Maintaining Animal Study Areas Outside of LARC (Rodents)
IACUC Guidelines
Effective Date: October 2023
For all Non-LARC Animal Procedure Areas:
- Non-LARC space must be approved in the IACUC protocol.
- The animal use space should be cleared of unnecessary equipment and clutter prior to bringing animals to the laboratory. All surfaces in the animal use space should be easily sanitized. Materials made of wood, cardboard, or other porous materials that cannot be properly sanitized should be removed from the space. If such materials are required for your work, they should be permanently sealed to render them sanitzable prior to use. Items should be maintained in good condition. Fabric chairs are not permissible in these areas.
- The animal use space and any equipment that comes into contact with animals should be cleaned prior to use with an appropriate disinfectant (e.g., chlorhexidine, sodium hypochlorite, aka bleach, solution). Appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) should be worn prior to opening cages.
- If live animals will be kept in a fume hood for any length of time, all chemicals should be removed from the hood or segregated to prevent any possible contact with animals and animal use equipment.
- Maintain separate areas for cage storage, animal preparation and recovery, and surgical and non-surgical procedures, as each activity creates different levels of contamination.
- Dirty cages are to be covered at all times and stored in a location that does not interfere with laboratory activities. All dirty cages should be removed from procedure areas and returned to LARC collection areas as soon as possible to minimize allergen exposure. Dirty cages must be removed from laboratory spaces by the end of the day and must not be stored in the laboratory overnight.
- If animal use generates dirty bedding, feces, blood, or other contaminants, these must be cleaned up immediately.
- The animal use area must be disinfected immediately after animal work is completed. Cleaning surfaces between cages of animals is highly recommended to prevent cross-contamination.
- Inventories of animal use agents and supplies should be checked at least monthly. Expired materials must be discarded immediately or labeled “for in vitro use only” and stored in a non-animal use area.
For Survival Surgery Areas:
Survival surgery areas should be maintained as described above and also satisfy the following:
- Aseptic surgery should be conducted in a dedicated facility or space. If an operating room is not available, an area physically separated from other laboratory activities may be acceptable.
- Surgical locations should have minimal traffic.
- The surgical preparation of the animal must be conducted in an area separated from where the surgery will be performed. The same table/bench top may be used for both surgical prep and surgery, but these areas must be physically distinct from one another.
- All surgical instruments and materials must be sterilized by steam autoclave or an equivalent method (refer to IACUC Surgery Guidelines - Rodents) and kept sterile until they are used.
Preparation area examples:
Rodent surgery area examples:
For Euthanasia Areas:
- Euthanasia equipment must be cleaned before and after use. Scissors, guillotines, and similar equipment should be maintained and tested on a regular basis to ensure adequate sharpness. Lab should maintain documentation of sharpness or replacement of dull instruments.
- In non-LARC locations, if possible, euthanize animals in their home cage. If a separate cage is used for euthanasia, clean the cage between cohorts of animals and refer to the IACUC euthanasia policy for density requirements at the time of euthanasia.