The University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine

Animal Resources

Housing and Care
Hazards

Policies & Procedures

Laboratory Animal Housing and Care

HOUSING: All research and instructional animals of the CVM will be housed in the AR facilities and be cared for by AR personnel. An exception to this policy will only be made when the user can provide scientific reasons to justify caring for his or her animals either in the AR facilities, in his or her laboratory, or in other facilities. The Director of AR and/or the Dean will make the final decision once IACUC approval is obtained. In those instances where animals must be maintained temporarily outside the AR facilities, cage rental charges will be made. In addition, care of the animals must meet standards outlined in the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and AR SOPs. The Director of AR will determine if these are being met.

All animal cages and equipment are part of a central institutional pool that is administered, maintained, and serviced by AR in meeting the needs of all investigators. Conventional or specialized cages purchased from research grant funds become the property of the CVM. Only the Director is authorized to procure or provide caging for research and instructional animals. Uniformity, versatility, efficiency, and interchangeability with present or proposed facilities, cage washers, etc. will be considered when procuring equipment. The "Guide" and Animal Welfare Act specify design of caging and space requirements for animals.

All space assigned to the AR will be administered by the Director. Compliance with the contemporary standards of laboratory animal care as outlined in the "Guide" and by current federal laws and Public Health Service Guidelines is required. As such, these areas must be maintained in a clean and orderly manner and furnished as simply as possible in order to facilitate cleanliness and vermin control. Users should not store supplies, equipment, and other material in animal rooms. This will prevent loss or damage to records, supplies, and equipment by others using the facilities. Laboratory equipment may only be kept in animal rooms when scientific justification is shown and must be with the Director's approval. Animal rooms must not be used for major surgery, necropsies, or other involved procedures. Minor procedures such as injections or collection of samples may be conducted within the animal room or in nearby work areas. The procedure rooms can be reserved for specific days/times, otherwise its availability will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.

No space will be permanently assigned. All reasonable efforts will be made to meet the needs of the user without jeopardizing the health and well-being of other animals and the "Guide" standards. Animals will be separated by species rather than by investigator or department. Housing by species facilitates the efficient servicing and care, as well as preventing the interspecies transmission of certain diseases. The decision regarding the location of each group of animals shall be based on environmental needs of each animal species and any special requirements essential to the experimental plan. Animals must not be moved from one room to another without permission of the Manager.

Those users whose experimental protocol requires exclusive use of a room or area should contact the AR Operations Manager.

The AR Manager will determine room assignments including numbers and kinds of racks, cages, and animal species. This permits efficiency of labor, space, and caging equipment.

QUARANTINE: Animals harboring or suspected to be harboring a contagious disease may, at the discretion of the Director, be isolated from the rest of the animal colony. Should this occur, the user to whom the animals belong will be notified. All rodents obtained from sources other than approved commercial sources are subject to quarantine. Health data must be obtained on these animals prior to shipment. Coordinating these shipments with AR is critical to protect the health of established colonies.

SANITATION AND VERMIN CONTROL: Cages or pens of large domestic animals, dogs, cats, etc. are cleaned daily. Litter or bedding material in cages of small animals is changed one to three times per week so that the animals are dry and clean and offensive odors are minimized. Standard Operating Procedures describing these measures are available on request.

Animal cages, racks, and accessory equipment are washed at regularly scheduled intervals.

A vermin control program is in effect in the animal facility and at the farms. If the use of insecticides and rodenticides are contraindicated in a study, please notify the Assistant Director or Operations Manager and corrective measures will be taken.

FEEDING AND WATERING: Animals are fed a high-quality standard, commercially available feed (obtained on University contract). Animals are watered ad libitum using municipal source water. IACUC approval of deviations from these standard practices is required. Procurement and provision of special diets or treated water must be arranged with the AR Manger of Director prior to initiation of the study.

DIAGNOSIS, CONTROL, AND TREATMENT OF ANIMAL DISEASES: Generally, AR personnel observe the animals on a daily basis. Any abnormal behavior or condition in an animal is reported to the Laboratory Animal Technician and appropriate action is instituted. However, the user and his or her staff should also notify AR personnel when diseased, injured, or abnormal animals are observed so that corrective actions may be taken. Except in clinical emergencies, the user will always be notified when treatment of his or her animals is considered; and treatment will not be carried out until the user approves. However, in a clinical emergency when the responsible user or members of his or her staff cannot be reached, the Director or a veterinary clinician will administer treatment as necessary consistent with good veterinary medical practice and consideration of the well-being of the animal.

Certain newly arrived animals receive prophylactic or therapeutic treatment or immunization. In the event that antibiotics, anthelmintics, vaccines, or other drugs are contraindicated because of the study protocol, please advise the AR Director.

For good disease control practices, certain animals are quarantined and isolated upon arrival. In addition, selected examinations may also be performed.

The Athens Diagnostic Laboratory (necropsy, microbiology, clinical and tissue pathology, and parasitology) of the CVM is utilized in the program for control and treatment of animal disease. In addition, samples may be shipped to other diagnostic facilities that specialize in rodent disease diagnosis.

EUTHANASIA: Animal euthanasia must be accomplished in a humane manner. It must be performed by trained persons in accordance with institutional policies and applicable laws. The choice of method should depend on the species of animal and the project in which the animal was used. The method of euthanasia should not interfere with any postmortem examinations or determinations to be performed.

For specific guidelines, users should refer to the AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia, June 2007 [PDF]. The AR Director is available to discuss this matter with users of animals.

If a user so desires, AR personnel will euthanize animals on a fee-for-service basis. The user must furnish a written request (form available from the AR office, Room 206).

FINAL DISPOSITION OF DOGS AND CATS: The Animal Welfare Act makes it mandatory that a record be maintained of the final disposition of all dogs and cats. A written notification must be submitted to AR regarding each dog and cat terminated by a user. Forms are available and should state the user name, species of animal, sex, estimated weight, identification number, description of animal, and date of death or euthanasia.

This page last updated February 11, 2008.