Laboratory Animal Management

Committee on Dogs, Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources, Commission on Life Sciences, National Research Council

This newly revised edition - a must for anyone using dogs for research or supervising that use - incorporates regulatory requirements and improved practices for laboratory animal care that have developed over the past two decades. It covers selection of dogs as research models; design, construction, and maintenance of indoor and outdoor facilities; temperature, humidity, food, water, bedding, sanitation, animal identification, record keeping, and transportation; and general veterinary care, as well as special care of breeding animals and random-source animals. Laboratory Animal Management: Dogs examines controversies over proper cage sizes and interpretation of federal requirements for exercise and offers recommendations for researchers. Guidelines are provided on how to recognize and alleviate pain and distress in research dogs, and the sensitive topic of euthanasia is covered in detail. It discusses how to assemble a proper research protocol and how to handle conflicts; outlines procedures for institutional animal care and use and committee review; and presents guidelines for handling aging dogs, use of radiation in experiments, and a wide range of other special circumstances.