Rening procedures for the administration of substances Report of the BVAAWF = FRAME = RSPCA = UFAW Joint Working Group on Renement Members of the Joint Working Group on Renement: D. B. Morton (Chairman), M. Jennings (Secretary), A. Buckwell, R. Ewbank, C. Godfrey, B. Holgate, I. Inglis, R. James, C. Page, I. Sharman, R. Verschoyle, L. Westall & A. B. Wilson Contents Preface 2 1 Introduction and aims of the report 2 2 General principles of `good practice’ 3 2.1 Planning and preparation 3 2.1.1 Experimental aims 3 2.1.2 The route 3 2.1.3 The substance 3 2.1.4 The animal 5 2.1.5 The technique 7 2.1.6 Staff and training 7 2.2 Technical preparation and aftercare 8 2.3 General re®nement for all routes 9 3 Re®nement for individual routes and procedures 13 3.1 Intra-articular 13 3.2 Intracerebral (intracerebro- ventricular) 14 3.3 Intradermal 16 3.4 Intramuscular 16 3.5 Intranasal 18 3.6 Intraperitoneal 19 3.7 Intratracheal 20 3.8 Intravaginal 20 3.9 Intravenous and intra-arterial 21 3.10 Oral routes 25 3.10.1 Inclusion in an animal’s food or water 25 3.10.2 Dosing directly into the pharynx 27 3.10.3 Oral gavage 28 3.11 Osmotic minipumps 30 3.12 Respiratory routes 31 3.12.1 Whole body exposure 31 3.12.2 Nose only=Snout only exposure 32 3.12.3 Mask exposure 33 3.13 Subcutaneous 34 3.14 TopicalÐdermal 35 3.15 TopicalÐocular 36 3.16 Footpad 37 3.17 Uncommon routes 38 4 Special considerations for wild animals38 References 39 WORKING PARTY REPORT Accepted 14 July 2000 # Laboratory Animals Ltd. Laboratory Animals (2001) 35, 1-41 Correspondence and requests for reprints to: Professor D. B. Morton, Department of Biomedical Sciences & Biomedical Ethics, The Medical School, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK