UT Southwestern IACUC Guideline                                                          IACUC  # 136

Approval Date:_ 2/28/07                                                                                1 of 2

Guidelines for the Quantitative Assessment of Pain or Distress in Rabbits

 

Rationale

The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) has the delegated responsibility and accountability for ensuring that all animals under their oversight are used humanely and in accordance with a number of Federal Regulations and policies.

 

Animals should be monitored for pain and distress as appropriate for the condition, procedure and degree of invasiveness.  The following scale may be used to monitor pain and distress.

               

BODY WEIGHT 0        Normal 1       < 10% weight loss 2       10 - 15 % weight loss, eating 3       > 20% weight loss, not eating
APPEARANCE 0        Normal 1       Lack of grooming 2       Coat rough, possible nasal or ocular discharge 3       Coat very rough, abnormal posture, pupils enlarged
CLINICAL SIGNS 0        Normal 1       Small change of potential significance 2       Temperature rise 1-2°, 30% rise in respiratory / heart rates 3       Temperature change >2°, 25% rise in respiratory / heart rates or markedly reduced /  shallow breathing
UNPROVOKED BEHAVIOR TO EXTERNAL STIMULI (PALPATION OF INJECTION SITES) 0        Normal 1       Minor exaggerated response 2       Moderate abnormal response 3       Violent response
Total Score

 

The overall score may be tabulated and used to help assess the status of each animal. 

• A total score of 3 or less will be considered normal.
• A total score of 4-7 will indicate some evidence of pain or discomfort.
• A total score of 8-11 will suggest ample evidence of suffering with some type of amelioration indicated.
• A total score of 12-15 will be evidence of severe pain. Appropriate action must be taken after consultation and recommendation from the ARC. 
• Any single score of 3 (severe) for an independent variable will automatically place the animal in the 8-11 category.

These guidelines are applicable to animal protocols that cause more than minimal pain and distress to rabbits used in research.

Additional Signs of Pain or Distress

Critical to the assessment of the presence or absence of pain or distress is having the ability to distinguish between normal and abnormal animal behavior. This is especially true when dealing with rabbits which often exhibit pain and distress with only subtle changes in their behavior. A reference guide for these changes in behavior can be found below.

 

Condition description

Decreased Food and Water Consumption

Weight loss

Self-imposed isolation/hiding

Self-mutilation, gnawing at limbs

Rapid Breathing

Open-Mouth Breathing

Abdominal Breathing

Grinding Teeth

Biting/Growling/Agression

Increased/Decreased Movement

Unkempt Appearance (Erected, Matted, or Dull Haircoat)

Abnormal Posture/Positioning (e.g., Head-pressing, hunched back)

Restless Sleep

Tearing (including Porphyria), Lack of Blinking reflex

Dilated Pupils

Muscle Rigidity, Lack of Muscle Tone

Dehydration/Skin Tenting/Sunken Eyes

Twitching, trembling, tremor

Vocalization (rare)

Redness or Swelling Around Surgical Site

Increased Salivation

 

Contact Information:

For any additional questions please contact the IACUC Manager at 5-6420.