Traditionally, laboratory animals were kept in “bare bones” environments. The idea was to simplify the experiment and eliminate as many variables as possible.
However, with declining experimental reproducibility rates in human trials (only 1 in 9 drugs entering human trials will succeed), there is a growing suspicion that the low rate of translation from animal research to human outcomes may be related to animal welfare in the trials.
Regarding this dilemma Dr. Joseph Garner, associate professor for the comparative medicine department at Stanford noted “In my opinion, [the problem] fundamentally boils down to the quality of science being done in the initial discovery work with animals, and it’s inseparable from animal welfare.”
Otto Environmental understands the need to enrich the lives of lab animals for their welfare and success in trials. We’ve designed these easy to implement enrichment products to help improve your animal’s welfare in the laboratory environment.
The Rat Loft is a stainless steel is a hanging platform provides a “hangout” for rats and mice. For instance, they may climb onto the ledge or nestle under it. The Rat Loft is available as a solid platform or a perforated ledge and is autoclavable for sanitation.
Small rodents like to retreat to dark, safe spaces. The Jerboa Nesting Box is ideal for mice, rats, gerbils, jerboas, hamsters, and moles. The box has an inner divider that creates a separate space for nest building. Additionally, the lid has a stainless-steel hinge allowing for easy access to the box.
Adding complexity to your animal’s environment improves health and development. The Stainless Steel Hanging Mirror is an interesting “shiny object” that intrigues curious animals. The all-stainless construction is smooth, rugged, and easy to clean.
Mice and other rodents thrive when they have things to explore and nibble. The Mouse Relaxer provides tactile, visual, and audible stimulation. All types of rodents love to lick, grasp, and rattle the stainless-steel bead chains. Just hang it from a cage bar.
It’s no secret small rodents like mice and gerbils love to crawl through tubes. However, a cardboard tube will get chewed up in minutes. Our 3” Stainless-Steel Rodent Tube can’t be shredded! The 3” x 3” tube won’t rust and is autoclavable. The 4” Rat Round Rodent Tube is larger (4” x 6”) and suitable for rodents of any size including large rats. Small rodents like mice and mole rats will enjoy our 2” x 4” Mouse Round and Mouse Square stainless-steel tubes. All tubes have smooth, safe edges.
Boredom creates stress in rabbits. The Rabbit Relaxer is a larger version of the Mouse Relaxer. Mount the relaxer on a cage bar. Rabbits like to rear up on hind legs to investigate this enrichment tool.
Edible Enrichment is a key component for creating a positive primate habitat. One product, The Spin-A-Snack Primate Enrichment System (PES), is a rotating polycarbonate feeder that dispenses interesting foods like peanuts, seeds, and popcorn. The Spin-A-Snack is compatible with the PES system.
