Refinement Database

Database on Refinement of Housing, Husbandry, Care, and Use of Animals in Research

This database, created in 2000, is updated every four months with newly published scientific articles, books, and other publications related to improving or safeguarding the welfare of animals used in research.

Tips for using the database:

  • This landing page displays all of the publications in the database.
  • Use the drop-down menus to filter these publications by Animal Type, Setting, and/or Topic.
  • Clicking on a parent category (e.g., Rodent) will include publications relating to all the items in that category (e.g., Chinchilla, Gerbil, Guinea Pig, etc.).
  • You may also add a keyword to further narrow your search.
  • Please note that at this time, only publications dated 2010 or later (with some exceptions) can be filtered by Animal Type and Topic, and only publications dated 2020 or later (with some exceptions) can be filtered by Setting. Most publications older than 2010 can only be searched by keyword. 
Conour, L. A., Murray, K. A., Brown, M. J. 2006. Preparation of animals for research -- Issues to consider for rodents and rabbits. ILAR Journal 47(4), 283-293.

This article provides details to consider when preparing to use animals in biomedical research. The stress of transport and receipt of animals into a new environment mandate the need for a period of stabilization and...

Tiefenbacher, S., Fahey, M. A., Rowlett, J. K. et al. 2005. The efficacy of diazepam treatment for the management of acute wounding episodes in captive rhesus macaques. Comparative Medicine 55(4), 387-392.

This study examined the effects of diazepam (Valium) on self-wounding and other abnormal behaviors in eight individually housed male rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta). Each monkey's response to an anxiolytic dose of diazepam (1 mg/kg or...

Taylor, D. K., Bass, T., Flory, G. S. et al. 2005. Use of low-dose chlorpromazine in conjunction with environmental enrichment to eliminate self-injurious behavior in a rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta). Comparative Medicine 55(3), 282-288.

A 7-year-old, captive-bred, female rhesus macaque was placed in a quarantine facility upon arrival at our institution. At release from quarantine, she was observed pawing at and chewing on her left cheek. ... SIB in...

Skoumbourdis, E. K., Potratz, K. 2005. Diazepam is more effective than midazolam when used as an aid in chair training non-human primates. American Journal of Primatology 66(S1), 164. (28th Meeting of the American Society of Primatologists Scientific Program, Abstract #176)

Non-human primates (NHPs) are utilized frequently in biomedical research and can be difficult and sometimes dangerous to handle. Because of this, restraint is sometimes necessary for data collection. Restraint chair training is generally a straightforward...

Kulpa-Eddy, J. A., Taylor, S., Adams, K. M. 2005. USDA perspectives on environmental enrichment for animals. ILAR Journal 46(2), 83-94.

This article provides a brief historical background of the events and circumstances that led to the 1985 Animal Welfare Act (AWA) amendments. It describes the development of the regulations promulgated by the US Department of...

Fontenot, M. B., Padgett, E. E., Dupuy, A. M. et al. 2005. The effects of fluoxetine and buspirone on self-injurious and stereotypic behavior in adult male rhesus macaques. Comparative Medicine 55(1), 67-74.

Fluoxetine and buspirone were significantly effective in reducing rates of self-biting during treatment weeks 1 to 8 and self-directed stereotypic behavior during weeks 5 to 12 and post-treatment. No significant effect of either treatment on...

Reinhardt, V., Rossell, M. 2001. Self-biting in caged macaques: Cause, effect and treatment. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 4, 285-294.

In the United States, there are an estimated 15,000 individually caged macaques. If 10% of these animals exhibit visible injuries resulting from self-biting and another 10% show unnoticed self-biting behavior, then about 3,000 animals (20%)...

Philbin, N. 1998. Towards an understanding of stereotypic behaviour in laboratory macaques. Animal Technology 49, 19-33.

Comprehensive discussion and review of the possible causes of stereotypic behaviour in laboratory macaques. A great deal of debate and controversy has surrounded what does does and does not constitute psychological well-being in primates [p...

Warniment, A., Brent, L. 1997. Abnormal behavior in a captive chimpanzee colony. The Newsletter 8(3), 1-3.

The purpose of this study was to link abnormal behaviors often expressed by chimpanzees living in captive environments to factors related to their care and housing. Individuals who had spent more time with their mothers...

Reinhardt, V. 1997. Training nonhuman primates to cooperate during handling procedures: A review. Animal Technology 48, 55-73.

Twenty-six reports provide detailed information of how primates can be trained to voluntarily cooperate - rather than resist - during blood collection, injection, topical drug application, blood pressure measurement, urine collection, and capture.

