Inhoud
H1: LEGISLATION............................................................................................................................................ 3
NUMBERS............................................................................................................................................................. 3
OVERVIEW OF NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN LEGISLATION..................................................................................................3
WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY …....................................................................................................................................3
THE 3 R’S.............................................................................................................................................................5
CHANGES IN LEGISLATION.........................................................................................................................................5
H2: SAFETY IN THE ANIMAL FACILITY.............................................................................................................. 7
HAZARDS.............................................................................................................................................................. 7
H3: ZOOTECHNIQUE OF DIFFERENT SPECIES................................................................................................. 14
RODENTS............................................................................................................................................................ 14
MICE AND RATS....................................................................................................................................................14
HAMSTERS...........................................................................................................................................................16
GUINEA PIG.........................................................................................................................................................17
RABBIT............................................................................................................................................................... 18
XENOPHUS..........................................................................................................................................................19
ZEBRAFISH...........................................................................................................................................................19
PIGS...................................................................................................................................................................19
H4: HOUSING OF LABORATORY ANIMALS..................................................................................................... 21
LEGISLATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL PARAMETERS........................................................................................................21
CAGES AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENRICHMENT................................................................................................................23
SPECIAL HOUSING SYSTEMS AND TRANSPORT..............................................................................................................24
H5: HYGIENE AND MICROBIOLOGICAL STANDARDISATION...........................................................................27
HYGIENE.............................................................................................................................................................27
PATHOLOGY.........................................................................................................................................................28
DISEASE MANAGEMENT..........................................................................................................................................30
H6: ANESTHESIA - ANALGESIA...................................................................................................................... 33
GENERAL AND LOCAL ANESTHESIA............................................................................................................................33
INJECTABLE ANESTHESIA.........................................................................................................................................35
INHALATION ANESTHESIA........................................................................................................................................36
ANESTHESIA SYSTEMS AND CONSEQUENCES................................................................................................................38
PAIN ASSESSMENT.................................................................................................................................................39
PAIN AND POST-OPERATIVE CARE.............................................................................................................................40
H7: HUMANE ENDPOINTS AND EUTHANASIA...............................................................................................42
HUMANE ENDPOINTS.............................................................................................................................................42
METHODS TO DECREASE THE INCONVENIENCE............................................................................................................43
EUTHANASIA........................................................................................................................................................43
H8: BEHAVIOUR AND WELL-BEING............................................................................................................... 45
BEHAVIOUR STRESS AND WELL-BEING........................................................................................................................45
SPECIES-SPECIFIC BEHAVIOUR..................................................................................................................................45
INTERACTION BETWEEN ANIMAL AND ENVIRONMENT...................................................................................................45
PREDICTABILITY AND MANIPULATION........................................................................................................................46
DEFINITIONS OF STRESS..........................................................................................................................................46
ADAPTABILITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES..............................................................................................................47
MEASURING WELL-BEING.......................................................................................................................................47
H9: EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES................................................................................................................. 48
IDENTIFICATION OF ANIMALS...................................................................................................................................48
, ADMINISTRATION ROUTES.......................................................................................................................................48
WITHDRAWAL TECHNIQUES....................................................................................................................................49
H10: EXPERIMENTAL SURGERY..................................................................................................................... 50
NEED FOR EXPERIMENTAL SURGERY..........................................................................................................................50
