Method to protect rabbit eyes and reduce potential stress from eye irritation or injury associated with exposure to vapors and particulates in inhalation studies.

Many pharmaceuticals are administered to children and adults as sprays provided in nebulizers or metered-dose inhalers. Stress associated with possible eye irritation and injury attributable to exposure to vapors and particulates during the required safety testing procedures of such medicines is a potential confounding factor in these studies. Reducing stress and the potential changes associated with stress is particularly important in safety studies involving pregnant animals because maternal stress has been known to be associated with adverse outcomes for the offspring. Training and acclimating rabbits to wearing modified pediatric swim goggles during exposure to vapors and aerosol particles provides a simple, inexpensive method to reduce or eliminate potential stress from eye irritation.