Category Archive

The following guidelines, which are based on the standards set forth in the USDA Animal Welfare Act Regulations and the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, apply to survival surgeries performed on USDA-covered species. In addition to dogs, cats, and non-human primates, USDA-covered species currently include guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, and any other warm-blooded animal with the exception of mice of the genus Mus, rats of the genus Rattus, and birds.

Recommendations for the performance of survival surgery on mice, rats, and birds are based on the 2010 edition of the NIH Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (the Guide, pp. 115-119, 144-145) and the USDA Animal Welfare Act Regulations (AWARs) §2.31(d)(1)(ix) and §2.33(a)(5).

Chronic implants, such as chronic intravenous catheters and head caps, present a high risk for post-surgical infection. Therefore, post-surgical maintenance of these implants must be performed on a routine basis. If infection develops in the area of the implant, removal of the implant may be required as determined in consultation with a DLAM veterinarian.

The Guide has defined requirements for the proper maintenance of laboratory animals. Environmental factors such as temperature and humidity must be carefully monitored because they affect metabolism and behavior. Improper temperature and humidity levels may adversely affect research results.

Resources on Training and Certification

An investigator’s laboratory may be used as a study area or survival surgery area provided such use is approved and certified by the ARC. ARC certification of these areas is valid for a 6-month period after the date of inspection and must be renewed every six months if a laboratory remains in an active status. Continued certification is contingent upon the maintenance of acceptable standards in the animal facility.

Information on Applications

The Chancellor’s Animal Research Committee (ARC) is an independent research review committee mandated by the Animal Welfare Act and the PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (PHS Policy). The ARC, through the experience and expertise of its members, is charged with the responsibility to oversee the entire animal care and use program at UCLA.

This document contains information concerning animal use in human clinical facilities (e.g., MRI or PET Clinics). The use of animals in facilities also used by human patients carries special risks relating to exposure of patients to animal allergens or pathogens, as well as the increased potential for visibility of the animal procedures to members of the general public.

If animals will be bred for the purposes of research, an application must be submitted and approved by the ARC prior to initiating activities. If you will be breeding animals and do not already have an approved breeding protocol on file with the ARC, you must submit an Application to Establish and/or Maintain a Breeding Colony.