The ethics of research involving animals - Nuffield Council on ...
The ethics of research involving animals - Nuffield Council on ...
The ethics of research involving animals - Nuffield Council on ...
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T h e e t h i c s o f r e s e a r c h i n v o l v i n g a n i m a l s<br />
Stress during l<strong>on</strong>ger journeys may also increase the risk <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> disease for transported <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g>.<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> potential to m<strong>on</strong>itor animal well-being, and to act if it is compromised, is <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ten<br />
significantly curtailed during such transport.<br />
Housing<br />
4.37 Breeding, stock and experimental <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> spend most <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> their lives in cages or pens, not<br />
actually undergoing procedures. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> size and quality <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the housing envir<strong>on</strong>ment therefore<br />
has a highly significant impact <strong>on</strong> their well-being. Current knowledge <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> animal behaviour<br />
and welfare makes clear that captive <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> need adequate space for a range <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> natural<br />
behaviours including: appropriate social behaviour, exercise, foraging and play, solid floors<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> appropriate material and group housing for social species.<br />
4.38 Where <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> are housed in small and barren cages, they cannot perform their full range<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> species-specific behaviours. Housing c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s may thus prevent certain social behaviours<br />
such as the maintenance <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> appropriate distances between individuals. Research has<br />
dem<strong>on</strong>strated that inadequate envir<strong>on</strong>ments have been the direct cause <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a range <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
adverse physiological and psychological effects, for example the increased likelihood <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
active <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> to suffer from osteoporosis when they are kept in small cages. Many <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g>,<br />
especially dogs, experience welfare improvements when enrichments such as refuges or<br />
viewing platforms are provided, which can assist in their percepti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> an envir<strong>on</strong>ment as<br />
‘secure’. Not providing for these needs can cause stress to the <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g>.<br />
4.39 In their natural envir<strong>on</strong>ment, all <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the comm<strong>on</strong>ly used laboratory rodents, apart from<br />
guinea pigs, will dig tunnels or chambers in order to create refuges. Even <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> from<br />
inbred strains will create such structures, which can be highly complex, if they are given the<br />
opportunity to do so. However, usually, few if any laboratory rodents have the opportunity<br />
to burrow and some experimental protocols may require <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> to be kept in envir<strong>on</strong>ments<br />
without enrichments such as artificial tunnels or refuges.<br />
4.40 Some species, such as rats, experience better welfare if nesting material is provided. For<br />
example, female rats housed without a refuge will nurse their pups in the ‘cover’ positi<strong>on</strong> in<br />
an attempt to protect them, rather than the ‘half-mo<strong>on</strong>’ positi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a more ‘relaxed’ mother<br />
rat that feels safe within her nest. Nesting material is not <strong>on</strong>ly important for nursing mother<br />
rats. Its availability improves welfare for both sexes and throughout all stages <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> life. 34<br />
4.41 <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> type <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> food, and the way it is presented, also influences animal well-being. In their natural<br />
envir<strong>on</strong>ment, most rodents are omnivores and visit many different feeding sites in a day<br />
whereas laboratory rodents are generally fed <strong>on</strong> standardised diets from fixed food dispensers.<br />
Many <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> are highly motivated to explore relatively large areas and to forage even when<br />
food is freely available, a phenomen<strong>on</strong> known as c<strong>on</strong>trafreeloading. It has been suggested that<br />
evoluti<strong>on</strong>ary pressures have led to <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> being adapted to c<strong>on</strong>trafreeload in order to find out<br />
more about their envir<strong>on</strong>ment, helping them to prepare for possible food shortages. Thus<br />
thwarting such behaviour by housing the <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> in small cages can be stressful.<br />
4.42 Appropriate social c<strong>on</strong>tact and interacti<strong>on</strong> has been dem<strong>on</strong>strated to be vital for the wellbeing<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> most comm<strong>on</strong>ly used laboratory species. Animals such as primates or dogs have<br />
evolved to form social groups with defined compositi<strong>on</strong>s and hierarchies. In their natural<br />
envir<strong>on</strong>ment these <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> usually have sufficient space to perform their social behaviours<br />
and maintain appropriate social distances. However, in the laboratory they find themselves<br />
in artificially composed groups and the cage or pen size that is provided in <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> facilities<br />
34 See Smith AL and Corrow DJ (2005) Modificati<strong>on</strong>s to husbandry and housing c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> laboratory rodents for improved<br />
well-being J Inst Lab Anim Res 46: 140–7.<br />
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