Guide for the Care and Use of Agricultural Animals in Research and ...

health and maintain the health of animals in the homefacility. In addition to having adequate quarantine procedures,research facilities and animal use protocolsshould be designed to minimize the risk of introducingor transmitting disease agents.VETERINARY CAREAttending VeterinarianThe agricultural animal health care program is theresponsibility of the attending veterinarian. The Institutefor Laboratory Animal Research (ILAR), NationalResearch Council Guide for the Care and Useof Laboratory Animals (The ILAR Guide; Clark, 1996)defines the attending veterinarian as “a veterinarianwho has direct or delegated authority” and who “shouldgive research personnel advice that ensures that humaneneeds are met and are compatible with scientificrequirements.” Animal Welfare Act regulations and thePublic Health Service policy require that the attendingveterinarian have the authority to oversee the adequacyof other aspects of animal care and use, includinganimal husbandry and nutrition, sanitation practices,zoonoses control, and hazard containment.Research and teaching institutions must provideinvestigators and instructors with access to a veterinarianwho has experience in the care of agriculturalanimals. The veterinarian can be full-time or part-timeand must have authority to ensure that the provisionsof the program are met. The attending veterinarianmust be provided access to all research and teachinganimals and to any related documents including healthcare records. The attending veterinarian also must beinvolved in the development and oversight of the veterinarycare program, as well as in other aspects of animalcare and use such as protocol review, establishment ofanesthetic and analgesic guidelines, study removal criteria,training of animal users, and responsible conductof research activities. Veterinary involvement in theseactivities helps to ensure animal health and well-being.The attending veterinarian is not required to be thesole provider of veterinary care and can delegate authorityto another qualified veterinarian. However, theattending veterinarian must communicate with, andoversee veterinary care provided by, other veterinarians.When necessary, the attending veterinarian shouldutilize the expertise of other professionals when makingdeterminations about agricultural animal care. Trainednonveterinary staff may administer treatments accordingto standard operating procedures approved by theattending veterinarian.AGRICULTURAL ANIMAL HEALTH CAREAdequate agricultural animal health care in researchand teaching involves a written and implemented programfor disease prevention, surveillance, diagnosis,treatment, and endpoint resolution. The objectives ofsuch a program are to ensure animal health and wellbeing,minimize pain and distress, maintain animalproduction, prevent zoonoses, provide assistance to investigatorson study-related animal health issues, andavoid contaminants or residues in animal products. Theprogram should include training for animal users regardinganimal behavior, humane restraint, anesthesia,analgesia, surgical and postsurgical care, and euthanasia.A mechanism for direct, frequent, and regular communicationmust be established among personnel whoare responsible for daily animal care and observation,animal users, and the attending veterinarian. This willhelp ensure that timely and accurate animal health informationis effectively communicated.Sick, Injured, and Dead AnimalsAnimal care personnel must be trained to recognizesigns of illness and injury. In general, sick and injuredanimals should be segregated from the main group toprotect them and the other animals, observed at leastonce daily, and provided with veterinary care as appropriate.When animals are separated, a mechanismshould be in place to communicate to staff the statusof the animals and to ensure proper daily, weekend,holiday, and emergency care. In some circumstances,segregation is not feasible or may disrupt the socialhierarchy, cause additional stress to the animal, or adverselyaffect research. The advantages of segregationshould be weighed against its disadvantages, especiallyfor mild illnesses or injuries that can be easily managed.Care should be taken to minimize spread of pathogensfrom ill animals to healthy animals by observing appropriatebiocontainment measures. Incurably ill animalsor ill or injured animals with unrelievable pain ordistress should be humanely killed as soon as possible.Unexpected deaths should be reported to the attendingveterinarian. Dead animals are potential sources ofinfection and should be disposed of promptly by a commercialrendering service or other appropriate means(e.g., burial, composting, or incineration), followingapplicable state and local ordinances and regulations.Postmortem examination of fresh or well-preserved animalsmay provide important animal health informationand aid in preventing further losses. When warranted,waste and bedding that have been removed from a siteoccupied by an animal that has died should be movedto an area that is inaccessible to other animals and thesite appropriately disinfected.9Preventive MedicineMedical RecordsAn important component of an agricultural animalhealth program is maintaining records that can beused to monitor animal health events, both physical