Rationale:

The Animal Welfare Act requires that each research facility establish and maintain programs of adequate veterinary care that include:

• The availability of methods to prevent, control, diagnose, and treat diseases and injuries;
• The availability of emergency, weekend, and holiday care;  
• Daily observation of all animals to assess their health and  well-being;
• Guidance to principal investigators and other personnel involved in the care and use of animals regarding handling, immobilization, anesthesia, analgesia, tranquilization, and euthanasia; and
• Adequate pre-procedural and post-procedural care.

Applicability:

This policy applies to veterinary care of animals at UT Southwestern.

Policy:

The UT Southwestern Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee has established the following policy pertaining to animals in distress due to illness or injury.   This policy will be in effect seven days a week.

1. If, in the opinion of the ARC veterinary staff, an animal is in distress, the principal investigator (PI), or his/her designee, will be contacted to discuss treatment options, which may include euthanasia. 

• If the PI, or his/her designee, wishes to perform therapy, the regimen must be approved by the veterinarian.  The PI is responsible to provide records, documenting therapy to the ARC veterinary staff, upon request.
• If the PI authorizes the veterinary staff to perform therapy, the PI will be provided with treatment records at the completion of therapy, upon request.
• In the event that the veterinarian and the PI, or his/her designee, are unable to agree on the appropriate treatment, the veterinarian will initiate supportive care, including euthanasia, according to his/her professional judgment.  The veterinarian will notify the PI and the Chair of the IACUC or his/her designee.  The PI will be provided with treatment and/or euthanasia records at the completion of therapy or euthanasia.
• If the PI or designee fails to euthanize an animal at a previously agreed time point, the veterinary staff will take action to initiate treatment or conduct euthanasia consistent with their responsibility to assure the well-being of animals.

2. The veterinarian will attempt to talk directly to the PI or his designee before leaving email or phone mail messages.  If the veterinarian is unable to reach the PI, or his/her designee, in a time frame determined by the veterinarian to assure the well being of the animal, the veterinarian will initiate supportive care or euthanasia, according to his/her professional judgment and will notify the Chair of the IACUC or his/her designee.  The PI will be provided with treatment and/or euthanasia records.

3. It is the responsibility of the PI to provide current office and home telephone numbers or pagers for all study personnel to be contacted in case of an emergency. 

4. It is the responsibility of veterinary personnel to document all attempts to contact the PI, or his/her designee, to discuss animals in distress and to record the outcomes of successful communications.

Contact Information:

For any additional questions, please contact the IACUC Manager at 5-6420.