Table 11 Monitoring sheet for animals with tumors causing ascites

From: OBSERVE: guidelines for the refinement of rodent cancer models

Parameter

Outcome

Actions to be taken

BW

BW loss of >10% in 2 d or >15% in 1 week during development of ascites

Humane killing

Abdominal distention

Present

Increase general monitoring frequency to 1 time per day and start weighing animals daily

Abdominal distention causing discomfort, dyspnea or interference with normal activitya

Perform ascitic tap. A maximum of three taps is allowed. From now on, animals should be monitored and weighed at least daily

Abdominal distension causing discomfort/interference with normal activity after the final tap

Humane killing

Abdominal distention causing discomfort or interference with normal activity that cannot be relieved by ascitic tap

Humane killing

Ascitic tap

Signs of shock (tachypnea, hunched, pale ears/muzzle/tail, inactivity) after tap

Give 100 ml/kg warmed saline SC in multiple sites and put the animal on a heating pad, observe for 30 min

Signs of shock (tachypnea, hunched, pale ears/muzzle/tail, inactivity) lasting >30 min after tap

Humane killing

Purulent fluid

Humane killing

  1. Assess 3 times per week; increase if necessary (see actions to be taken). aIn a well-defined model, discomfort usually develops at a specific body-weight (e.g., 32 g in the model used by Baert et al.158). A pilot study can aid in determining this value.
Back to article page