Since the popular second edition of The Laboratory Swine was published more than a decade ago, the number of pigs used in toxicity studies has increased as an alternative to commonly used non-rodent species, while, at the same time, large developments have been made in welfare concepts of laboratory animals. Pigs have gained prominence in both basic and applied research, leading to a significant increase in publication activity.
This third edition summarizes these new insights, raising the bar for humane care and use of pigs, from agricultural sources to genetically and microbiological defined minipigs. Aimed at animal caretakers, technicians, laboratory animal veterinarians, and investigators planning and performing studies on pigs, it provides an overview with extensive references for further study. The book has been updated with a special focus on refined methods for housing and handling pigs, including an updated description of commonly performed experimental and surgical procedures.
Continuing its legacy as the premier reference on the care and use of pigs in the laboratory, the small, practical, and accessible format makes this an easy "go-to" book, with easy-to-find information and high-quality color images. The third edition aims to contribute to humane use and care for laboratory pigs in all aspects of housing, husbandry, veterinary care, and experimental techniques.
Kirsten Rosenmay Jacobsen, DVM, Ph.D., is Principal Scientist at Novo Nordisk, Denmark and previously Chief Scientific Officer at Ellegaard Göttingen Minipigs A/S, Denmark. She specializes in laboratory animal welfare and animal models and is a Council Member of the National Animal Ethics Council in Denmark, and European AAALAC Ad hoc specialist.
Aage Kristian Olsen Alstrup, Dr. Vet. Sci., Ph.D., DVM is Associated Professor of Laboratory Animal Science at Aarhus University and researcher at Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark. He graduated in veterinary medicine in 1997 from the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University in Copenhagen. After two years at a pig slaughterhouse, he was a Ph.D. student in laboratory animal science between 1999 and 2001. In 2019 he received formal specialist recognition in laboratory animal medicine, and in 2021 he earned his doctorate with a thesis about PET neuroimaging in pigs. Dr. Alstrup has published approximately 200 scientific papers – many about pig experimentation.
Axel Kornerup Hansen Dr. Vet. Sci. DVM is Professor of Laboratory Animal Science and Welfare at the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University in Copenhagen, Denmark, from which he also graduated. He is a member of a research group with a strong focus on laboratory animal science and welfare, and his key research topics have been how microbes have an impact on animal models.
Peter Bollen Ph.D. is professor and head of the Department of Experimental Medicine, the central animal facility of the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. He has studied experimental zoology and laboratory animal science in Utrecht, the Netherlands, and laboratory animal science in London, England, and got his Ph.D. in comparative medicine from the University of Southern Denmark.
