Open AccessCompressed Paper as an Alternative to Corn Cob Bedding in Mouse (Mus musculus) Cages
Author(s) -
Brooke Pallas,
Dawn M Keys,
Michael P. Bradley,
Elizabeth J Vernasco-Price,
Joe D Sanders,
Portia S. Allen,
Zachary T. Freeman
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of the american association for laboratory animal science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2769-6677
pISSN - 1559-6109
DOI - 10.30802/aalas-jaalas-19-000151
Subject(s) - bedding , zoology , animal husbandry , cage , biology , veterinary medicine , environmental science , ecology , medicine , mathematics , botany , agriculture , combinatorics
Bedding material is a critical component of the mouse environment and affects animal wellbeing and research integrity. Corn cob (CC) bedding has been a common bedding choice in research despite several potential negative aspects of its use. We investigated the use of compressed paper (CP) bedding as a refinement to CC bedding. CP bedding demonstrated greater total and immediate absorption, compared with CC bedding. CP-bedded cages had a reduced frequency of early cage changing prior to the Guide -recommended 2-wk interval for IVC; this reduction was proportional to room census. Intracage ammonia levels were lower in CP-bedded IVC compared with CC-bedded IVC, independent of the age, sex, and number of mice per cage. By contrast, ammonia levels were similar between CP-bedded and CC-bedded static cages. Collectively, these data support the use of CP bedding as a refinement for CC in ventilated mouse cages, in light of increased husbandry efficiency and its positive effect on the welfare of mice.