Content
Recordkeeping Requirements for Husbandry, Sanitation, and Daily Observations
Adequacy of husbandry and sanitation in animal facilities is the ultimate responsibility of the Chief Campus Veterinarian in consultation with the Attending Veterinarian. In order to demonstrate appropriate levels of animal care and sanitation, records must be maintained. "If it isn't recorded, it wasn't done."
General requirements for husbandry/sanitation/observation records
- Must be kept on-site (in the facility)
- Must be available for Attending Veterinarian or designee
- Must be available for any regulatory visitors
- Must be legible
- Must be signed or initialed, and dated
Daily Recording of:
- Animal health (including animal deaths)
- Room temperature (ambient temp for outside enclosures)
- Room humidity (for indoor facilities)
- Feeding
- Watering (or checking watering devices)
- Cage cleaning (dogs, cats, nonhuman primates)
- Manure scraping (if applicable)
- Provision of environmental enrichment (if applicable)
- Sweeping/mopping as required
- Animal exercise (if applicable)
-
Unusual animal enclosure conditions, e.g.
- Cage or room floods
- Escaped animals
- Evidence of room temperatures outside of normal limits
- Power outage
Recording of:
- Rodent cage changes
- Wire-bottomed cage pan changes
- Rabbit pan changes
- Watering device changes/flushes (more often as necessary)
- Sweeping/mopping if needed
These are usually done at least weekly, but can be done more often. Record whenever they are done.
Recording of:
- Cage sanitation (dogs, cats, nonhuman primates, rabbits)
- Rodent rack changes (if applicable)
- Rodent wire-bottomed cages
- Check or change of room ventilation filters (if applicable)
These are done at least every two weeks, but may be done more often. Record whenever they are done.
Other husbandry activities that should be recorded whenever done:
- Drain/sink cleaning
- Sanitization of food barrels
- Replacement of bedding for large animals
- Room sanitization (washing walls, etc.)
- Sanitization of corridors, cagewash rooms, storerooms, etc.
- Vermin control
- Validation of sanitization procedures (e.g. checking cagewash temps, biological monitoring of cage wash efficacy)
Animal Room Daily Activity Log Sample Form ( PDF | MS Word | WordPerfect Win ) which may be used to record daily husbandry observations.