STAGES IN A SURGICAL PROCEDURE..........................................................................................................................50
SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS........................................................................................................................................51
H11: GENETICAL STANDARDIZATION AND TRANSGENESIS............................................................................55
GENETICAL STANDARDIZATION.................................................................................................................................55
GENETICAL UNIFORMITY.........................................................................................................................................55
OUTBRED STRAINS................................................................................................................................................ 58
GENETICAL QUALITY CONTROL.................................................................................................................................59
GENETIC MANIPULATION IN VERTEBRATES..................................................................................................................59
H12: ETHICS AND LABORATORY ANIMAL USE...............................................................................................63
PHILOSOPHICAL BACKGROUND.................................................................................................................................63
ANIMAL WELFARE.................................................................................................................................................71
ETHICAL MATRIX EU DIRECTIVE...............................................................................................................................72
H13: ALTERNATIVE METHODS...................................................................................................................... 74
INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................................................74
REPLACEMENT......................................................................................................................................................74
REDUCTION......................................................................................................................................................... 76
REFINEMENT........................................................................................................................................................77
H14: FEEDING OF LABORATORY ANIMALS.................................................................................................... 79
IMPORTANCE OF NUTRITIONAL STATUS......................................................................................................................79
FORMULATION OF THE FEED....................................................................................................................................79
READY TO USE FEED.............................................................................................................................................. 80
RECOMMENDED AMOUNT OF NUTRIENT....................................................................................................................81
DEFICIENCY..........................................................................................................................................................81
FACTORS AFFECTING NUTRIENT REQUIREMENTS..........................................................................................................82
FEEDING AND RESEARCH.........................................................................................................................................83
H15: SEVERITY ASSESSMENT........................................................................................................................ 84
SEVERITY CLASSIFICATIONS......................................................................................................................................84
FACTORS INFLUENCING SEVERITY..............................................................................................................................84
ACTUAL AND PROSPECTIVE SEVERITY.........................................................................................................................85
ASSESSING SEVERITY IN PRACTICE.............................................................................................................................85
H16: EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN....................................................................................................................... 87
,H1: Legislation
Numbers
- Worldwide: 100 million
- Europe: 12 million
- Belgium: 700.708
1. Rodents (81%)
2. Rabbits (9%)
3. Fish, amphibians, reptiles (5%)
4. Birds (3%)
5. Farm animals (<1%)
6. Dogs, cats, primates (<0,1%)
- Use of laboratory animals is fluctuating
• Development of alternatives, ethics, legislation, more responsible use, high costs:
• Development of transgenic animals:
Overview of national and European legislation
- Belgian law: august 1986
- Royal Decree: 14 november 1993 = update of the law
- New BRD: april 2010 stricter rules concerning housing
- New European Directive: september 2010 include pain, suffering, discomfort
- The translation into belgian law is still pending
What does the law say …
Definition of laboratory = every living vertebrate animal used or intended for laboratory experiments
animal - Including: free living and/or reproducing larval forms (axolotl)
- Excluding: other foetal or embryonic forms
- New law
└ Include some invertebrae (squid, lobster, …)
└ Include mammalian embryonic forms starting from last 1/3 of term
Definition of animal = every use of living vertebrate animal for experimental an other scientific purposes can
experiment inflict pain, suffering, discomfort or permanent injury
- Including: every treatment with the purpose/consequence of the birth of an animal in
such a condition
- Excluding: non-experimental treatments (agriculture, veterinary) + humane methods (=
least painful accepted methods to kill or mark the animal)
Animals should not be used more than once in experiments with suffering/pain
, Degrees of pain/suffering
Mild pain - Administration anaethesia
- Non-invasive imaging (MRI)
- Superficial procedures (ear/tail biopsies)
Moderate pain - Surgery under general anaesthesia + post-surgical pain
- Induction of tumours +development spontaneous tumour
- Irradiation with sublethal dose
Serious pain - Toxicity + vaccine potency testing
- Irradiation with lethal dose
Purpose of laboratory animals
- Production + control of sera, vaccines or diagnostics
- Toxicological/ pharmacological research
- Diagnose of disease
- Education
- Answer scientific questions
Not allowed to test cosmetic products
Housing and taking care of lab animals
Detailed overview per species described in legislation
- Housing conditions, environment, space to move, feed, water and care: meet animal needs
- Daily control of animals + environment (including weekend/holidays)
- Regular control by vet
Source and identification of laboratory animals
- No stray pets, lost/abandoned animals
- Purpose-bred by licensed companies
- Farm animals
- Special demands for threatened species living in the wild
- Dogs, cats & primates
• Marked individually and permanent
• Immediately after weaning
- Register all animals joining & leaving the lab
Statistical information
- Handed to the government every year
• Numbers used per species
• Numbers per type of experiment
Responsible use
- Experiments
• Absolute minimum
• Only if there is no alternative method
• The choice of animal species must me considered
• Lowest neurophysiological degree
- Never be subject to serious pain, great discomfort or suffering
• If not avoided under anaesthesia
• If anaesthesia is not possible analgesics (decrease pain)
