Special provisions for Laboratory Animals

It is explicitly stated that animals must be checked on at least once per day. All animals to be used in animal experiments should be bred for that purpose alone by specially certified breeders. This is referred to as destination breeding.

Special provisions apply to different types of animals
The special provisions are even more detailed as regards animal types such as monkeys, dogs, cats, rabbits, caged birds, aquarium fish, reptiles, and amphibians. As regards common laboratory animals including hamsters, guinea pigs, mice, rats, and gerbils, the regulations state, i.e. that animals should be raised and kept indoors and that they should be protected from insects and wild rodents.

The normal room temperature should be 18 to 23 degrees, and the animals should have free access to food and water. The regulations also specify the design of the cage floor and feeders for small rodents as well as cage size, the minimum allowable surface area and height of which are based on the bodyweight of each type of animal. For instance, a rat weighing 50 to 500 grams should have a cage surface area of at least 275 cm2.

Text: Nilla Johansson