IACUC protocol review criteria

  1. Procedures with animals will avoid or minimize discomfort.
  2. Alternatives to procedures that may cause more than momentary or slight pain or distress to the animals have been considered, and the investigator has provided a written narrative/description of the methods and sources used to determine that alternatives were not available or acceptable.
  3. Investigators have provided written assurance that the proposed activities do not unnecessarily duplicate previous experiments.
  4. Procedures that may cause more than momentary or slight pain or distress to the animals will be performed with appropriate sedation, analgesia, or anesthesia unless the procedure is justified for scientific reasons in writing by the investigator.
  5. The attending veterinarian or his/her designee have been consulted for procedures that may cause more than momentary or slight pain or distress to the animals.
  6. Procedures do not include the use of paralytics without anesthesia.
  7. Animals that would otherwise experience severe or chronic pain or distress that cannot be relieved will be painlessly killed at the end of the procedure or, if appropriate during the procedure.
  8. The living conditions of the animals will be appropriate for their species and contribute to their health and comfort. The housing, feeding, and non medical care of the animals will be directed by a qualified veterinarian.
  9. Personnel conducting procedures will be appropriately qualified and trained in those procedures.
  10. Activities that involve surgery include appropriate provision for pre-operative and post-operative care. All survival surgery will be performed using aseptic procedures. Surgery performed on non rodents will be conducted in facilities intended for that purpose which shall be operated and maintained under aseptic conditions. Non major operative procedures and all surgery on rodents do not require a dedicated facility, but must be performed using aseptic procedures.
  11. No animal will be used in more than one major operative procedure from which it is allowed to recover unless justified for scientific reasons in writing by the investigator.
  12. Methods of euthanasia used will be consistent with the recommendations of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Panel on Euthanasia, unless a deviation is justified for scientific reasons in writing by the investigator.