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Information Resources on the Care and Welfare of Rodents

AWIC Resource Series No. 37

December 2006

Updates Housing, Husbandry, and Welfare of Rodents, 1997


rat

Photo courtsey of:
National Institutes of Health, Division of Veterinary Resources

Compiled by:

Richard L. Crawford, D.V.M.

Animal Welfare Information Center

National Agricultural Library

U.S. Department of Agriculture


Published by:


U. S. Department of Agriculture

Agricultural Research Service

National Agricultural Library

Animal Welfare Information Center

Beltsville, Maryland 20705

Contact us : http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/contact.php

Web site: http://awic.nal.usda.gov/


Published in cooperation with the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine


Web Policies and Important Links

           

CONTENTS

Introduction

 

General

 

Alternatives / Teaching | Bedding / Caging /Housing / Facilities | Blood / Bleeding / Biology | Feed/ Nutrition/ Guidelines | Gavage | Husbandry / Care / Handling / Enrichment | Noise / Lighting / Temperature / Humidity | Occupational Considerations | Welfare/Wellbeing/Fasting/Behavior

 

Selected Web Sites

INTRODUCTION

 

This publication updates and expands AWIC’s 1997 bibliography on the Housing, Husbandry and Welfare of Rodents.  It is estimated that rats and mice could make up 90% or more of all animals currently used in research, teaching and testing in the United States. The exact number of these animals used for research is unknown because USDA does not collect data on non-regulated species.  Under the current Animal Welfare Act, animal is defined as “any live or dead dog, cat, nonhuman primate, guinea pig, hamster, rabbit, or any other warmblooded animal, which is being used, or is intended for use for research, teaching, testing, experimentation, or exhibition purposes, or as a pet”.  It specifically excludes rats of the genus Rattus and mice of the genus Mus, bred for use in research, among other species.


Although USDA does not require reporting of numbers and does not set minimum standards for non-regulated animals, facilities that are AAALAC accredited and thus adhere to the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, or receive Public Health Service (PHS) funding and abide by the PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, are required to apply standards to all activities involving live vertebrate animals, including rats and mice.  In fact, while environmental enrichment for nonhuman primates was a rather novel idea in 1985; by 2006, many facilities also developed enrichment programs for their rodents.  The concern for humane treatment of animals and animal well-being in biomedical research thus extends beyond the Animal Welfare Act definition of animal.


This information resource was developed to help researchers provide better conditions for their animals and their research, and to assist in complying with the requirements of the Animal Welfare Act. It consists of over 1300 records from multiple sources and is divided into ten different groups as follows: Alternatives, Teaching/ Bedding, Caging, Housing, Facilities/ Blood, Bleeding, Biology/ Feed, Nutrition, Guidelines/ Gavage/ General/ Husbandry, Care, Handling, Enrichment/ Noise, Lighting, Temperature, Humidity/ Occupational Considerations/ Welfare, Wellbeing, Fasting, Behavior.

Information on how to request materials that are included in the collection of the National Agricultural Library (NAL) may be found on the Collection Services Branch Web site at http://www.nal.usda.gov/services/request.shtml. Please read carefully as there are certain restrictions on media and document types.

 

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The Animal Welfare Information Center, Contact us: http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/contact.php
http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/pubs/Rodents/rodents.htm
January 9, 2007