LABORATORY ANIMAL HUSBANDRY, ETHOLOGY AND WELFARE

Laboratory animal husbandry and welfare I (4 Credits):
Species: mainly rat and mouse, but also rabbit and poultry.
The course covers the following topics:

- Principles of reproduction physiology and control: kindling, milking, weaning; egg laying, incubation, hatching, chicks management.
- Principles of nutritional and water requirements: quality of the diets, feeding and drinking practice, diets sampling.
- Environmental and housing conditions for laboratory animals to ensure welfare in the animal unit: decription of suitable environmental conditions and enrichment, management of the animal facility to guarantee animal’s health and scientific procedures (including environmental measurement equipment), monitoring activity and identification of the consequences of inapproriate environmental conditions on the animal, evaluation of potential problems. Replacement, reduction, and refinement approach for a continuous improvement of welfare, husbandry and enrichment practices.
- Experimental management: best practices use and assessment to fullfil and monitor animal welfare with respect to the severity of procedures and pain assessment methods in clinical settings and know what appropriate actions to take; performance, reproduction and experimental treatments, data collection and analysis for experimental purposes.
- Transport, acclimatization, husbandry conditions and experimental procedures: laboratory animal transport/transfer, housing, handling, holding; description of the biological consequences on the intended animal species and their minimization to ensure animal health status and welfare.

Training: case studies on the animal species discussed in lecture sessions to reinforce husbandry and welfare principles. Technical visits to visualize and understand the theoretical concepts considered in frontal lectures.

Laboratory animal husbandry and welfare II (2 Credits):
The course covers the following topics:

Basic operating principles about design and functionality of laboratory housing systems and equipments for aquatic species; management, feeding and handling with special emphasis on zebrafish and other relevant laboratory species.

Training: Visit at an acquatic laboratory system; case studies about welfare of acquatic species under laboratory sysytems.

Laboratory Animal Ethology (2 Credits):
The course covers the following topics:

Behavioral repertoires. The behavioral repertoires of the species most frequently used in research (including rat, mouse, zebrafish, poultry, dogs), and including:
- Maintenance behaviors
- Exploration, use of space and territorial behavior
- Sociality and communication
- Fear, stress and abnormal behaviors

Behavioral methods. Methodologies for the collection of behavioral data. Main behavioral paradigms used in animal research.

Training. Application of the learning theory to the training of animals, aimed at improving their welfare while housed and reducing the impact of experimental procedures and restraint (e.g. habituation, positive-reinforcement based conditioning, socialization).