Monitoring Burrowing and Nest Building Behavior as Species-specific Indicators of Animal Wellbeing

Legislative bodies and the general public both demand that suffering is minimized when animals are used for scientific purposes, which is important for both ethical and scientific reasons. In addition to refined experimental methods and good husbandry practice, the recognition of reduced wellbeing is a prerequisite to assure the welfare of laboratory animals. It is essential to be able to recognise and assess pain reliably so that it can be treated effectively, e.g. following painful experimental procedures or when animals are suffering from disease. Although the mouse is the most widely used laboratory animal species, there has been a lack of non-invasive methods to assess moderate, lasting pain.