How To Improve Housing Conditions Of Laboratory Animals: The Possibilities Of Environmental Refinement
This article discusses the housing needs of animals used in experiments. The authors note that the comfort and well-being of these animals is typically valued less than the experiments being conducted. They suggest a balance between “scientific validity, animal welfare and job satisfaction for animal care staff.” The article reviews research addressing the various components of adequate housing for various species of animals used in experiments.
This article highlights research on various components of housing for animals used in experiments, including: cage mates, enrichment, pathogens, lighting, odors, cage size, food, water, air, bedding, humidity, temperature, CO2 and Nh3 levels, bedding, and noise. These factors are reviewed separately by species.
Article Abstract:
“Housing systems for captive animals have often been designed on the basis of economic and ergonomic considerations, such as equipment, costs, space, workload, ability to observe the animals and to maintain a certain degree of hygiene, with little or no consideration for animal welfare. Environmental refinement can be defined as any modification in the environment of captive animals that seeks to enhance the physical and psychological well-being of the animals by providing stimuli which meet the animals’ species-specific needs. This article provides an overview of environmental factors that influence the well-being of captive animals with specific reference to the needs of the most common laboratory species.”
“It is important to evaluate environmental refinement in terms of the benefit to the animal, by assessing the use of and preference for certain enrichment, the effect on behaviour, and the performance of species-typical behaviour on physiological parameters. It is also necessary to evaluate the impact of refinement on scientific outcome, including whether and how statistical power is affected. Communication and team work between animal welfare scientists, animal research scientists, institutional animal welfare officers, veterinarians and animal ethics committees, animal facility management and personnel, are essential for success.”
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2012.09.023