Biomedical research has made tremendous strides in understanding human health and disease. This, of course, would not be possible without the use of animal models. Domestic swine are one of the most used animals in short-term biomedical research studies and medical device development because their anatomy and physiology are similar to that of a human.
Animal Biotech Industries, Inc. (ABI) is trusted supplier of high-quality research porcine models as well as post-mortem tissues and organs. To further support you in your research, we also offer essential tools like our Porcine Growth Chart. In this blog, we will discuss the importance of Porcine Growth Charts in biomedical research and how you can use them to further your research.
Why Are Porcine Growth Charts Important?
Before starting a study, researchers must have a clear understanding of how fast the animal model will grow within a given period. Our Porcine Growth Chart provides critical information about the growth rate of pigs over time. This makes it an essential tool for researchers working with live animals.
In addition to helping you benchmark growth rates of research swine, the Porcine Growth Chart can help researchers understand and calculate space requirements, appropriate drug dosages, normal health and vigor, and understand control groups.
Calculating Porcine Space Requirements
Researchers that utilize live animal models must be able to determine appropriate space requirements for pigs at different stages. The Federal Animal Welfare Act requires that research facilities provide animals adequate space, food, and water to maintain healthy conditions. Space requirements are based on maximum animal weights and cage size, as well as stocking density guidelines that consider animal behavior, health status, and management practices.
These minimum space requirements are essential to the methodology of your research study. Using the Porcine Growth Chart, you can calculate minimum space requirements for your research swine with the following equation:
Minimum Floor Space (in square feet) = ((Animal Weight in pounds)^0.67) * 7.5
Anticipating Appropriate Porcine Drug Dosage
The Porcine Growth Chart is useful for researchers who are planning to conduct studies using pigs. The dosage of drugs is usually calculated based on a dosage-to-weight ratio; this means that the amount of drug needed for an animal depends on its size, age, and gender.
The Porcine Growth Chart helps researchers determine the appropriate dosage of drugs for pigs at different stages of growth during their study period so that they can plan their experiments more effectively. Effective planning can help researchers save money by reducing the likelihood of human error.
Understanding Normal Health and Vigor Standards in Biomedical Research
When conducting biomedical research, it is important to understand normal health and vigor standards. Pigs that show rapid growth for their age tend to be healthy and vigorous. Slow growth implies stress, disease, or possible subnormal body function. By comparing the actual growth rate of research pigs in a study to the expected growth rate based on the porcine growth chart, researchers can determine if the animals are growing at a healthy and normal rate.
Porcine Growth Charts help researchers to monitor the growth rate of pigs and identify any potential health concerns. Understanding the expected growth rate of pigs can help researchers to establish appropriate controls for their study.
Selecting Ideal Research Subjects for Control Groups
Control study groups play a crucial role in biomedical research. The control group is used to compare the results of treated groups and determine statistical differences or significance. Selecting ideal research subjects for your experiment can help you reduce the likelihood that growth and health differences will affect the results of your study.
The Porcine Growth Chart helps researchers select and monitor control group animals by providing an accurate representation of normal growth rates for each age category, as well as an indication of potential health issues associated with rapid or slow growth rates.
Download the Porcine Growth Chart
The porcine growth chart is an essential tool for biomedical research and can be used in a variety of ways. It allows you to calculate the space requirements for your pigs and anticipate appropriate dosages for pharmaceutical testing. The chart also helps you understand normal health and vigor standards so that when selecting ideal subjects for control groups, you know what kind of animals would be best suited for this purpose.
