Identification of Sick or Dead Mice (Mus musculus) Housed with 6 Grams of Crinkle Paper Nesting Material.

Although nesting material is beneficial to the welfare of laboratory mice, provision of appropriate amounts may impair visualization of the mice. In anticipation of our academic research institution transitioning to providing 6 grams of nesting material to all mice, we conducted a 2-step prospective epidemiologic study to 1) evaluate whether 0, 2, or 6 grams of nesting material alters the ability to identify sick or dead mice, and 2) evaluate the number and severity of health concerns identified in the presence of 6 grams of crinkle paper nesting material at cage-side health check as compared with cage change. Animal Treatment Reports (ATRs) and death incidences were collected across a variety of research and breeding uses. This information was used to determine if nesting material prevented prompt identification of mice in need of veterinary attention. The clinical health condition category (CHCC) was determined based on the severity of the animal's health condition on initial veterinary exam. Additional assessment determined if the identification of the animal's condition was a success (early-stage or mild illness when first identified) or a failure (late-stage or endstage illness when first identified). Mice that died spontaneously were also assessed with regard to which observation activity was being performed at the time of the animal's identification (daily health check or cage change) and location of the mouse in relation to the nest. The results showed that nesting material did not cause a significant increase in the severity of CHCCs at the time reported for veterinary evaluation. Successful identification of health concerns occurred significantly more often than failures. Death rates were similar between all nesting groups, and dead mice were more likely to be located outside of the nest. In summary, nesting material did not hinder the ability to identify mice in need of veterinary care during routine cage-side health checks and did not critically affect the ability to identify mice that died spontaneously. These results indicate that mice can receive appropriate amounts of crinkle paper nesting material without lowering the ability of staff to recognize mice in need of veterinary attention.

Compassion Fatigue in Laboratory Animal Personnel during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Compassion Fatigue (CF) is commonly observed in professions associated with human and animal care. The COVID-19 pandemic compelled laboratory animal research institutions to implement new work practices in order to maintain essential animal care operations. These modifications ranged from shift changes to last-resort measures, such as culling animal colonies, to accommodate reduced staffing. Such changes could cause personnel to experience increased stress, isolation, and helplessness-all of which can increase CF risk. In the current study, 200 persons involved with animal research completed an online survey to gauge whether CF among laboratory animal personnel had increased during the pandemic. The survey examined professional quality of life, self-assessed levels of CF, institutional changes, perceived changes in animal welfare, and institutional measures intended to alleviate CF. A total of 86% of participants had experienced CF at some point in their career, with 41% experiencing a CF event (new or worsening symptoms of CF) during the pandemic. In addition, 90% of participants who reported a CF event also reported subsequent effects on their personal or professional lives. Health, employment, and animal-related stress that arose due to the pandemic were all found to influence CF scores significantly. Although 96% of respondents were considered essential workers, 67% did not feel as valued for their work as other essential personnel. Furthermore, 88% of personnel responsible for the euthanasia of healthy animals who experienced a CF event reported that CF also affected their personal life, professional life, or both, and 78% responded that interventions from internal CF programs or leadership did not help to alleviate symptoms of CF. The COVID-19 pandemic and resultant institutional changes will likely have lasting effects on persons and organizations. By determining and subsequently mitigating sources of CF, we can better assist the laboratory animal community during future crises.

Refinement of Perioperative Feeding in a Mouse Model of Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy.

Provision of liquid enteral nutrition (LEN) during the perioperative period is standard practice for rodents undergoing bariatric surgery, yet these diets are associated with several challenges, including coagulation of the liquid diet within the delivery system and decreased postoperative consumption. We investigated the use of a commercially available high-calorie dietary gel supplement (DG) as an alternative food source for mice during the perioperative period. C57BL/6J male mice were fed high-fat diet for 8 to 10 wk prior to surgery. The study groups were: vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) +DG, VSG+LEN, sham surgery+DG, and sham+LEN. Food and water intakes, body weight, and body fat composition was monitored throughout the study. Mice that received DG lost significantly more weight preoperatively than those fed LEN. However, during the postoperative period, body weight, body fat composition, and water and caloric intake were similar among all experimental diet groups. Three mice in the VSG+LEN group were euthanized due to clinical illness during the course of the study. In summary, feeding a high-calorie DG to mice undergoing VSG surgery is a viable alternative to LEN, given that DG does not significantly affect the surgical model of weight loss or result in adverse clinical outcomes. We recommend additional metabolic characterization of DG supplementation to ensure that this novel diet does not confound specific research goals in the murine VSG model.