f6098d8b__and_Use_of_Laboratory_Animals__Comments
[ID] 68 [Entry Date] 04/14/2011 at 04:56:56 PM [Affiliation] Self [Comments] 
Comment 1: I would like to express my concern about some of the changes that are planed for this last edition. Space. I am a mouse user and, long story short, these changes will result in being able to hold just 4 mice per cage instead of 5, which results in a considerable increase on the per diem costs and space. As it is mentioned in the document, this particular change is based in recent studies that, at the end of the day, do not prove anything due to the variabilities in those studies. I have being using different strain of mice for over 6 years and I can see that 5 animals do well as long as the cages are changed at the proper time and that, fights rarely occur if you do not try to mix adult animals from different cages. And, if agressivity has to happen, it does not matter if there are 2 or 5 animals housed. If we are to reduce to 4 the animal to house per cage, we will need too many cages to reach a scientifically significative number for our studies and for what? Because it is not that rare that an experimental animal dies during the study and that particular cage is left with 4 instead of 5 animals. Does that mean that my results are influenced by the fact that the animals from the cage with 4 animals had more space and therefore their mental health was better...? I truly think that, to introduce a change with such an impact, you cannot just base it in a possibility, you really need to justify it with real prove. Thanks
Listing of Public Comments on Proposed Adoption and Implementation of the Eighth Edition of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals