Animal Husbandry
- Facilities
- Animal Procurement
- Shipment of Animals
- Animal Husbandry
- Per Diem Charges for Animal Care
- Movement of Animals
Facilities
The Veterinary Service Center (VSC) is responsible for the husbandry and/or veterinary care for all vertebrate animals maintained for research, teaching, or testing on the Stanford campus. Approximately 110,000 gross square feet of facilities are provided in several locations on campus that are specifically designed and constructed for housing experimental animals. Research Animal Facility I and II (RAF-I and RAF-II) are the main centralized animal facilities on campus. Specialized housing areas for maintenance of animals used on biohazardous studies are available in RAF-I.
- Eating and Drinking in Animal Facilities. Eating and drinking in animal facilities is prohibited except in designated areas (i.e., staff lounges AF002 in RAF-I and AR068 in RAF-II). Smoking is not allowed in any animal facility.
- Use of Ether in Animal Facilities. The use of ether or similar explosive, flammable agents is prohibited in VSC facilities. Contact the veterinary staff at 650-725-3887 to discuss alternatives to the use of ether as an inhalation anesthetic.
- Assignment and Use of Animal Rooms. Animal housing space is assigned by the Chairman of the Department of Comparative Medicine (or designee) to faculty of Stanford. Animals are housed by species and health status to minimize infectious disease problems. Investigators are encouraged to notify the VSC (650-723-3876 of anticipated needs as far in advance as possible. Use of animal facilities for purposes other than experimental animal care and use is discouraged.
- Housing Animals in Laboratory Areas. Experimental animals must be housed in designated animal holding facilities and may not be kept outside these areas for more than 12 hours or overnight without written approval from the VSC and the Administrative Panel on Laboratory Animal Care (A-PLAC).
- Access to Animal Facilities. The Department of Comparative Medicine's policy regarding the admission to animal facilities exists to protect Stanford employees, students, and the general public from unnecessary exposure to potential hazards, and to protect animals and research from interference from unauthorized personnel. Both faculty and staff are requested to assist in enforcing this policy and to report exceptions to the Medical Center Security Services at 650-723-7222. Unauthorized exceptions to this policy will be considered trespassing.
All entrances to Stanford's animal facilities and some individual animal rooms are locked 24 hours a day. Access is gained by authorized personnel by means of a pre-programmed card key. Card key authorization is obtained by contacting your departmental administrator who will issue the necessary paperwork to obtain a card key. The access card is for the individual's own use. It is not to be loaned or passed on to anyone at anytime. When in a controlled access building or area, the individual should carry the access card, a valid Stanford I.D., and some form of picture I.D. (Driver's License, Passport, etc.). These I.D.'s are to be shown to a Stanford University Medical Center Security Officer upon request. If the access card should fail to function as expected, please contact Security Services at 650-723-7222. The access card is to be returned to the issuing department upon an individual's termination of employment or completion of the school term. Loss or theft of the access cared should be reported to the issuing department and to Security Services immediately.
Additionally, individual rooms within the animal facility may be locked, either electronically or with a standard key. Keys are issued to investigators and their staff by the VSC Facility Operations Manager located in the RAF-I Administrative Office (AF067D). These keys and access codes are issued only for the use of the specific individual that signs for them, and must not be shared with others.
Access to the biohazardous area located in RAF-I is restricted. Contact the VSC Facility Operations Manager (650-725-3882) to obtain access to this area. - Animal Facility Tours. Chaperoned tours of the animal facilities are available to Stanford personnel or members of the general public who have an interest in research animal care. Requests for a tour should be made in writing (fax or email are acceptable) well in advance and submitted to the main VSC office, AFO67, located in the RAF facility (see contact numbers, below). Although most areas of the facilities are accessible and/or visible during a tour, routine visitors will NOT enter animal holding rooms or have direct exposure to animals. There are specific policies regarding those rare occasions where visitors have a need to enter rooms holding animals, and these visits must be approved in advance. Children under 15 years of age are permitted only in the office area, library, lounge and main corridor of RAF-1 and RAF II, and will not be allowed to participate in a tour. A parent, guardian, or other responsible individual (e.g., a teacher with a signed parental permission slip) must accompany those under 18. If Stanford faculty and staff wish to escort visitors into the animal facilities without participating in a scheduled and chaperoned tour, they must discuss this visit with the VSC administration in advance. ALL visitors must register at the front desk of the RAF facility (AFO67) prior to entering the animal care areas. To request a tour of the animal facilities, please contact:
VSC Office 650-723-3876
650-725-0940 (fax) VSC Director 650-498-5080 VSC Associate Director 650-725-3880 VSC Facility Operations Manager 650-725-3882 - Recording Devices. Anyone using tape recorders, video recorders, cameras, etc. in a secured animal facility must receive prior approval from the Director, Associate Director, or the Facilty Operations Manager.
- Pets. Keeping pets (e.g., dogs) in the animal facilities is not allowed for several reasons. Animals can harbor various diseases that can interfere with, and in many cases, invalidate data. Further, Stanford must comply with numerous regulations affecting the use of animals in research.
Animal Procurement
To meet reporting and record requirements placed upon Stanford by federal legislation (e.g., Animal Welfare Act) and granting agencies (e.g., NIH), all animal orders and/or acquisitions must be placed through the VSC Buyer. Animals may not be purchased or otherwise acquired until a fully approved animal use protocol is on file. Also, the VSC must be notified of any animals brought onto the Stanford campus (such as those legally trapped by investigators with approved trapping permits) or taken off campus. This includes all mice, rats, hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, cats, dogs, nonhuman primates, or any other vertebrate species used for research, testing, or education.
The Buyer uses three major criteria to determine which vendor will be selected to fulfill an order and to ensure the procurement of healthy animals from licensed vendors:
- The ability of the vendor to supply healthy animals. The VSC encourages the use of virus titer free rodents for research purposes. The University requires any potential vendor to provide several animals for serology testing and submit regular health status reports of their animal colonies to the university. The VSC monitors the health status of rodents by conducting random serology testing on incoming animals, and performs additional tests on an on-going basis. Research animals are not tested without prior approval from investigators. Rodents not meeting the requirements listed above may be purchased or acquired but will be housed in containment facilities.
Investigators can request that animals be supplied by a vendor which they have used at previous research facilities. This allows investigators to continue their work without additional variables in the research projects that can result from animals being supplied by another vendor. The VSC will honor these requests once the health status of the animals has been determined and if appropriate containment facilities are required and available.
- The ability of the vendor to transport animals by means of an acceptable carrier. The VSC inspects all arriving animals and will reject any filter container that has been compromised. The vendor will be required to replace animals that arrive in damaged filtered containers, do not meet purchase order specifications, or are sick or injured. The VSC prefers to use vendors who can transport animals using their own environmentally controlled vehicles and using specially trained personnel.
- The willingness of the vendor to become familiar with, and satisfy, the VSC's requirements and to work with the animal buyer to meet the needs of the research community. Vendors must be willing to meet delivery schedules. They also must be willing to notify the VSC whenever there is possible contamination of their facility. Failure to do this could ruin projects in which substantial amounts of effort and resources have been invested.
To minimize the possibility of introducing disease into campus animal facilities, all arrangements for acquiring and housing live vertebrates must be made through the VSC. The VSC can assist investigators in determining when permits are needed and in obtaining them.
To order animals, use Stanford form SU-45, or the VSC Animal Requisition Form from the VSC Service Request Forms webpage. Call the VSC Buyer at 650-723-4009 (Monday-Friday, 8 am-5 pm) if you have any questions. The VSC prefers orders be received at least one week before the required delivery date. This lead time might be longer depending upon the species and other factors (e.g., vendor availability, vendor location, vendors' shipping policies, etc.). For example, it may take longer to obtain animals from east coast vendors delayed by weather conditions. Whenever possible orders are placed for delivery on Monday through Thursday to prevent problems associated with delivery on weekends and holidays. However, special delivery accommodations can be accepted.
All arriving animals are delivered to the VSC receiving area. Each shipment of animals is inspected by personnel to verify that order specifications have been met, and that the animals have arrived in good health.
For guidelines on obtaining special rodent strains from aytpical vendors, please see the VSC Guidelines for Atypical Vendors.
Shipment of Animals
The shipment of animals is regulated by both federal and state laws and regulations, and University guidelines. No animals may be brought to or leave the Stanford campus without the prior approval of the Attending Veterinarian (or designee). Compliance with these regulations/guidelines generally requires that a veterinarian examine and certify the health of the animals prior to shipment. The VSC policy requires that a health certificate be completed for all animals that are shipped off campus. To arrange for a health certificate, contact the VSC Administrative Associate (650-723-3876).
Specific diagnostic tests (e.g., tuberculosis) may be required by governmental agencies and/or the institution where the animal is being shipped. Arrangements to cover these costs must be made in advance and are not paid by the Department of Comparative Medicine.
Animal Husbandry
- Caging. The VSC is responsible for selecting appropriate cages for laboratory animals, to ensure that housing conforms to NIH Guide standards and Animal Welfare Act requirements while meeting research needs. Investigators who require special housing should contact VSC to discuss their needs. Exceptions to Guide standards must be justified on the basis of experimental or species requirements and receive prior approval from the VSC and the A-PLAC.
To reduce the risk of disease transmission in our rodent colonies, Stanford uses filter topped shoe box cages in the housing of these animals. Individuals who are unfamiliar with the use of these cages should be properly trained. Researchers are encouraged to contact the appropriate VSC Animal Care Supervisor at 650-723-3876 for more information. - Environmental Factors.
- Temperature: The ILAR Guide has defined requirements for the proper maintenance of laboratory animals. Environmental factors such as temperature must be carefully monitored because they affect metabolism and behavior. The VSC is responsible for maintaining and monitoring appropriate temperatures in VSC maintained animal facilities.
- Ventilation: Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in animal facilities require constant monitoring to assure proper ventilation and appropriate temperature levels. VSC personnel work with appropriate University maintenance staff to ensure that environmental control systems in animal facilities are functioning properly. Any departures from appropriate levels should be reported to the VSC immediately (650-723-3876). Facility problems encountered after working hours (7 am to 5 pm, M-F) should be reported to security (650-723-7222).
