IACUC Ongoing Training
Dr. Northwest has a mouse breeding cage that contains pups of the appropriate age and size to be weaned from the dam. What is the appropriate setup for the new cages being created?
A) Ensure that animals are segregated according to their sex with no more than 5 animals housed in each cage. Place enrichment in the cage, a water bottle in the proper location in the wire bar lid, add a few pellets of rodent chow on the cage floor, and ensure a clean and functional water valve is present on rack, before docking the cage.
B) Ensure that animals are segregated according to their sex with no more than 5 animals housed in each cage. Place enrichment in the cage and ensure a clean and functional water valve is present on rack, before docking the cage.
C) Ensure that animals are separated with no more than 5 animals housed in each cage. Place enrichment in the cage, a water bottle in the proper location in the wire bar lid, add a few pellets of rodent chow on the cage floor, and ensure a clean and functional water valve is present on rack, before docking the cage.
Dr. Northwest has a mouse breeding cage that contains pups of the appropriate age and size to be weaned from the dam. What is the appropriate setup for the new cages being created?
A) Ensure that animals are segregated according to their sex with no more than 5 animals housed in each cage. Place enrichment in the cage, a water bottle in the proper location in the wire bar lid, add a few pellets of rodent chow on the cage floor, and ensure a clean and functional water valve is present on rack, before docking the cage.
B) Ensure that animals are segregated according to their sex with no more than 5 animals housed in each cage. Place enrichment in the cage and ensure a clean and functional water valve is present on rack, before docking the cage.
C) Ensure that animals are separated with no more than 5 animals housed in each cage. Place enrichment in the cage, a water bottle in the proper location in the wire bar lid, add a few pellets of rodent chow on the cage floor, and ensure a clean and functional water valve is present on rack, before docking the cage.
Learner Feedback: The correct answer is A. In accordance with the Center of Comparative Medicine’s (CCM) standard operating procedure (SOP) HUS-028-SOP Weaning Mice pups should be segregated by sex with the appropriate enrichment. An important aspect that should be noted is that the SOP outlines that a few pellets of food should be placed on the cage floor (missing from answer B) in addition to a water bottle within the wire bar lid location. This allows the pups to adjust with extra nutritional support as some pups have trouble reaching the food and figuring out the lixit valve when initially weaned. Answer C is incorrect due to not segregating the animals by sex which can lead to unintentional litters.
In addition to ensuring the animals are homed properly, the SOP also outlines the importance of creating a barcode for the new cages and accurately recording weaned animals. Failure to accurately report animals weaned may be considered non-compliance by the IACUC. When tablets are available within the vivarium, it is important to comply with the CCM PRC-016-SOP Weaning on Animal Room Tablet Computers . If a tablet is not working or unavailable, the HUS-028-SOP Weaning Mice outlines that research staff must fill out an Investigator Breeding Card with the Weaning box checked. Checking the Weaning box is required to accurately account for animal usage. Once the animals have been separated successfully and cage cards have been created, the final step is to ensure the new cages are placed on the rack properly with a functional lixit valve.