Water restriction/deprivation protocols involving animals are often necessary for behavioral training. Because these protocols have the potential for causing significant distress to the animal, the Animal Research Committee (ARC) has established the following guidelines.
Tumor Development in Rodents
The following guidelines apply to tumors generated in rodents.
Euthanasia of Adult Rodents by Physical Methods
The recommended methods for adult rodent euthanasia are anesthetic overdose or CO2 asphyxiation. When physical methods of euthanasia are used, they must be conducted in accordance with the AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals. Specifically, physical methods of euthanasia must be skillfully executed to ensure a quick and humane death, because failure to do so can cause substantial suffering. Personnel using physical methods must be well-trained and proficient for each type of physical method performed to ensure euthanasia is conducted appropriately.
Euthanasia of Fetuses and Neonates – Mice and Rats
Policy on Euthanasia of Fetuses and Neonates – Mice and Rats
Procedures Performed on USDA-Covered Species Involving the Use of General Anesthesia
Requirements for performing survival procedures involving the use of anesthesia on USDA-covered species are based on the 2010 edition of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (the Guide), PHS Policy, and the USDA Animal Welfare Act (AWA) Regulations (9 CFR). The Guide states that, in general, “unless an exception is specifically justified as an essential component of the research protocol and approved by the IACUC, aseptic surgery should be conducted in dedicated facilities or spaces.”
Multiple Survival Surgeries
Multiple survival surgeries on a single animal may be permitted only if scientifically justified by the investigator and approved by the ARC. The number of survival surgeries performed must be limited to the minimum number necessary to achieve the research objectives and must be determined with due consideration for minimizing the pain and distress experienced by any one animal.
Expired Medical Materials
According to USDA Animal Care Policy #3, the use of expired medical materials such as drugs, fluids, or sutures on regulated animals is not considered to be acceptable veterinary practice and does not constitute adequate veterinary care as required by the regulations promulgated under the Animal Welfare Act.
Use of Pharmaceutical-Grade Compounds
In accordance with the NIH Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare, USDA Animal Care Policy #3, and the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (the Guide, 8th edition, p. 31), the Animal Research Committee (ARC) has established the following guidelines:
Social Housing
The 8th edition of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (the Guide, page 51) specifies that social housing is the expectation for social species [1]: “Social animals should be housed in stable pairs or groups of compatible individuals unless they must be housed alone for experimental reasons or because of social incompatibility.”
Environmental Enrichment
The USDA Animal Welfare Act Regulations (AWARs), the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (the Guide), and the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) International require that animal housing environments allow for expression of noninjurious species-typical activities. Additionally, appropriate housing spaces or enclosures should account for the animals’ social needs – this is covered in the separate ARC Policy on Social Housing.