Oppler Scott H, Palmer Sierra D, Phu Sydney N, Graham Melanie L
Department of Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA.
Vet Sci. 2024 Sep 1;11(9):401. doi: 10.3390/vetsci11090401.
Medical procedures necessary for routine care can induce stress in both the veterinary and human clinical situations. In the research environment, nonhuman primates undergo procedures like physical examination, blood sampling, and intravenous drug or fluid administration either as a part of routine veterinary care or during the modeling of clinical disease and interventions under study. Behavioral management techniques, such as training for cooperation, allow caregivers to train primates to voluntarily engage in various medical procedures. This approach reduces stress and anxiety associated with necessary procedures, thereby enhancing efficiency and minimizing the invasiveness of medical care. Consequently, veterinary evaluation and care can be provided without compromise, resulting in enhanced clinical outcomes and overall better health. In this study, we explored the impact of the behavioral management program implemented at our center on a subset of animals undergoing routine veterinary care, focusing on the overall experience, including animal welfare, scientific rigor, and efficiency in terms of economics and time. We investigated its impact on key factors, such as the total procedure and recovery time, incidence of side effects, and welfare indicators, revealing a significant positive influence on animal care. Furthermore, through case studies, we illustrate how behavioral management facilitates timely medical care and monitoring, effectively mitigating stressors that could otherwise impair health and welfare, enabling the provision of care that would have otherwise been unachievable. A thoughtfully designed primate behavioral management program, integrating cooperation and participation with veterinary care, forms the cornerstone of superior animal welfare, enhanced clinical care, and more accurate scientific outcomes.
常规护理所需的医疗程序在兽医临床和人类临床环境中都会引发压力。在研究环境中，非人灵长类动物接受身体检查、采血以及静脉注射药物或输液等程序，这些程序要么是常规兽医护理的一部分，要么是在临床疾病建模和正在研究的干预措施期间进行。行为管理技术，如合作训练，使护理人员能够训练灵长类动物自愿参与各种医疗程序。这种方法减少了与必要程序相关的压力和焦虑，从而提高了效率并最大限度地减少了医疗护理的侵入性。因此，可以在不影响兽医评估和护理的情况下提供护理，从而改善临床结果并总体上提高健康水平。在本研究中，我们探讨了我们中心实施的行为管理计划对接受常规兽医护理的一部分动物的影响，重点关注整体体验，包括动物福利、科学严谨性以及经济和时间方面的效率。我们调查了该计划对关键因素的影响，如总程序和恢复时间、副作用发生率以及福利指标，结果显示对动物护理有显著的积极影响。此外，通过案例研究，我们说明了行为管理如何促进及时的医疗护理和监测，有效减轻可能损害健康和福利的压力源，从而能够提供原本无法实现的护理。一个精心设计的灵长类动物行为管理计划，将合作与参与融入兽医护理，构成了卓越动物福利、强化临床护理和更准确科学结果的基石。
