Announcements Feed

New Animal Care and Use Requirements for all UK Investigators

alicia — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 19:23:51 +0000

New Animal Care and Use Requirements for all UK Investigators alicia Thu, 11/07/2024 - 14:23

The most recent AAALAC International accreditation site visit to assess UK’s program for care and use of animals used in research and teaching noted several areas that require strengthening. In response, the Office of the Attending Veterinarian (OAV), Division of Laboratory Animal Resources (DLAR) and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) have made enhancements that are expected to yield improvements in animal welfare, training and reduce instances of noncompliance with regulations, policies and approved IACUC protocols. These changes include the addition of a dedicated training professional to the DLAR staff, increased efforts toward effective post-approval monitoring, animal housing improvements, and enhanced training for IACUC members and animal research personnel.

Investigators, please note the following program changes:

IACUC

All individuals listed on an IACUC protocol must complete, every three years, a continuing education course (titled “Animal Use Review for University of Kentucky Personnel” under AALAS Learning Library > Group Courses) designed specifically for the University of Kentucky. This course is available on the AALAS Learning Library (ALL) website and will replace a previous requirement for completion of a more generic course. Completion of one additional course offered through the ALL or a DLAR Workshop will still be required.
Principal Investigators must now maintain a log to document the training completed by all personnel listed on IACUC protocols. Training of personnel with respect to specific procedures may occur within the home laboratory, at another laboratory or institution, or via coordinated training opportunities, such as those offered by DLAR or ALL. ALL training transcripts may be found upon log-in, top righthand corner pulldown, but training provided by AALAS does not need to be included in the training logs. All are valid approaches, but training must be documented for each person. Training documentation must include: 1) person who was trained, 2) topic of training, 3) who provided training, 4) where the training was performed (e.g., UK, elsewhere), and 5) training date. The investigator can determine the preferred format to maintain these records. A link to a sample documentation template can be found in IACUC Policy 106. This requirement must be implemented by October 1, 2025.
The IACUC now offers and markets the opportunity for investigators to request a voluntary IACUC audit of their animal care and use activities. As an entirely voluntary activity on the part of investigators, the IACUC audit allows for collegial interaction and dialogue to identify aspects of animal use that might be improved or are falling short of expectations. For more information, please contact Jason Oakes in the OAV office.
The OAV is always available to answer questions. The OAV has regularly scheduled office hours from 10 am - 12 pm on the third Wednesday of every month. OAV appointments may also be scheduled by email (oav@uky.edu).
The OAV and DLAR will be conducting additional monitoring of animal use on behalf of the IACUC to ensure that animals are used in compliance with the approved protocol, DLAR procedures and IACUC policies. This will involve additional IACUC and OAV visits to areas where animals are housed and used, as well as reviews of records.

DLAR

Investigators, staff, and students new to the DLAR animal facilities use must complete an orientation session offered by the DLAR and the OAV prior to being granted facility access. Orientation sessions are provided by DLAR/OAV on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month at 10:30 am or are made available upon request. Any personnel who have not previously conducted work involving DLAR facilities must also have a tour of the facility. The tour provides an overview of practices, standards and contact personnel and is to be completed within 30 days of receiving facility access. Failure to complete the facility tour will result in loss of access until the tour has been completed and documented.
Current DLAR facility investigators, staff, and students must complete a refresher course no later than December 31, 2025, titled “Orientation for Users of Vertebrate Animals in DLAR Refresher” under AALAS Learning Library > Group Courses.
To schedule the Investigator Orientation session or Facility Tour you can contact the DLAR Training Group (dlartraining@l.uky.edu) or use the links below:
- Investigator Orientation (pdf)
- Facility Tour (Qualtrics form)

Division of Laboratory Animal Resources

Office of the Attending Veterinarian

IACUC Annual Protocols Requirement Change

rhthea2 — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 19:55:50 +0000

IACUC Annual Protocols Requirement Change rhthea2 Tue, 01/17/2023 - 14:55

With the passing of the 21st Century Cures Act and aligning with NIH/PHS Policy, the USDA is no longer requiring annual review of IACUC protocols. Principal investigators (PIs) will not submit information for annual review and approval in the Cayuse system. The OAV-IACUC office will continue to check training and University Health Service clearance on a yearly basis and reach out to individuals who need to complete/renew these items. PIs who previously reported animal numbers via the progress report will also be contacted to collect this information (e.g., agriculture, biology, wildlife, core protocols). Please report any unanticipated adverse events and noncompliance directly to your clinical veterinarian (DLAR) or the Attending Veterinarian. This update does not affect three-year de novo reviews. IACUCs are still required to conduct a complete review of animal activities every three years. Any changes to approved protocol activities must be submitted as an amendment.

