Comparison of Novel and Traditional Bleeding Techniques in Neonatal and Juvenile Mice.

Blood collection is frequently used for neonatal and juvenile mice in toxicology, developmental, and immunology studies and is often a terminal procedure. However, the use of nonterminal blood collection techniques, including the submandibular and the submental collection techniques described for adult mice, may offer opportunities to reduce animal numbers and refine current methods. The use of the submental technique has not been described for neonatal or juvenile mice.

Acute Effects of Hypothermia and Inhalant Anesthesia on Ultrasonic Vocalizations and Neuroendocrine Markers in Neonatal Rats.

Neonatal rodents undergo anesthesia for numerous procedures and for euthanasia by anesthetic overdose. However, data regarding whether neonatal anesthesia is humane are limited. Hypothermia (cryoanesthesia) is the most commonly used anesthetic protocol for neonatal rats 10 d of age or younger.

Pilot comparison of outcome measures across chemical and surgical experimental models of chronic osteoarthritis in the rat (Rattus norvegicus).

Relatively little work has evaluated both the disease of osteoarthritis (OA) and clinically-relevant pain outcome measures across different OA models in rats. The objective of this study was to compare sensitivity, pain, and histological disease severity across chemical and surgical models of OA in the rat. Stifle OA was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats via intraarticular injection of monoiodoacetate (MIA) or surgical transection of anterior cruciate ligament and/or destabilization of medial meniscus (ACL+DMM or DMM alone).

Early Neonatal Pain-A Review of Clinical and Experimental Implications on Painful Conditions Later in Life.

Modern health care has brought our society innumerable benefits but has also introduced the experience of pain very early in life. For example, it is now routine care for newborns to receive various injections or have blood drawn within 24 h of life. For infants who are sick or premature, the pain experiences inherent in the required medical care are frequent and often severe, with neonates requiring intensive care admission encountering approximately fourteen painful procedures daily in the hospital.

A novel device to measure static hindlimb weight-bearing forces in pronograde rodents.

Background: Joint pain is composed of both spontaneous and movement-induced pain. In animal models, static bodyweight distribution is a surrogate for spontaneous joint pain. However, there are no commercially-available instruments that measure static bodyweight distribution in normal, pronograde rodents.

Oral Transmucosal Detomidine Gel in New Zealand White Rabbits ().

Handling and restraining rabbits for routine procedures may be impossible without prior sedation, result in unnecessary stress or injury to the rabbit or handler, and increase experimental variability. Parenteral administration of sedatives can cause stress also, as well as localized pain and tissue damage, especially in fractious animals. Detomidine hydrochloride, an α2-adrenergic receptor agonist, is commercially available in an oral transmucosal (OTM) gel formulation that is FDA-approved for sedation and restraint in horses.

Feasibility and repeatability of thermal quantitative sensory testing in normal dogs and dogs with hind limb osteoarthritis-associated pain.

The objectives of this study were to determine whether thermal quantitative sensory testing (QST) can be performed in client-owned dogs, is repeatable and whether QST differs between normal dogs and dogs with hind limb osteoarthritis (OA). This clinical, prospective, observational study used clinically normal dogs (n=23) and dogs with OA-associated hind limb pain (n=9). Thermal QST was performed in standing dogs using a high-powered light source delivered by a previously validated system.

Feasibility and repeatability of cold and mechanical quantitative sensory testing in normal dogs.

Feasibility and inter-session repeatability of cold and mechanical quantitative sensory testing (QST) were assessed in 24 normal dogs. Cold thermal latencies were evaluated using a thermal probe (0°C) applied to three pelvic limb sites. Mechanical thresholds were measured using an electronic von Frey anesthesiometer (EVF) and a blunt-probed pressure algometer (PA) applied to the dorsal aspect of the metatarsus.