Views: 12
Emergency, Weekend and Holiday Care
Laboratory animals must be observed by qualified personnel every day,
including weekends and holidays to ensure their health and well-being, as well as to promote sound research practices. Skilled assistance, including veterinary care, must be readily available at all times. Names and telephone or pager numbers of those assigned these responsibilities should be prominently displayed in the facility. A disaster plan should be part of the overall facility safety plan which takes into account both personnel and animals
Environmental Enrichment
Environmental enrichment is an attempt to reduce stress in laboratory animals by allowing them to do the same sorts of things they would do if they were living in the wild. Enrichment can be as simple as providing frogs in a tank with a piece of plastic pipe in which to hide, or providing paper material for mice to build a nest. Another way is by exercise, exploration, and social interaction with handlers.
Recording animals’ temperature:
Clinical thermometer is liberally smeared with sterile petroleum jelly and the blunt-ended rectal thermometer is introduced into the rectum or vagina to a depth of about 3 to 3.5 cm
Marking animals:
White or light colored animals are marked by staining the fur with a strong dye (e.g. carbol fuchsin, eosin). Rabbits may be marked in ears with a needle dipped in India ink. Rats and mice are punctured in ear and fowls are marked by numbered metal tags on legs clipped through the loose skin of the win