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Does a Rotational Enrichment Program Improve the Well-being of Sprague Dawley Rats?

Does a Rotational Enrichment Program Improve the Well-being of Sprague Dawley Rats?. Debra L. Hickman, DVM, MS, DACLAM. Enrichment for Rats. Structural & Social. Nesting/Foraging/Gnawing. Research Question. Can we improve rat well-being by implementing a rotational enrichment scheme?

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Does a Rotational Enrichment Program Improve the Well-being of Sprague Dawley Rats?

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  1. Does a Rotational Enrichment Program Improve the Well-being of Sprague Dawley Rats? Debra L. Hickman, DVM, MS, DACLAM

  2. Enrichment for Rats

  3. Structural & Social

  4. Nesting/Foraging/Gnawing

  5. Research Question • Can we improve rat well-being by implementing a rotational enrichment scheme? • We know this is important in other highly social species (e.g. dogs, NHP) • Proposed use of behavioral and immunological assessment to measure rat well-being

  6. Spatial cognitive bias assay

  7. Spatial Cognitive Bias Assay

  8. Learning times and Path of exploration analysis

  9. Passive behavioral assessment

  10. Materials and Methods • Male Sprague Dawley rats • Train to Spatial Cognitive Bias Assay • Test on Spatial Cognitive Bias Assay • Initial • Repeat in 3 months • Reverse the location of the rewarded pot and measure learning and path

  11. Experimental Design • All individually housed with no enrichment during training • After learn spatial discrimination task: • Move to treatment condition • Initiate testing 24-36 hours later • Repeat cognitive bias testing 3 months later • Reverse rewarded vs nonrewarded locations and measure days to learn and path of exploration

  12. Treatment Groups • Controls: • Social isolation • Pair housed • Intracage shelter • Nesting material • Daily provision of food treat • Shelter, nesting material, and daily food treat (“superenriched”) • Weekly rotation of shelter, nesting material, and daily food treat

  13. results

  14. Acknowledgements • Melissa Swan • R’nld Wheeler • Tiffany Riddle • Jessica Peveler • Jesus Bazan

  15. Questions?

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