Cayuse Animal Oversight

Division of Laboratory Animal Resources

Office of the Attending Veterinarian

IACUC Inspections to Resume

azadam2 — Thu, 23 Jul 2020 18:03:30 +0000

IACUC Inspections to Resume azadam2 Thu, 07/23/2020 - 14:03

As per guidance from the National Institutes of Health Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (NIH OLAW), the University of Kentucky is expected to conduct previously postponed site inspections as soon as the IACUC can safely do so. Site inspections will resume in accordance with Phase 3 guidelines as established by the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR). PIs and/or animal facility area supervisors will be contacted by email to determine the best days and times for an inspection. Inspection details will be discussed at that time. The CPR (Continuing Protocol Review) program will also resume in accordance with Phase 3 guidelines. Additional details will be provided at a later date.

Office of the Attending Veterinarian

New NIH/OLAW Expectation for Tracking Numbers of Animals Used in Research

azadam2 — Fri, 06 Mar 2020 15:25:43 +0000

New NIH/OLAW Expectation for Tracking Numbers of Animals Used in Research azadam2 Fri, 03/06/2020 - 10:25

As part of responsible care and use of animals in research, the National Institutes of Health/Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (NIH/OLAW) has stated an expectation that the number of animals used in support of research be tracked, including those produced in excess of the number or type needed. This means that animals euthanized before weaning must also be counted and subtracted from approved animal numbers in the IACUC protocol. In order to meet this NIH/OLAW expectation, Mark Suckow (UK's Attending Veterinarian) has been working with faculty, DLAR staff, and representatives from the IACUC to determine a reasonable way for us to accomplish this at UK. Following two trials, we believe that we can meet the expectations by having investigators provide a monthly report of the number of pre-weanling animals euthanized.

The process can be summarized as follows:

Once per month, preferably at the end of the month, indicate on a census card the number of pre-weaning rodents that have been euthanized or found dead. No need to indicate the number that are weaned, as that is determined by DLAR once the litter is separated.

You can indicate which pain category the rodents are in (Figure A below); or do not indicate the pain category (Figure B below). Most pre-weaning rodents are in Category C, though there may be some protocols under which they are listed otherwise.
Leave both (top and bottom) bar codes attached to the card.
Turn in the census card to DLAR.
Note that a separate card should be generated for each IACUC protocol under which pre-weaning rodents were euthanized. The protocol number should be on the census card.
Under this system, there will be no charge assessed.

After cards are turned in, protocols will be debited for the indicated number of pups. This will help us alert PIs if they are approaching the number approved in the protocol so that an amendment can be submitted and non-compliance avoided. This will meet the expectations of NIH/OLAW.

Please notify those in your laboratory who euthanize pre-weaning rodents to keep track of the number euthanized and to follow the process above. Any questions can be directed to Mark Suckow (msuckow@uky.edu; 7-1117) or Cheryl Carmichael (cspina@email.uky.edu; 3-6006).

See attachment for cage card examples.

Office of the Attending Veterinarian

Flyer/Information

Cage Card Examples.pdf (68.3 KB)

Changes to the AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals

azadam2 — Fri, 06 Mar 2020 15:21:00 +0000

Changes to the AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals azadam2 Fri, 03/06/2020 - 10:21

The American Veterinary Medical Association has released the most current version of The AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals: 2020 Edition. Although the document includes a large number of changes, the one we would like to bring to your attention for immediate implementation is the increase in the recommended CO2 flow rate for rodent euthanasia from 10-30% to 30-70% cage volume/min.

We encourage you to read the document in its entirety to gain better insights into the work and recommendations from the AVMA Panel on Euthanasia and to update your lab procedures to conform to these new requirements. Please consult with your veterinarians to clarify any questions you may have about this new update and to inform your research staff of this new recommendation.

Office of the Attending Veterinarian