IV with top up as needed
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15
Q

Reasons for anesthesia in mice

A
  • Surgery
  • Imaging
  • Blood collection
  • Inoculation
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16
Q

Exams of mice and rats

A
  1. Distance exam
    - Animal condition, movement, nesting (nest score- good nest would be round structure with a roof on top; will indicate whether mouse is well or not), social interactions, fur, eyes, grimace score, feces, urine
  2. Physical exam
    - Abdominal palpation, oral cavity, eyes, anus, prepuce, vulva, skin, tail
17
Q

Common conditions of mice

A

Barbering- another mouse picking off fur of another. Need to remove the aggressor

Ulcerative dermatitis- excessive scratching leading to damage of skin

Tail injury

Fight wounds

Congenital conditions
- Hydrocephalus- water on brain
- Eye(s) are smaller or no eyes present

Stereotypies (try to mitigate by providing better environment)
- Barbering
- Chewers
- Backflips
- circling

Poor body condition score
- Degree of hunching- more hunced when not feeling well
- Sunken abdomen
- Thin or fat

18
Q

Euthanasia of rats and mice

A

AVMA and CCAC guidelines on euth

Common methods
- Isoflurane
- Cervical dislocation
- Decapitation
- CO2
- Exsanguination
- Anesthetic overdose
- Pentobarbital IV or IP

19
Q

Rat Common research strains

A
  • Sprague Dawley
  • Wistar
  • Long evans
20
Q

Rat Handling/restraint

A

Rarely scruff

Hold by grabbing neck and shoulders, rest against your body, support hind end. If needed, flip rat onto back, hold shoulders and legs and push inwards so that the rats arms are almost crossed

Prefer full body hold, circle grip or V hold

Towel wrap for aggressive or squirmy rats

Can be acclimated to human interaction and touch very easily
- Tickling

Never lift or hold by the tail as it can cause tail sloughing

Can use tunnel/pvc pipe to transfer

21
Q

Blood collection in rats

A
  • Small circulating blood volume between 7-10ml
  • Typically collect 0.5-1ml per collection
  • Repeated collections may need rest period for blood production and to prevent anemia
  • Taken at tail vein or artery, saphenous vein, facial vein, jugular vein, cardiac (when under anesthesia), and rarely but can be taken at retro-orbital plexus
22
Q

Common conditions of rats

A
  • Bumblefoot- common with barred cages
  • Obesity
  • Ringtail- constrictions in tail results in ring shape
  • Porphyrin staining
  • Mammary tumour
  • Importance of Body condition scoring
  • No mycoplasma due to SPF status
23
Q

Examination of rats

A

Distance exam, physical exam, grimace score

24
Q

Housing and husbandry for rabbits

A
  • Floor housed or cage housed
  • Individual vs. social housing
  • Need environmental enrichment (companion, chew toys, floor time/exercise)
25
Q

Restraint for rabbits

A
  • Arm holds
  • Towels
  • Bags
  • Covering eyes
26
Q

Injections in rabbits

A
  • Subcutaneous- common in scruff or back
  • Intramuscular- rare (hind leg)
  • Intravenous- common (ear vein, cephalic vein)
  • Intraperitoneal (rarely performed)
27
Q

Blood collection in rabbits

A
  • Sites: marginal ear vein, ear artery, saphenous vein, cardiac (terminal only)
  • Often collect 1-5ml per collection
28
Q

Rabbit anesthesia

A
  • Injectable or inhalant
  • Isoflurane and sevoflurane common +/- sedation given prior
  • Full total injectable anesthesia rare, if so then use ear vein catheter
  • They tend to breath hold so need to keep mask on for quite a while
29
Q

Examination for rabbits

A

Distant exam- Animal condition, movement, social interaction , fur, eyes, grimace score, feces, urine production

Physical exam- abdominal palpation, palpate jaw, legs, back oral cavity

Grimace score- look at ears, cheeks, whiskers, nostrils, orbital

30
Q

Common conditions of rabbits

A
  • Pasteurella
  • Foot lesions
  • Fight wounds
  • Overgrowth of incisors and molars
  • Broken back
  • Anorexia- especially after transport
31
Q

Environmental needs of zebrafish

A
  • May need rocks? Plants? Objects can lead to dominance as they fight over them
  • Treated water tanks, remove chloride
  • Circulation of water
32
Q

Zebrafish Examination

A

Distance exam
- Animal condition
- Movement
- Social interactions
- Scales
- Where in water column
- Breathing
- Body condition, skeletal condition

33
Q

Blood collection of zebrafish

A

Anesthesia: MS-222, metomidate immersion in water

34
Q

injections of zebrafish

A
  • Intraperitoneal
  • Exposure in tank water
35
Q

Common conditions of zebrafish

A
  • Popeye
  • Mycobacteriosis
  • General ill-health

Most often related to water quality