Clinical Laboratory Animal Medicine

An Introduction

Lesley A. Colby, Megan H. Nowland, Lucy H. Kennedy

• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
• Year: 2019
• ISBN:
  9781119489597
• Edition: 5
• Topic: Medicine
• Subtopic: Veterinary Medicine

The revised fifth edition of Clinical Laboratory Animal Medicine: An Introduction is an accessible guide to basic information for conducting animal research safely and responsibly. It includes a review of the unique anatomic and physiologic characteristics of laboratory animals, husbandry practices, and veterinary care of many animals frequently used in research, including rodents, rabbits, ferrets, zebrafish, nonhuman primates, and agricultural animals.

The updated fifth edition adds two new chapters on zebrafish and large animals, new information on transgenic models and genetic editing, and expanded coverage of environmental enrichment and pain management. The book presents helpful tip boxes, images, and review questions to aid in comprehension and learning, and a companion website provides editable review questions and answers, instructional PowerPoints, and additional images not found in the book. This important text:

• Provides a complete introduction to laboratory animal husbandry, diseases, and treatments
• Offers a user-friendly format with helpful content that highlights important concepts
• Contains new knowledge relating to technical methodologies, diseases, drug dosages, laws and regulations, and organizations
• Covers information on regulations, facilities, equipment, housing, and research variables as well as veterinary care
• Includes new chapters on zebrafish and cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs

Written for veterinary technicians, veterinary students, practicing veterinarians, and research scientists, the fifth edition of Clinical Laboratory Animal Medicine continues to offer an essential guide to the ethical treatment and anatomic and physiological characteristics of research animals.

1
Introduction to Laboratory Animal Medicine

The health and welfare of animals used in biomedical research must be supported to be consistent with contemporary ethical standards and to help ensure the scientific validity of research results. Providing this support requires individuals with expertise in many fields including basic and applied sciences, bioethics, regulatory oversight, experimental design, and laboratory animal science. Laboratory animal science is defined by the US National Library of Medicine as “[t]he science and technology dealing with the procurement, breeding, care, health, and selection of animals used in biomedical research and testing” (Box 1.1). It includes husbandry, nutrition, behavior, health care, production, and management of laboratory animals.

---

Box 1.1

The US National Library of Medicine defines laboratory animal science as “[t]he science and technology dealing with the procurement, breeding, care, health, and selection of animals used in biomedical research and testing.”

---

Laboratory animal medicine is a specialized field within laboratory animal science and a recognized specialty within veterinary medicine. At its core, laboratory animal medicine encompasses the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases in animals used in research, teaching, and testing. It emphasizes methods to prevent and minimize pain, discomfort, and distress in research animals; facilitates acquisition of biologically meaningful results; and minimizes experimental variability. The field has progressively grown and evolved in response to scientific and medical advances, shifts in the regulatory environment, and the ever‐changing focus of scientific inquiry.

Diverse groups of individuals play important roles within laboratory animal medicine. Veterinarians have a variety of responsibilities within an animal care and use program that may include provision of veterinary care, management of animal care and use facilities, education of individuals who care for and use laboratory animals, assisting biomedical scientists in the selection of and humane use of animals, obtaining and interpreting biologically relevant data, and assuring compliance with regulations and policies that affect research animals. Veterinary technicians work under the supervision of a veterinarian, assisting them in carrying out these responsibilities. They often provide technical support in disease detection, including oversight of colony health monitoring programs, treatment of ill animals, blood sampling, and necropsy and tissue collection. When engaged in research or drug study positions at a pharmaceutical firm or university, they administer test products and collect data. This type of employment often requires the veterinary technician to be credentialed and have a bachelor's degree. Credentialed veterinary technicians, with sufficient education, training, and experience, and who have completed testing requirements can apply to join the Academy of Laboratory Animal Veterinary Technicians and Nurses, a specialty organization within the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA). Veterinary technicians may also work in research compliance or supervise other animal facility staff such as assistant laboratory animal technicians, animal caretakers, and cagewash personnel. It should also be noted that individuals without formal veterinary training make significant contributions in support of laboratory animal medicine. For example, animal caretakers who closely observe and handle animals on a daily basis can be instrumental in detecting behavioral changes and identifying early signs of illness so that animals can be promptly assessed by veterinary personnel.

ANIMALS USED IN RESEARCH, TEACHING, AND TESTING

Biomedical Research

Remarkable advances have been made in medicine and science over the past century, such as the characterization of complex host–pathogen interactions and immune system functions, development of vaccines for polio and hepatitis B, creation of antibiotics and antivirals for infectious diseases, procedures for organ transplantation and open heart surgery, and development of drugs for chronic disorders such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Animals played a major role in each of these advances (Table 1.1). New treatment modalities for cancer, less invasive surgical approaches, and the development of equipment such as the laser and endoscopic instruments would not have been possible without the use of animals. Often, advances made in human health are also applied to the benefit of companion animals (Figure 1.1). For instance, most cancer treatments and many advanced surgical techniques and imaging modalities developed for use in humans are now routinely available to veterinary practices.

Table 1.1. Animal roles in medical discoveries and advancements

Sources: National Association of Biomedical Research (https://www.nabr.org/biomedical‐research/medical‐progress), Foundation for Biomedical Research (https://fbresearch.org/medical‐advances/nobel‐prizes), and Nobel Prize (www.nobelprize.org).

Year^*	Scientist(s)	Animal(s) Used	Contribution
1901	von Behring	Guinea pig	Development of diphtheria antiserum
1904	Pavlov	Dog	Animal responses to various stimuli
1923	Banting, Macleod	Dog, rabbit, fish	Discovery of insulin and mechanism of diabetes
1924	Einthoven	Dog	Mechanism of the electrocardiogram
1945	Fleming, Chain, Florey	Mouse	Discovery of penicillin and its curative effect in various infectious diseases
1954	Enders, Weller, Robbins	Monkey, mouse	Culture of poliovirus ...