Pecenko, N. 1997. Visitors as an environmental enrichment. In: Proceedings on the International Conference on Environmental Enrichment. Holst, B. (ed), 325-33. Copenhagen Zoo, Frederiksberg, DK.

Because of the influence in behaviour, we can say that visitors are a kind of environmental enrichment. .... Sometimes visitors have a negative effect (increase of aggressive behaviour, begging for food) and in some cases...

Steen, Z. 1995. Effects of enriched food acquisition on activity budgets of two tamarin species at Adelaide Zoo. International Zoo News 42, 284-298.

Simple bamboo pipe feeder is described and tested in group-housed animals. The aim of the study was to [successfully] increase foraging time with an increasing number of feeding devices [brawn bowl, bamboo pipe]. ... Prior...

van Akker, R., Balls, M., Eichberg, J. W. et al. 1994. Chimpanzees in AIDS research: A biomedical and bioethical perspective. Journal of Medical Primatology 23, 49-51.

The present article represents a consensus view of the appropriate utilization of chimpanzees in AIDS research arrived at as a result of a meeting of a group of scientists involved in AIDS research with chimpanzees...

Fouts, R. S., Fouts, D. H., Jensvold, M. L. A. et al. 1994. An enriching approach to captive chimpanzee care. In Touch 1(1), 1 & 4-8.

The social environment [which includes the care providers] is perhaps the most critical factor in chimpanzee well-being, more important even than designs of the living space.

Box, H. O., Rohrhuber, B. 1993. Differences in behaviour among adult male, female pairs of cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus) in different conditions of housing. Animal Technology 44, 19-30.

Animals living in upper-row cages were more active and engaged in more close contact amicable behavior than animals living in lower-row cages. Those located in the half of the room nearer the window were more...

Reinhardt, V. 1992. Environmental enhancement plan for previously single-caged adult rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). Animal Technology 43, 115-119.

To promote the well-being of previously single-caged adult (older than 5 years) rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) and the quality of research done with them, the following environmental enhancement plan has been developed and implemented at...

Reinhardt, V. 1992. Are rhesus macaques really so aggressive? International Zoo News 39(1), 14-19.

Several years of experience with pair housing of previously single-caged adult rhesus macaques and venipuncture in the home cage of cooperative, non-resisting animals lead the author to conclude that rhesus macaques are not as aggressive...

Meder, A. 1992. Effects of the environment on the behaviour of lowland gorillas in zoos. Primate Report 32, 167-183.

The purpose of this study was to observe as many gorilla groups as possible and to compare their behaviour in different exhibits, social structures and visitor situation. Gorillas were studied in 15 zoos, they lived...

Brent, L. 1992. Enriching the lives of captive primates. Humane Innovations and Alternatives in Animal Experimentation 6, 371-373.

The author reviews improvements in the behavioral management of a colony of captive chimpanzees at the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research. Environmental enrichment techniques, such as providing increased opportunities for physical, sensory, and feeding stimulation...

Lam, K., Rupniak, N. M. J., Iversen, S. D. 1991. Use of a grooming and foraging substrate to reduce cage stereotypies in macaques. Journal of Medical Primatology 20(3), 104-109.

We examined the effects of a synthetic fleece pad on cage stereotypies in individually housed cynomolgus monkeys. Animals exhibited idiosyncratic repertoires of stereotyped behaviour, including repetitive pacing, swaying circling, bouncing, cage charging, and rocking that...

Heath, M. 1989. The training of cynomolgus monkeys and how the human/animal relationship improves with environmental and mental enrichment. Animal Technology 40(1), 11-22.

This paper will attempt to show the marked improvement in behaviour of a small group of female cynomolgus monkeys, after a period of routine training and human interaction. A relatively short, but predictable, course of...

Fajzi, K., Reinhardt, V., Smith, M. D. 1989. A review of environmental enrichment strategies for singly-caged nonhuman primates. Lab Animal 18(2), 23-35.

Comprehensive literature review dealing with the following topics: a) Group housing versus single housing; b) Enrichment strategies using inanimate objects; c) Socialization with conspecifics; d) Role of animal care staff.

O'Neill, P. L. 1987. Enriching the lives of primates in captivity. Humane Innovations and Alternatives in Animal Experimentation 1, 1-5.

A summary of basic environmental enrichement for group-housed rhesus macaques. The essence of the social primate is lost under the stresses of the nonsocial condition.

Nerem, R. M., Levensque, M. J., Cornhill, J. F. 1980. Social environment as a factor of diet induced atherosclerosis. Science 208, 1475-1476.

Rabbits were fed a high-cholesterol diet to induce atherosclerosis. Animals who received special attention from a person (frequent handling, petting, playing, gentle vocalization) showed a markedly lower incidence of atheroslerosis than subjects who received no...