H1: LEGISLATION............................................................................................................................................ 3
NUMBERS............................................................................................................................................................. 3
OVERVIEW OF NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN LEGISLATION..................................................................................................3
WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY …....................................................................................................................................3
THE 3 R’S.............................................................................................................................................................5
CHANGES IN LEGISLATION.........................................................................................................................................5
H2: SAFETY IN THE ANIMAL FACILITY.............................................................................................................. 7
HAZARDS.............................................................................................................................................................. 7
H3: ZOOTECHNIQUE OF DIFFERENT SPECIES................................................................................................. 14
RODENTS............................................................................................................................................................ 14
MICE AND RATS....................................................................................................................................................14
HAMSTERS...........................................................................................................................................................16
GUINEA PIG.........................................................................................................................................................17
RABBIT............................................................................................................................................................... 18
XENOPHUS..........................................................................................................................................................19
ZEBRAFISH...........................................................................................................................................................19
PIGS...................................................................................................................................................................19
H4: HOUSING OF LABORATORY ANIMALS..................................................................................................... 21
LEGISLATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL PARAMETERS........................................................................................................21
CAGES AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENRICHMENT................................................................................................................23
SPECIAL HOUSING SYSTEMS AND TRANSPORT..............................................................................................................24
H5: HYGIENE AND MICROBIOLOGICAL STANDARDISATION...........................................................................27
HYGIENE.............................................................................................................................................................27
PATHOLOGY.........................................................................................................................................................28
DISEASE MANAGEMENT..........................................................................................................................................30
H6: ANESTHESIA - ANALGESIA...................................................................................................................... 33
GENERAL AND LOCAL ANESTHESIA............................................................................................................................33
INJECTABLE ANESTHESIA.........................................................................................................................................35
INHALATION ANESTHESIA........................................................................................................................................36
ANESTHESIA SYSTEMS AND CONSEQUENCES................................................................................................................38
PAIN ASSESSMENT.................................................................................................................................................39
PAIN AND POST-OPERATIVE CARE.............................................................................................................................40
H7: HUMANE ENDPOINTS AND EUTHANASIA...............................................................................................42
HUMANE ENDPOINTS.............................................................................................................................................42
METHODS TO DECREASE THE INCONVENIENCE............................................................................................................43
EUTHANASIA........................................................................................................................................................43
H8: BEHAVIOUR AND WELL-BEING............................................................................................................... 45
BEHAVIOUR STRESS AND WELL-BEING........................................................................................................................45
SPECIES-SPECIFIC BEHAVIOUR..................................................................................................................................45
INTERACTION BETWEEN ANIMAL AND ENVIRONMENT...................................................................................................45
PREDICTABILITY AND MANIPULATION........................................................................................................................46
DEFINITIONS OF STRESS..........................................................................................................................................46
ADAPTABILITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES..............................................................................................................47
MEASURING WELL-BEING.......................................................................................................................................47
H9: EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES................................................................................................................. 48
IDENTIFICATION OF ANIMALS...................................................................................................................................48
, ADMINISTRATION ROUTES.......................................................................................................................................48
WITHDRAWAL TECHNIQUES....................................................................................................................................49
H10: EXPERIMENTAL SURGERY..................................................................................................................... 50
NEED FOR EXPERIMENTAL SURGERY..........................................................................................................................50
