Use of behavior analysis to recognize pain in small mammals.
The minimization of pain in laboratory animals is a gold standard with implications for improvements in both animal welfare and research quality. Changes in behavioral parameters may indicate that an animal is in pain, but in order to effectively use behavioral change to assess pain, the observer must be familiar with normal behaviors. The author discusses normal and pain-related behaviors exhibited by rodents, rabbits, and ferrets.
Mayer
Jörg
J
Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA, USA. joerg.mayer@tufts.edu
D000827:Animal Welfare; D000818:Animals; D000830:Animals, Laboratory; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D005289:Ferrets; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D011817:Rabbits; D012377:Rodentia