Pet rabbit welfare guidance

Appendix 3: References

Indicators of suffering in section 7 derived from:

• National Research Council (2009) Recognition & alleviation of pain in laboratory animals, National Research Council of the National Academies.
• Carstens & Moberg (2000) Institute for Laboratory Animal Research Journal, 41 62-71
• Kohn et al. (2007) Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science, 46: 97-108
• Maertens & Coudert eds. (2009) Recent advances in rabbit sciences, ILVO
• Verga (2000) World Rabbit Science, 8: 491-506
• Gunn & Morton (1995) Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 45: 277-292
• Held et al. (1995) Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 46: 81-91
• Hawkins et al. (2008) Refining rabbit care. RSPCA and UFAW

Potential signs of abdominal pain taken from:

• Leach et al. (2009) Research in Veterinary Science, 87: 336-347
• Farnworth et al. (2011) Animal Welfare, 20: 225-237

Rabbit Grimace Scale original paper:

• Keating SCJ, Thomas AA, Flecknell PA, Leach MC (2012) Evaluation of EMLA cream for preventing pain during tattooing of rabbits: changes in physiological, behavioural and facial expression responses. PLoS ONE 7:e44437. Doi:10.137/journal.pone0044437

For guidance on how to use the Rabbit Grimace Scale, additional images of each action unit, research papers that underpin or validate this technique, please contact Dr Matt Leach ( matthew.leach@newcastle.ac.uk).

Image Credits:

Cover Page: BSAVA

Introduction: RWAF

Section 1: Diane Bain

Section 3: RWAF

Section 4: RWAF (eating greens); Diane Bain (group)

Section 5: RWAF

Section 6: Diane Bain

Section 7: RWAF (vet); Pain and Animal Welfare Sciences ( PAWS) group at Newcastle University (pain-related postures and rearing rabbit).