Guidelines for Housing, Breeding & Weaning Rodents in PSU Facilities Do not wear the same PPE in more than one animal room. These requirements are usually posted on the animal room door.

Staff and students must comply with personnel protective equipment (PPE) requirements for each room. This provides quiet and safety for the animals, in addition to helping prevent the spread of disease.

Room entry: Animal rooms within the facility are kept locked when not in use.

Water is also sometimes sterilized to prevent the introduction of disease causing organisms into certain groups of animals. Some animals require special diets or sterilized food to ensure adequate nutrition and good health. Food is supplied in the form and quantity appropriate for each animal species. Cages and other equipment are cleaned and replaced as often as needed to maintain clean, dry housing for each species. Animal care technicians check the animals in the room at least once a day, seven days a week. All rooms have automatic timers to control when lights go on and off.

Climate controlled animal rooms: Animal rooms are maintained at ventilation, temperature and humidity levels appropriate for the species of animal in the room.

Approval for access must be obtained from the ARP office. Entrance to a facility is either through key card or key.

Secure Access: Research staff and students are provided with access to the specific facility in which they house animals.

Damage or theft of this equipment would compromise the ability of PSU staff to maintain the health and welfare of the animals and the accuracy of research taking place in the facility.Įach animal facility is unique but they all share certain features:

Laboratory animal facilities contain specialized and expensive equipment such as ventilated cage racks, x-ray machines and anesthetic equipment. Limiting the flow of people in and out of the facility and requiring animal handlers to wear gloves, gowns and other protective gear reduces the chance animals will be exposed to infectious agents. Reliable and accurate research also requires the use of healthy animals. Limiting access to the facility reduces animal stress which leads to less statistical variability, more accurate research results and ultimately, the use of fewer animals. The presence of excessive noise, unfamiliar people and lots of activity can be disturbing for the animals. There are several reasons why animal facilities are not open to the public:Īnimals need a quiet, safe and secure environment to thrive. The facilities are kept locked with alarms on the doors and access limited to approved personnel. Several laboratory animal facilities of varying size are located on the University Park campus. After completion of the appropriate training, including all required IACUC and ARP facility orientation training, principle investigators, their research staff and students are allowed to work within a laboratory animal facility. Investigator laboratories used for animal work must also be approved to ensure appropriate conditions for the animals. Laboratory animals may only be housed in ARP facilities. Housing and care of the animals is then planned and arranged before they arrive at PSU. Investigators who have obtained approval to use animals in research at PSU must first work with the ARP office staff and facilities managers to select and order the appropriate type of animal for their research. Mice and rats are the most commonly used laboratory animals in these facilities although PSU has the ability to house many other species, including rabbits, farm animals and non-human primates. ARP manages all of the laboratory animal facilities on the University Park campus. The Animal Resource Program (ARP) employs veterinarians, veterinary technicians, animal caretakers, facility managers and administrative staff to perform all of the functions necessary to provide high quality care for the research animals housed in PSU facilities. Housing and Husbandry Care for Laboratory Animals Guidelines for Housing, Breeding & Weaning Rodents | Rodent Genotyping | Mouse Colony Management Seminar

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