Intro to Lab Animals Flashcards
What do NVs and ASPA stand for?
NVS= Named Veterinary Surgeon
ASPA = ANIMALS (SCIENTIFIC PROCEDURES) ACT 1986
What does ASPA do?
- Protect animals sued for experimental or other scientific purposes
- Defines severity level of harm caused
What are the responsibilities of the NVS?
Be familiar with the main provisions of the Act
Appreciate ethical and practical constraints
Appreciate limitations and advantages of animal models
What is the Three license system under ASPA?
- Establishment license
- Project license
- Personal license
What is involved in a Procedure Establishment license (PEL)
- Place where regulated procedures are carried out
- Animal species hold and used in licensed rooms only
- Standards of accommodation according to Code of Practice (see link)
- Daily check of health of animals and environmental conditions
- Humane killing register
- Records of source, use and disposal
- Animal welfare and ethical review body
- Health records, under supervision of NVS
- Named people: NVS, NACWO, NTCO, NIO, NPRC
What does the Procedure Project License detail (PPL)?
- Details program of work with a single theme (lasts 5 years)
- Authorises specified procedures to specified animals at specified places
- Identifies objectives, describes procedures, likely adverse effects, and control measures
- Severity limit on each procedure
- Requires that benefit is maximised, and adverse effects minimised (apply the 3Rs: Reduction, Refinement, Replacement)
What does the Personal license detail?
- Allows the holder to perform regulated procedures to certain species at licensed establishment(s)
- Primary responsibility for health and welfare of animals on which they have performed regulated procedures
- Must attend approved course, locally trained and competent
Describe the Administration that controls ASPA?
*ASPA is administered by the Home Office
*Licence applications considered by HOI, granted by the Secretary of State
*Home Office Inspector (HOI) visits establishments to monitor compliance
*HOI are vets or medics
*HOI investigate and report infringements: penalties for non-compliance
What is a protected animal?
- Any living vertebrate other than man
- Any living cephalopod
- Any mammal, bird or reptile in its foetal, larval or embryonic form from 2/3 of gestation or incubation period
- Any other vertebrates in its foetal, larval or embryonic form when it becomes capable of independent feeding (fish, amphibia)
What is a regulated procedure?
A procedure applied to a protected animal for:
- Experimental or other scientific purposes
- An educational purpose
which may have the effect of causing the animal a level of: pain , suffering distress or lasting harm equivalentof higher than introduction to a NEEDLE
What are the 5 categories of severity levels experienced by animals?
- Subthreshod
- Non-recovery
- Mild
- Moderate
- Severe
What is subthreshold severity?
Below PSDLH caused by hypodermic needle
What is non re-covery severity?
- Whole procedure under GA
- No recovery of consciosuness
- Unintended death while anaesthetised
What is a mild severity level?
Transitory and minorReturn to normal state within a short time
What is a moderate severity level?
Significant and easily detectable disturbance to normal stateNot life threateningReturn to ‘normal’ stateEx: surgeries under general anaesthesia with analgesia cove
What is a severe pain level?
Major departure from normal state lor long period of time
Major effect of health + well-being
Life threateningEx: Long-term disease processes where assistance for feeding and drinking are required
What are some NVS knowledge /competency RQs?
What are the humane methods of killing in animals other than fetal, larval or embryonic forms?
Whar are humane methods of killing for fetal, larval and embryonic forms?
ANY SCHEDULE 1 KILLING METODS MUST BE ‘COMPLETED’ BY ONE OF 6 ADDITIONAL METHODS -what are they?
-Permanent cessation of circulation
-Destruction of the brain
-Dislocation of the neck
-Exsanguination
-Onset of rigor mortis
-Mechanical disruption
How should NVS safeguard for humane killing ?
Animals must be handled sympathetically
Animals must be removed from the immediate presence of others
Unconsciousness must be induced as quickly as possible.
Training and competency required (register at PEL level)
How does NVS complete ts responsibility of advising health, welfare and tx of animals
Ensure veterinary care available at all times:-
provide your contact details (24/7)
- contact available to animal technicians
- contact available to scientists/PIL
Safeguard the welfare of the protected animals on a day-to day basis
Provide veterinary advice and treatment, where needed and requested by a PIL
Describe NVS visits to establishment?
Frequency must allow effective monitoring of health and welfare
- regular, not just ‘fire-brigade’- depending on species and type of work
-establish rapport with scientists and technicians
- become familiar with projects and animals
- regular meetings with PEL holder
- regular meetings with named people
-COMMUNICATION!!!
Describe how vet fullfils the Health monitoring programme role ?
-> Designed to monitor health status (of breeding colonies, stock & experimental animals)
- Monitoring of biological materials, food/water, environment etc
Describe individual ventilated cages? (most common system)
- sealed cage: microbiological unit
- HEPA filtered air- prevents cross
-contamination between cages
What is the soiled bedding sentinel animals ?
How we used to monitor health -> bedding from all cages put with one naimal -> see how it affects this one animal
- Serology
- Microscopy
- Culture
- Pathology ?
How do we do this health monitoring now?
Testing environment directly:
-Exhaust dust testing: filter from air handling units
-Sentinel free soiled bedding
-Direct colony sampling: Faeces, oral & fur swabs
-Room/equipment testing: filters, walls/floors, biosafety cabinets, dump stations
-PCR, serology microsampling?
What implication of infections in lab animals?
- Illness or death inanimals
- Effects on research: clinical apparent dx, subclin, inc in experimental variability
- Zoonotic infections
- contamination of biological materials
What is the role of NVs to do with making sure lab animals are free of unwanted microorganisms?
-Design and management of health monitoring scheme
-Interpretation of results and recommendations
-Observations (visit) complement laboratory testing
-Advice on biosecurity
how does NVS advise on biosecurity & quarantine requirements?
Assessment of prospective suppliers
Quarantine requirements
Barrier system: staff, animals
Equipment disinfection/sterilization
Waste management
Biocontainment (H&S)
How does NVS advise on breeding programmes , wellbeing and EE?
Maintenance of inbred and outbred stocks …… genetic drift
Environmental impacts on animal health: noise, diet, T, RH, light, etc
Numbers born/female/week
Numbers weaned/female/week: preweaning mortality (neonatal disease?, stress
What environmental enrichement considerations?
- Socialisation
- Accomodation
- Feeding and foraging (textures and taste)
- Manipulative objects: toys
What do we have to consider with environmental enrichment tho?
- Compatibility with study? -> toxicology, physiology
- Cost
How should NVs advise on walfare durign transport, certification
- Transport of young/ old animals
- Length of transport
- Advise on welfare of animals to be transported
- Provided necessary certification
What is the role of the NVs in relation fo Ethics comitte?
- Advise PPL applicants during drafting
- Review PPL applications and advise before/during assessment
- Retrospective review of PPL
how does the NVS advise & educate on implementing the 3 Rs?
- Impact of procedures on animals , limitations orf animals models
- Recognising pain suffering ..
- Experimental surgical techniques and post-op care
- Experimental surgical techniques and post-op care
- Use of CDs , POMs and other therapies on animals
- strategies for minimising severity of protocols
- Factors causing bias
