Guideline #30
Enrichment Program
1. References:
1.1. The Guide for the Care and Use of laboratory Animals, Eighth Edition, Environmental Enrichment- “Enrichment programs should be reviewed by the IACUC, researchers, and veterinarian on a regular basis to ensure that they are beneficial to animal well-being and consistent with the goals of animal use”
2. Purpose: The purpose of this Guideline is to set forth the parameters for good husbandry practices with focus on specie specific enrichment in order to provide proper care that is essential to the well-being of the animals housed at KSU within the AAALAC Accredited facilities, and to the quality of research conducted within those animal facilities.
3. Definitions:
3.1. Environmental Enrichment: The delivery of husbandry practices and a physical environment that facilitates the expression of species-typical behaviors and promotes well-being through physical exercise, manipulative activities, and/or cognitive challenges according to species-specific characteristics.
3.2. Social Housing: Group or pair-housing of compatible animals.
4. Policy: All species housed in the KSU AAALAC Accredited animal facilities should be provided specie specific enrichment and socially housed. The specific enrichment plans will be outlined in facility Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). These SOPs will be reviewed by the IACUC no less frequently than every 3 years.
4.1. Environmental Enrichment: The physical environment in the primary enclosures must be enriched by providing means of expressing noninjurious species-typical activities. Species differences should be considered when determining the type or methods of enrichment.
4.1.1. All animals should be provided with at least one form of species-appropriate enrichment. This enrichment may take the form of social housing, visual barriers, manipulanda, foraging opportunities, or other biologically appropriate forms. Additional enrichment may be required based on species-specific needs.
4.1.2. Singly housed rodents, including sentinel animals, must be supplied at least two forms of enrichment.
4.1.3. Research requiring exception to this policy for enrichment must be justified in the Animal Care and Use Protocol (ACUP) and approved by the IACUC.
4.2. Social grouping: Social animals should be housed in stable pairs or groups of compatible individuals unless they must be housed alone for experimental reasons or because of social incompatibility. (ILAR Guide 51) Single housing of social species should be the exception and justified based on experimental requirements or veterinary-related concerns about animal well-being. In these cases, it should be limited to the minimum period necessary, and where possible, visual, auditory, olfactory, and tactile contact with compatible conspecifics should be provided. (ILAR Guide p. 64)
4.2.1. Exceptions to social housing will be justified in the ACUP and approved by the IACUC.
4.2.2. Single housing of social animals is an exception to standard IACUC housing standards, and may be justified by the following:
4.2.2.1. Experimental requirements included in the approved IACUC protocol;
4.2.2.2. Isolated animal in a cohort group such as the last animal, or an extra animal sent from vendor;
4.2.2.3. Breeding, such as a single pregnant female (until pups are born) or weaning litters;
4.2.2.4. Behavioral incompatibility;
4.2.2.5. Veterinary approval - veterinarian(s) may require social animals to be housed individually for veterinary medical and/or animal welfare concerns. Exemptions from single housing for veterinary care purposes are documented in the animal's health record and, for USDA regulated species, reviewed every 30 days unless the basis for the exemption is a permanent condition. IACUC approval is not required for veterinary care exemptions from social housing.
4.2.2.6. Quarantine prior to entering a facility or conditioned colony when not received in established pairs or groups;
4.2.2.7. Procedures Requiring Anesthesia –
4.2.2.7.1. Pre-operative animals: In cases where fasting is required prior to surgery or other procedures requiring sedation or anesthesia, animals may be singly housed for the period of time in which food is removed prior to the procedure.
4.2.2.7.2. Post-operative animals: While whenever possible, post-surgical animal should be group housed, it is acceptable to singly house animals post- operatively up to 14 days for recovery, observation and incision healing. Post-operative single housing >14 days must be covered by either research- or clinically-related single housing described above.
4.3. Isolated Housing: There may be research- or clinically-related reasons to house an animal within a room by itself, without visual, auditory, olfactory, or tactile access to conspecifics. The IACUC will review research-related requests for isolation housing as described above.
LAST REVIEWED AND ADOPTED BY THE IACUC: June 20, 2024