3Rs Information - Rodents

Introduction

In the area of rodent welfare and research ethics, a range of publications is available, emphasising the importance of the 3Rs. This article outlines some of these available resources for researchers, ethics committees, AWBs, and information officers involved in research and welfare of rodents.

General considerations

• Rodent handling
• Assessing affective state in laboratory rodents
• Guidelines on severity assessment of GA rodents
• Blood sampling in mice
• Blood sampling in rats
• Asepsis in rodent surgery
• Grimace scales
• Use of emulsified gels for oral gavage
• Potential of embryonic stem cells to replace mouse embryos in research
• Use of corticosteroid markers for assessing stress
• Limitations of the forced swim test and use of alternative tests for antidepressant activity
• Refinements in rheumatoid arthritis research
• Group housing of rodents with implants
• Use of hydrophobic sand for urine collection
• Genetic quality assurance of laboratory rodents

Mouse

Welfare considerations

• Tattooing and ear tagging
• Good practice for housing male mice
• Handling mice
• Guide to handling mice
• Webinar on mouse handling
• Assessment of neonates
• Care and use of GA mice
• Care and management of aging mice
• Oral gavage technique
• Use of micropipette as an alternative to oral gavage
• Sharing and archiving of GA mice

Housing, enrichment and aggression

• Environmental enrichment
• Housing temperatures
• Mouse aggression
• Factors influencing male aggression in CD1 mice
• Addressing aggression
• Potential interventions for aggression

Rat

Welfare considerations

• Rat playpens
• Rat tickling
• Guide on use of rats in research
• Cage height for rats

Guinea Pig

• Guide on use of guinea pigs in research

Hamsters

• Guide on use of hamsters in research

Disclaimer:

Links to external websites are provided for further exploration; however. their content is beyond our control. The inclusion of links does not necessarily imply endorsement by the HPRA.