Veterinarians play an essential role in the welfare of laboratory animals
“As veterinarians, we ensure that the animals involved in research are doing well”, says BPRC veterinarian Merel Wegman during a webinar organised by EARA. “We continuously monitor the welfare of the primates, think along with researchers and intervene when necessary. We protect animals, both within and outside the research.”
During the webinar of the global umbrella organisation EARA (European Animal Research Association) on 27 January, eight speakers from around the world ask more than six hundred veterinarians to pay attention to their role in animal research and working with laboratory animals. The host of the webinar describes veterinarians as “an important but often overlooked player in research.”
At the Biomedical Primate Research Centre (BPRC), veterinarians work closely with animal care staff and biotechnicians to monitor the welfare of the animals on a daily basis. A distinction is made between monkeys in the breeding colony and animals that participate in experiments. In both cases, health, careful care and stress reduction are central.
Welfare of the entire group
In addition to daily monitoring and a focus on reducing stress, BPRC veterinarians conduct annual health checks. These preventive checks are an important part of welfare monitoring and provide a complete picture of the health status of each animal. “As a result, veterinarians have far more information than when a monkey is only examined when it is sick or injured.”
Wegman explains that treatments in group housing can be particularly complex. “If there is a patient in the breeding colony, you have to take into account not only the welfare of the individual animal, but also that of the entire group when developing a treatment plan.”
According to Wegman, one advantage of working at the BPRC is that veterinary research can directly contribute to refining care. For example, it may be determined that it is better to administer an antibiotic every other day rather than daily. “This reduces the number of procedures and therefore halves the stress animals experience during treatment”, the veterinarian explains. “In this way, veterinarians, animal care staff and biotechnicians work together to ensure the optimal health of the animals, both during and outside experiments.”
Curious about the webinar? You can watch it via this link.
