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Report of the 2005 RSPCA/UFAW Rodent Welfare Group meeting

Lab Animal volume 35, pages 29–38 (2006)Cite this article

An Erratum to this article was published on 01 November 2006

Abstract

The RSPCA/UFAW Rodent Welfare Group holds a one-day meeting every autumn for its members to discuss current welfare research and exchange views on rodent welfare issues. A key aim of the group is to encourage people to think about the whole lifetime experience of laboratory rodents, ensuring that every potential impact on their well-being has been reviewed and refined. The 2005 meeting focused on the refinement of techniques used in the creation of GM rodents, especially genotyping and vasectomy.

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Figure 1: Burrowing behavior can be assessed by providing mice with tubes filled with food pellets.
Figure 2: PCR-based genotyping of transgenic mice using DNA extracted from ear tissue yields comparable results to assays using tail tip tissue.
Figure 3: The scrotal approach to vasectomy is an alternative to the commonly used, and more invasive, abdominal approach.

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Acknowledgements

The Group thanks the speakers and everyone who attended and participated in the meeting. Thanks also to Joanne Wright for her administrative skills.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Animals Department, RSPCA, Wilberforce Way, Southwater, RH13 9RS, West Sussex, UK

    Penny Hawkins &  Maggy Jennings

  2. CNS Inflammation Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Bassett Crescent East, Bassett, SO16 7PX, Southampton, UK

    Leigh M. Felton

  3. Division of Laboratory Animal Science, Department of Animals, Science and Society, Utrecht University, PO Box 80.166, 3504 TD, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Pascalle van Loo

  4. School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9QG, UK

    Mark Maconochie

  5. Division of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Imperial College London, Charing Cross Hospital, London, W6 8RP, UK

    Dominic J. Wells

  6. Animals (Scientific Procedures) Division, Home Office, PO Box 6779, Dundee, DD1 9WN, UK

    Ngaire Dennison

  7. UFAW, The Old School, Brewhouse Hill, Wheathampstead, AL4 8AN, Hertfordshire, UK

    Robert Hubrecht

Authors
  1. Penny Hawkins
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  8. Maggy Jennings
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Correspondence to Penny Hawkins.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Hawkins, P., Felton, L., van Loo, P. et al. Report of the 2005 RSPCA/UFAW Rodent Welfare Group meeting. Lab Anim 35, 29–38 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/laban1006-29

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/laban1006-29

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