STAGES IN A SURGICAL PROCEDURE..........................................................................................................................50
SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS........................................................................................................................................51
H11: GENETICAL STANDARDIZATION AND TRANSGENESIS............................................................................55
GENETICAL STANDARDIZATION.................................................................................................................................55
GENETICAL UNIFORMITY.........................................................................................................................................55
OUTBRED STRAINS................................................................................................................................................ 58
GENETICAL QUALITY CONTROL.................................................................................................................................59
GENETIC MANIPULATION IN VERTEBRATES..................................................................................................................59
H12: ETHICS AND LABORATORY ANIMAL USE...............................................................................................63
PHILOSOPHICAL BACKGROUND.................................................................................................................................63
ANIMAL WELFARE.................................................................................................................................................71
ETHICAL MATRIX EU DIRECTIVE...............................................................................................................................72
H13: ALTERNATIVE METHODS...................................................................................................................... 74
INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................................................74
REPLACEMENT......................................................................................................................................................74
REDUCTION......................................................................................................................................................... 76
REFINEMENT........................................................................................................................................................77
H14: FEEDING OF LABORATORY ANIMALS.................................................................................................... 79
IMPORTANCE OF NUTRITIONAL STATUS......................................................................................................................79
FORMULATION OF THE FEED....................................................................................................................................79
READY TO USE FEED.............................................................................................................................................. 80
RECOMMENDED AMOUNT OF NUTRIENT....................................................................................................................81
DEFICIENCY..........................................................................................................................................................81
FACTORS AFFECTING NUTRIENT REQUIREMENTS..........................................................................................................82
FEEDING AND RESEARCH.........................................................................................................................................83
H15: SEVERITY ASSESSMENT........................................................................................................................ 84
SEVERITY CLASSIFICATIONS......................................................................................................................................84
FACTORS INFLUENCING SEVERITY..............................................................................................................................84
ACTUAL AND PROSPECTIVE SEVERITY.........................................................................................................................85
ASSESSING SEVERITY IN PRACTICE.............................................................................................................................85
H16: EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN....................................................................................................................... 87
,H1: Legislation
Numbers
- Worldwide: 100 million
- Europe: 12 million
- Belgium: 700.708
1. Rodents (81%)
2. Rabbits (9%)
3. Fish, amphibians, reptiles (5%)
4. Birds (3%)
5. Farm animals (<1%)
6. Dogs, cats, primates (<0,1%)
- Use of laboratory animals is fluctuating
• Development of alternatives, ethics, legislation, more responsible use, high costs:
• Development of transgenic animals:
Overview of national and European legislation
- Belgian law: august 1986
- Royal Decree: 14 november 1993 = update of the law
- New BRD: april 2010 stricter rules concerning housing
- New European Directive: september 2010 include pain, suffering, discomfort
- The translation into belgian law is still pending
What does the law say …
Definition of laboratory = every living vertebrate animal used or intended for laboratory experiments
animal - Including: free living and/or reproducing larval forms (axolotl)
- Excluding: other foetal or embryonic forms
- New law
└ Include some invertebrae (squid, lobster, …)
└ Include mammalian embryonic forms starting from last 1/3 of term
Definition of animal = every use of living vertebrate animal for experimental an other scientific purposes can
experiment inflict pain, suffering, discomfort or permanent injury
- Including: every treatment with the purpose/consequence of the birth of an animal in
such a condition
- Excluding: non-experimental treatments (agriculture, veterinary) + humane methods (=
least painful accepted methods to kill or mark the animal)
Animals should not be used more than once in experiments with suffering/pain
, Degrees of pain/suffering
Mild pain - Administration anaethesia
- Non-invasive imaging (MRI)
- Superficial procedures (ear/tail biopsies)
Moderate pain - Surgery under general anaesthesia + post-surgical pain
- Induction of tumours +development spontaneous tumour
- Irradiation with sublethal dose
Serious pain - Toxicity + vaccine potency testing
- Irradiation with lethal dose
Purpose of laboratory animals
- Production + control of sera, vaccines or diagnostics
- Toxicological/ pharmacological research
- Diagnose of disease
- Education
- Answer scientific questions
Not allowed to test cosmetic products
Housing and taking care of lab animals
Detailed overview per species described in legislation
- Housing conditions, environment, space to move, feed, water and care: meet animal needs
- Daily control of animals + environment (including weekend/holidays)
- Regular control by vet
Source and identification of laboratory animals
- No stray pets, lost/abandoned animals
- Purpose-bred by licensed companies
- Farm animals
- Special demands for threatened species living in the wild
- Dogs, cats & primates
• Marked individually and permanent
• Immediately after weaning
- Register all animals joining & leaving the lab
Statistical information
- Handed to the government every year
• Numbers used per species
• Numbers per type of experiment
Responsible use
- Experiments
• Absolute minimum
• Only if there is no alternative method
• The choice of animal species must me considered
• Lowest neurophysiological degree
- Never be subject to serious pain, great discomfort or suffering
• If not avoided under anaesthesia
• If anaesthesia is not possible analgesics (decrease pain)
