Animal Care Services

Purpose:
It is frequently necessary to physically restrain animals during examination as well as while administering substances and collecting samples and these have the potential to cause pain or distress that cannot be controlled.  In most cases, only a short period, 15 minutes or less, in a species specific restraint device, is required.  All physical restraint procedures must be described in detail in the protocol. Occasionally administrations, sample collections, or treatments require a prolonged period of physical restraint which should be avoided unless essential to the research objectives. Convenience is not an adequate justification to use prolonged restraint. These guidelines are intended to insure that: (a) the method of restraint is appropriate for the species of animal, (b) the period of restraint is the minimum required for experimental objectives, (c) documentation that the personnel performing the restraint have been appropriately trained, and (d) when prolonged physical restraint is necessary, the physical, physiological and psychological affects on the animal are minimized.

Definition:

1. The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals provides the following definition of physical restraint: “Physical restraint is the use of manual or mechanical means to limit some or all of an animal’s normal movement for the purpose of examination, collection of samples, drug administration, therapy or experimental manipulation.”
2. During physical restraint, an animal is prevented from making normal postural adjustments.
3. The Guide for the Care and Use of Agriculture Animals in Agricultural Research and Teaching states that brief physical restraint of agriculture animals for examination, collections of samples, and a variety of other experimental and clinical manipulations can be accomplished manually or with devices, i.e. squeeze chutes.

Guidelines:  

1. Personnel performing the restraint must be familiar with the equipment and appropriate method of restraint for the species.
2. The period of restraint must be the minimum required to accomplish research objectives.
3. Restraint devices should be appropriate for the species and designed to be preventing injury to animals and personnel.
4. Animals should be given training to adapt to the equipment and personnel.
5. Animals should be attended throughout the period of restraint or observed at appropriate intervals as approved by the IACUC.
6. Duration of physical restraint should be minimized, scientifically justified and require prior approval by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).
7. Less-restrictive systems that do not limit an animal’s ability to make normal postural adjustments, such as a tether system for caged animals and stanchions for farm animals, are recommended when compatible with protocol objectives.
8. Nonhuman primates must not be maintained in restraint devices unless required for health reasons as determined by the Attending Veterinarian or by a research protocol approved by the IACUC. Maintenance under such restraint must be for the shortest period possible. If long term restraint (>12 hr) is required, the nonhuman primate must be provided the opportunity daily for unrestrained activity for at least one continuous hour during the period of restraint unless continuous restraint is required by the research protocol and is approved by the committee.
9. Attention must be given to the development of lesions or illnesses associated with the restraint. If these occur, prompt veterinary care must be provided and the animal may require temporary or permanent removal from the restraint device. The well-being of the animal must take priority over the research objectives.