Guidelines > Principle Investigator Health Checks
The procedure for submittal of a sick animal notification to ACS, as well as some basic signs of illness and injury, are described below.
In the event an animal is observed to be ill, injured, or dead, the research team member performing the daily observation should take the following steps.
Place a yellow 3”x 5” “Sick Animal” card in the cage cardholder (if there is not one there already). These are available in the acrylic document holders throughout ACS facilities.
Report any ill, injured, or dead animal to ACS using Veterinary Services Sick List form FMACS031. These also are available in the acrylic document holders throughout ACS facilities.
Place the completed Veterinary Services Sick List form FMACS031 in the box on the wall across the hall from the main ACS administrative office (CB-160). For outlying areas the Veterinary Services Sick List form FMACS031 can be faxed to ACS. The fax number is printed on the form itself.
Our veterinary medical staff will pick up these forms from the fax machine and the box outside CB-160, even on weekends and holidays. Following review of the forms, the on-call Veterinary Technician will prioritize the “cases” (triage) and schedule appropriate observations by veterinary medical staff. If at all possible, the veterinary medical staff will contact the PI before medical intervention is initiated.
NOTE: After 11:00 on weekends and holidays, please telephone the veterinary technician or veterinarian on-call. If a research team member faxes sick lists after 11:00 on weekends and holidays, the animal(s) may not been checked until the next day.
Where a fax machine is not available, or if the use of the sick list by fax would result in a significant delay, the research team member should call the front office during the week at 392-2977 (or the on-call vet tech at night and on weekends and holidays) and inform ACS of their observations and concerns. At a minimum we need the cage marked with a yellow 3”x 5” “Sick Animal” card and the following information is necessary:
Room number
Rack or cage number
A brief description of the illness or injury
If the research team member believes that the sick animal requires immediate veterinary care, he/she should call or page the Clinical Veterinarian or Veterinarian Technician on call. These phone/pager numbers are prominently posted throughout ACS facilities.
Daily Health Surveillance/Monitoring - basic signs of illness and injury
When performing health checks observe for:
Food and water consumption - check feeders (at least ¼ full) and water bottles (at least ½ full)
Presence and appearance of urine and feces (diarrhea, loose stool, dry/hard constipated feces, mucoid feces, blood in feces, pale or dark urine, blood in urine).
Evidence of weight loss, dehydration, or obesity.
Changes in hair/fur coat (hair loss, ruffled coat, barbering, excessive grooming)
Discharges from the eyes, nose, mouth, and other orifices.
Injury or damage to the eyes.
Abnormal behavior
Changes in gait or posture
Evidence of pain
Moribund condition (unable to move, eat or drink, lethargy)
Difficulty breathing or audible respiratory sounds
Evidence of traumatic injuries (wounds, bites, scratches)
Evidence of overgrown nails, teeth (and malocculsion), claws
Environmentally associated problems (temperature, crowding, social pressures, cage size, dysfunctional lixits/sipper tubes).
Dead animals
