Bem-estar dos cães de abrigos municipais no estado do Paraná, Brasil, segundo o protocolo Shelter Quality / The welfare of dogs from municipal shelters in the state of Paraná, Brazil, under the Shelter Quality protocol

O bem-estar dos animais, além dos aspectos individuais, depende do entendimento e dedicação dos responsáveis pelo abrigo. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi avaliar o bem-estar dos cães mantidos em abrigos municipais do estado do Paraná, mediante a aplicação do protocolo Shelter Quality. Foram avaliados 16 abrigos, 439 cães e 165 recintos, na estação do outono de 2017. A maioria dos abrigos apresentou cães com condição corporal adequada e pelagem limpa, em recintos seguros, com metragem e suprimento de água adequados e conforto térmico. Além disso, a maioria dos cães eram mantidos em recintos coletivos e em ambientes abertos, com baixo nível de ruído e demonstravam mais emoções positivas, desejáveis na adoção. Como aspectos negativos, 58% (96/165) dos recintos avaliados tinham camas inadequadas ou inexistentes e 30% (50/165) dos recintos mantinham cães individualmente, sendo indicadores de baixo grau de bem-estar para os cães envolvidos. Além disso, nenhum abrigo disponibilizava ração para cães idosos e 81% (13/16) dos abrigos negligenciavam o diagnóstico e tratamento da dor. Apesar de a maioria dos abrigos apresentarem mais pontos positivos que negativos em sua avaliação, a gestão dos abrigos deve sempre visar à correção dos pontos críticos que comprometam o bem-estar dos animais.(AU)

Animal welfare, in addition to individual aspects, depends on the understanding and dedication of those responsible for the shelter. The objective of this study was to evaluate the welfare of dogs kept in municipal shelters in the state of Paraná, using the Shelter Quality protocol. A total of 16 shelters, 439 dogs and 165 enclosures were evaluated in the fall season of 2017. Most shelters presented dogs with adequate body condition and clean coat, in secure enclosures with adequate water supply and thermal comfort. In addition, most dogs were kept in collective enclosures and in open environments, with low noise levels and showing more positive, desirable emotions in adoption. As negative aspects, 58% (96/165) of the precincts evaluated had inadequate or inexistent beds and 30% (50/165) of the enclosures kept dogs individually, being indicators of a low degree of well-being for the dogs involved. In addition, no shelter provided elderly dog rations and 81% (13/16) of the shelters neglected the diagnosis and treatment of pain. Although most shelters present more positive than negative points in their evaluation, shelter management should always aim at correcting critical points that compromise animal welfare.(AU)

The effects of individually ventilated cages on the respiratory systems of male and female Wistar rats from birth until adulthood

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the respiratory systems of male and female rats maintained in individually ventilated cages (IVCs) from birth until adulthood. METHODS: Female Wistar rats were housed in individually ventilated cages or conventional cages (CCs) and mated with male Wistar rats. After birth and weaning, the male offspring were separated from the females and kept in cages of the same type until 12 weeks of age. RESULTS: The level of food consumption was lower in male offspring (IVC=171.7±9; CC=193.1±20) than in female offspring (IVC=100.6±7; CC=123.4±0.4), whereas the water intake was higher in female offspring (IVC=149.8±11; CC=99.2±0) than in male offspring (IVC=302.5±25; CC=249.7±22) at 11 weeks of age when housed in IVCs. The cage temperature was higher in individually ventilated cages than in conventional cages for both male (IVCs=25.9±0.5; CCs=22.95±0.3) and female (IVCs=26.2±0.3; CCs=23.1±0.3) offspring. The respiratory resistance (IVC=68.8±2.8; CC=50.6±3.0) and elastance (IVC=42.0±3.9; CC=32.4±2.0) at 300 µm/kg were higher in the female offspring housed in ventilated cages. The ciliary beat values were lower in both the male (IVCs=13.4±0.2; CC=15±0.4) and female (IVC=13.5±0.4; CC=15.9±0.6) offspring housed in individually ventilated cages than in those housed in conventional cages. The total cell (IVC=117.5±9.7; CC=285.0±22.8), neutrophil (IVC=13.1±4.8; CC=75.6±4.1) and macrophage (IVC=95.2±11.8; CC=170.0±18.8) counts in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were lower in the female offspring housed in individually ventilated cages than in those housed in conventional cages. CONCLUSIONS: The environmental conditions that exist in individually ventilated cages should be considered when interpreting the results of studies involving laboratory animals. In this study, we observed gender dimorphism in both the water consumption and respiratory mechanics of rats kept in ventilated cages.

Improving reproducibility and external validity. The role of standardization and data reporting of laboratory rat husbandry and housing

Abstract Purpose: To identify the most relevant flaws in standardization in husbandry practices and lack of transparency to report them. This review proposes some measures in order to improve transparency, reproducibility and eventually external validity in experimental surgery experiments with rat model. Methods: We performed a search of scientific articles in PUBMED data base. The survey was conducted from august 2016 to January 2017. The keywords used were "reproducibility", "external validity", "rat model", "rat husbandry", "rat housing", and the time frame was up to January 2017. Articles discarded were the ones which the abstract or the key words did not imply that the authors would discuss any relationship of husbandry and housing with the reproducibility and transparency of reporting animal experiment. Reviews and papers that discussed specifically reproducibility and data reporting transparency were laboriously explored, including references for other articles that could fulfil the inclusion criteria. A total of 246 articles were initially found but only 44 were selected. Results: Lack of transparency is the rule and not the exception when reporting results with rat model. This results in poor reproducibility and low external validity with the consequence of considerable loss of time and financial resources. There are still much to be done to improve compliance and adherence of researchers, editors and reviewers to adopt guidelines to mitigate some of the challenges that can impair reproducibility and external validity. Conclusions: Authors and reviewers should avoid pitfalls of absent, insufficient or inaccurate description of relevant information the rat model used. This information should be correctly published or reported on another source easily available for readers. Environmental conditions are well known by laboratory animal personnel and are well controlled in housing facilities, but usually neglected in experimental laboratories when the rat model is a novelty for the researcher.

A laboratory cage for foster nursing newborn mice

We describe a cage to be used for foster nursing in order to guarantee that original mother's colostrum is not ingested by the newborn mice. A common (30.5 cm x 19.5 cm x 12.0 cm) mouse cage was fitted with a wire net tray with a mesh (1 cm x 1 cm), which divides the cage into an upper and a lower compartment. Mice born to females placed in the upper compartment pass through the mesh and fall into the lower compartment, where another lactating female with one or two of its own pups are. Of a total of 28 newborn mice of C3H/He and Swiss strains, 23 were successfully fostered. Important observations are presented to show that this is a valuable alternative for foster studies without great suffering on the part of the female

El animal de laboratorio / The laboratory animal

La utilización de animales de laboratorio para la investigación biomédica ha tenido un crecimiento importante en nuestro país en los últimos años. La clase de estos animales influyen directamente en la calidad de los trabajos científicos realizados con ellos. El presente trabajo tiene por objeto exponer un panorama general de lo que es el animal de laboratorio. Se analizan las razones de tipo científico, ético-legales y laborales que obligan a que la calidad de estos animales sea apropiada. Se describen las características microbiológicas de los animales convencionales y aquellos clasificados como libres de patógenos específicos. Además, se describen las características físicas que debe terner el albergue para animales de laboratorio. Se concluye que el animal de laboratorio es un modelo biológico de gran valor para la investigación, por lo que su producción y cuidado deben responder a estrictas normas de calidad que aseguren que su uso sea científica y éticamente aceptable