Definition of Pain and Distress and Reporting Requirements for Laboratory Animals Proceedings of the Workshop Held June 22, 2000 (2000) / Chapter Skim
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Assessing Pain and Distress: A Veterinary Behaviorist's Perspective
Assessing Pain and Distress: A Veterinary Behaviorist's Perspective
Pages 13-21
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From page 13... ...
All of these systems reflect arousal of the animal; however, this morning I will focus on that area I know best animal behavior. The Dilemma of Definitions As has been stated many times, much of the difficulty in achieving a broadly accepted approach to categorizing, and then addressing, pain and distress is due 13
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From page 14... ...
there is a tendency to anthropomorphize, which is encouraged by US Government Principle IV. That principle states that "Unless the contrary is established, investigators should consider that procedures that cause pain or distress in human beings may cause pain or distress in other animals." Issues with Assessing Pain It is a well-established and accepted practice to use human experience to judge an animal' s experience of pain and distress.
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From page 15... ...
Our exposure to animal behavior through the popular press and television lulls us into a belief that we all have knowledge in the field and skills in understanding animal behavior. Indicators of Pain When evaluation criteria for pain are sought, a common approach is the use of general behavior that is extrapolated into indicators of pain in several species of laboratory animals.
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From page 16... ...
These inherent contradictions underscore the point that no single behavior is a reliable indicator of pain and that gauging pain requires a skilled observer not only to accurately record the signs but also to interpret them correctly. It should be noted that behaviors used to assess pain are also not expressed exclusively during painful episodes (e.g., vocalizations)
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From page 17... ...
A moderate stressor may include a minor procedure on the animal or a more significant procedure that is accompanied by pain relief and perhaps unconsciousness during the procedure. A moderate stressor would evoke behavioral adjustment on the part of the animal and physiological recovery or adaptation by the animal.
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From page 18... ...
We should consider an entire program of pain and distress management, of which the animal's behavior will likely play a role in each of the following program elements: recognition, assessment, relief (if possible) , and a feedback loop to animal care and use.
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From page 19... ...
The Council does, in fact, encounter instances about which they feel compelled to comment, either as a mandatory item or as a suggestion for improvement regarding an institution's program of pain and distress management. They frequently include their observations on pain and distress management when they comment on the IACUC's operations.
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From page 20... ...
DR. GLUCK: I am not trying to defend David Morton, but I think the overall impact of that paper and some of his other publications successfully draw attention to later, more formalized procedures whereby the experimenter, researcher, or staff member is required to check an animal's conduct in one form or another.
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From page 21... ...
With regard to PIs, they have typically studied certain animals in graduate school, they tend to work with the same species, and they know their animal models very well indeed. Transgenic animals, of course, are developing a variety of behavioral profiles that are different from what we consider those of the standard mice.
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