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Maintaining Welfare While Extending Cage-Change Intervals: A Performance-Based Study in IVC-Housed Mice.

Alessandro P Lamacchia1,2, Christin Herrmann3, Kevin M O'Brien1,2

  • 1University Laboratory Animal Resources, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science : JAALAS
|March 10, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Extending mouse cage change intervals up to 42 days without changes, or 84 days with partial bedding changes, is feasible. This research demonstrates that longer intervals do not negatively impact animal health or microenvironment in individually ventilated cages (IVCs).

Keywords:
2M, two males per cageIVC, individually ventilated cageNH3, ammoniaPBC, partial bedding change; 2F, two females per cage

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Area of Science:

  • Laboratory animal science
  • Animal welfare and husbandry
  • Microenvironment management

Background:

  • Standard 2-week cage changes in individually ventilated cages (IVCs) are labor-intensive and can increase animal stress.
  • Extending cage change intervals is crucial for specific research, such as viral studies, but must maintain animal welfare and microenvironmental quality.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the maximum acceptable interval for full cage changes in IVCs for pair-housed mice.
  • To evaluate the efficacy of biweekly partial bedding changes in extending cage-change intervals.
  • To assess the impact of extended intervals on microenvironmental parameters and animal health.

Main Methods:

  • Wild-type C57BL/6J mice (8-week-old) were housed in IVCs under various conditions: no bedding change (up to 42 days), biweekly partial bedding changes (up to 84 days).
  • Microenvironmental parameters (ammonia, humidity, temperature), visual cleanliness, daily health, and nasal histopathology were monitored.
  • Different cage densities and sexes (2 males, 2 females, 4 females) were tested.

Main Results:

  • Pair-housed male and female mice tolerated 42 days without cage changes, limited by soiled bedding, not ammonia levels or health concerns.
  • Biweekly partial bedding changes allowed housing for 84 days (2 males/females) and 62 days (4 females) without exceeding microenvironmental thresholds.
  • No significant histopathologic evidence of ammonia-induced injury or other diseases was observed in any group.

Conclusions:

  • Extending full cage change intervals to 42 days is possible for pair-housed mice.
  • Partial bedding changes can extend housing periods significantly, up to 84 days for some densities.
  • Reduced cage density and partial bedding changes support extended housing without compromising animal welfare or microenvironment in IVCs.