Regulatory Requirement: The Guide (p. 58) states that newly received animals should be given a period for physiologic, psychologic, and nutritional stabilization before their use. Additionally, the Guide (p. 58) states that the need for stabilization periods has been demonstrated in rodents, rabbits and ruminants.

Background: Transportation is a clear stressor of animals requiring a period of adaptation and restoration to homeostasis. Data suggests that 48-72 hours are needed for most laboratory animals to return to normal physiologic and immune function following the stress of shipping (1-5). However, 1-5 days or more may be needed for appetite to return to normal in rabbits (6).

Impacted Investigators: All

Policy: There must be a minimum of 72 hours for animals to stabilize before use in research (excluding animals in quarantine) and 5 days before rabbits are used in survival surgeries or subjected to experimental stress. Exemptions from this policy may be requested if they are scientifically justified.

References:

1. Dymsza HA, Miller SA, Maloney JF, et al. Equilibration of the laboratory rat following exposure to shipping stress. Lab Anim Care 13: 60-5, 1963.
2. Gisler RH. Bussard AE. Mazie JC. Hess R. Hormonal regulation of the immune response. I. Induction of an immune response in vitro with lymphoid cells from mice exposed to acute systemic stress. Cellular Immunol. 2: 634-45, 1971.
3. Landi MS. Kreider JW. Lang CM. Bullock LP. Effects of shipping on the immune function in mice. Am J Vet Res. 43: 1654-7, 1982.
4. Van Ruiven R, Meijer GW, Wiersma A, et al. The influence of transporation stress on selected nutritional parameters to establish the minimum period for adaptation in rat feeding studies. Laboratory Animals 32: 446-56, 1998.
5. Wallace ME. Effects of stress due to deprivation and transport in different genotypes of house mouse. Lab Animals 10: 335-47, 1976.
6. Toth LA, January B. Physiologic stabilization of rabbits after shipping. Lab Anim Sci 40: 384-7, 1990.