Engaging Industry to develop best practice for laboratory-housed dogs, improving welfare and quality of scientific output

2013年，英国实验室使用了3,500多只狗进行新药的安全性测试，全球范围内使用的狗更多，而且随着化学品测试和安全性评估立法的变化，使用量将增加。尽管如此，我们没有一个健全的证据基础来确定狗的住房或科学程序的最佳实践。我们的BBSRC工业案例助学金项目旨在确定狗的福利和数据输出质量之间的联系，以及制定完善策略，以改善和协调福利和数据质量。研究结果表明，福利的影响，特别是对心率和血压数据，但也对行为，心理状态和对机械压力的敏感性。我们的研究结果还显示，在研究的研究前适应阶段实施短期训练方案对福利有显著益处，其中化合物通过管（经口灌胃）直接递送至狗的胃。实验室犬的生命周期还有许多方面有待完善，并且仍然缺乏最佳方法的数据。我们与现有和其他潜在合作伙伴以及内政部动物科学监管部门（ASRU）的一名成员举办了一次影响研讨会，以确定最适合于改进的程序，并制定可纳入现有议定书的实用战略。我们有三个主要目标：（1）尽管有新的欧洲立法，但仍有必要协调跨国行业的做法，以确保数据具有可比性。我们的第一个目标是让LH广泛了解住房、饲养和程序实践的范围，以及现有实践的基本原理，并以网站的形式提供集中资源，供所有用户共享。其中大部分将是开放获取的，提供狗的福利评估细节。它将包括照片、录像和最近的出版物。一个仅限注册的封闭部分将提供关于如何尽可能人道地进行程序的信息，例如口服灌胃和吸入。(2)我们的合作伙伴强调了四个程序，口服灌胃，吸入研究，夹套遥测和单一住房，可以修改，以改善福利。将收集关于犬的福利和数据输出质量的数据。我们还将收集有关时间投资的数据，因为任何更改都必须是可行的。(3)在博士学位和第二个目标所获得的知识和经验的基础上，我们将为相关员工提供LASA认可的培训和参与活动，以获得认可的资格。这些活动将包括培训课程、讲座和其他活动，并将免费提供给英国所有使用狗的主要公司（一家合作伙伴公司将不再饲养狗，但有助于开展参与活动）。增加对福利和学习理论的理解也将使负责的工作人员，如技术人员和福利官员，促进更好的福利，并了解细化的必要性及其对科学数据质量的好处。该项目的结果将是LH获得技能和经验，并提供基于证据的建议，在一个高度-与狗一起工作的经验丰富的同事，以改善他们的福利和科学产出，有可能减少用于实验室研究和测试的狗的数量，并对指导方针和政策产生影响。

Over 3,500 dogs were used in UK laboratories in 2013 in the safety testing of new medicines, with many more usedglobally and use set to rise given changes in legislation on testing chemicals and safety assessment. Despite this, we do not have a sound evidence-base to determine the best practice for housing or scientific procedures in the dog. Our BBSRC Industrial CASE studentship project sought to identify the link between dog welfare and quality of data output, as well as developing Refinement strategies to improve and harmonise welfare and data quality. The results of the study showed an effect of welfare particularly on heart rate and blood pressure data, but also on behaviour, psychological state, and sensitivity to mechanical pressure. Our findings also showed significant benefits to welfare of implementing a short training protocol in the pre-study acclimatisation phase of a study where a compound was delivered directly to the dog's stomach through a tube (oral gavage). There are many more aspects of the laboratory dog's life cycle which remain to be Refined and data are still lacking on the best methods for doing so.We have hosted an Impact Workshop with our existing and other potential partners, as well as a member of the Home Office's Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU), to identify procedures most suitable for Refinement and to develop practical strategies which can be integrated into existing protocols.We have three main objectives:(1) Despite new European legislation there is still a need to harmonise practices across multinational Industry to ensure that data are comparable. Our first objective is to for LH to acquire a broad understanding of the range of housing, husbandry, and procedure practice, together with the rationale for the existing practices, and provide a centralised resource, in the form of a website to share across all users. Much of this will be open access, providing details of welfare assessment in the dog. It will include photographs, videos and recent publications. A closed registration-only section will provide information on how to conduct procedures, such as oral gavage and inhalation, as humanely as possible.(2) Our Partners have highlighted four procedures, oral gavage, inhalation studies, jacketed telemetry and single housing, that could be modified to improve welfare. Data will be collected on the dogs' welfare and the quality of data output. We shall also collect data on the time investment as any changes must be feasible to implement.(3) Building up on the knowledge and experience gained from both the PhD and from the second objective, we shall deliver training and engagement activities that will be accredited by LASA for relevant staff to gain recognised qualifications. These will include training courses, talks and other activities, and will be delivered free of charge to all major companies using dogs in the UK (one Partner company will no longer be housing dogs, but is instrumental in the development of the engagement activities). Increasing understanding of welfare and learning theory would also allow responsible staff such as technicians and welfare officers to promote better welfare and understand the need for Refinement and its benefits to the quality of scientific data.The outcome of this project will be for LH to gain skills and experience, and to provide evidence-based recommendations to disseminated across a network of highly-experienced colleagues working with dogs to improve their welfare and scientific output, with the potential to reduce the number of dogs used in laboratory research and testing and impact on guidelines and policy.