- Illumination: VSC is responsible for establishing and maintaining light cycles in animal housing areas. Regular diurnal light cycles are provided by time-controlled lighting systems in most facilities. Special research needs which require departures from normal light cycles can be arranged through consultation with VSC. The standard light cycle in animal housing areas is 7 am to 7 pm.
- Feed/Water. Standardized commercial diets are available for most laboratory species. The VSC is responsible for providing appropriate diets and for ensuring that food is fresh and free from contaminants. For special research needs, certified diets that have been assayed for commonly encountered environmental contaminants may be necessary. VSC can assist with selection of specialized diets and provide information on their availability.
Research Animal Facility (I and II) is equipped with a reverse osmosis water purification system. The system supplies water for all animals housed in these facilities and flushes all room water lines each day. Some animals are on automatic watering (dogs, rabbits, nonhuman primates, pigs). All rodents in all animal facilities receive purified water in bottles.
For questions regarding water, contact the VSC Facility Operations Manager (650-725-3882).
If it is necessary to add any substance (e.g., antibiotic or acidifier) to the drinking water of any animal as part of an experiment, the VSC Facility Operations Manager must be notified in writing as to the type of substance, the onset of administration, and duration that the substance will be administered. The use of any substance must also be described in the protocol form and approved by the Administrative Panel on Laboratory Animal Care (A-PLAC) prior to the onset of the experimental study. - Sanitation.
- Cleanliness: The Animal Welfare Act and the ILAR Guide have established schedules for frequency of cleaning animal rooms, and for cleaning and changing cages. Standard operating procedures pertaining to sanitation are followed by VSC animal care personnel to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. Cage sanitation schedules can be altered to accommodate special research needs by arrangement with the VSC.
- Animal Carcass and Waste disposal: Refrigerators which are monitored by VSC personnel are maintained in several animal facilities for deposit of animal carcasses. No food, drugs, supplies, or materials other than animal carcasses or tissues should be placed in these refrigerators. Carcasses or tissues should be placed in appropriate red biohazard bags that are tied or otherwise secured at the top. If explosive anesthetic agents are used in research laboratories, carcasses must be aerated in an appropriate chemical fume hood prior to placement in red biohazard bags so that fumes do not build up that could cause an explosion. Fume hoods cannot be used for this purpose in animal facilities. Objects that are considered to be sharps (e.g., scalpels, blades, hypodermic needles with/without attached syringes, etc.) should be placed in rigid red sharps containers for disposal. Radioactive and/or biohazardous animal wastes and bedding must be disposed of according to procedures established by the VSC and the campus Department of Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S). For information on the disposal of radioactive and/or biohazardous materials, contact EH&S at 650-723-0448.
- Vermin control: The presence of pests in animal colonies can result in contamination of feed and bedding, and the introduction of disease. Pesticides are used in animal areas only when necessary, and then only after consultation with the investigator(s) whose animals will be exposed to them. An approved pesticide list is available for review. Contact the Facility Operations Manager at 650-725-3882 for additional information.
- Animal Identification and Record Keeping Requirements. The Animal Welfare Act and the ILAR Guide require appropriate identification of animals and maintenance of animal records. Accepted methods of animal identification include cage cards, collars and bands, ear notches and tags, implantable microchips, and tattoos.
Cage cards generated by the VSC contain the information required by regulatory agencies. If Principal Investigators generate their own cage cards the following information should be included:- species
- source of the animal
- strain or stock
- principal investigator name
- names and locations (phone numbers) of the responsible investigator(s)
- pertinent dates (e.g., date of arrival)
- protocol number
- per diem account number
In addition to providing this information on the cage card, the current protocol number to which the animal has been assigned must also be clearly indicated on the cage card. This will assist the VSC staff in answering any questions regarding your animal (e.g., an inspector may want to know what study an animal is on). Animal records must be maintained for 3 years following completion of the project and are subject to inspection by the USDA, NIH site visitors, and accrediting agencies. These inspections are usually unannounced. - Special Requests. Special husbandry requirements can be accommodated by completing a pink special request card (copies can be obtained from the VSC Administrative Office located in RAF-I, Room AF067). Special request cards are used to fast animals, give emergency notification information, provide special dietary requirements, instruct personnel to make special observations, etc. Completed special requests are submitted to the appropriate VSC Animal Caretaker Supervisor for processing and approval. Special requests need to be submitted a minimum of 24 hours (Monday - Friday) prior to the beginning of the special request date.
Additional caging or cage component supplies (i.e., mouse cages for weaning) can be accommodated by completing a Cage Request Form. Cage Request Forms can be obtained from outside of AR031 in RAF-II (located in the connecting hallway from RAF-I to RAF-II), from the VSC Service Request Forms webpage or obtained from the animal caretaker assigned to the care of your animals. Completed requests are to be placed in the hanging folder outside of AR031. Supplies will be delivered to the desired location as specified on the completed request form. Cage requests need to be submitted a minimum of 24 hours prior to the desired cage delivery date.
Per Diem Charges for Animal Care
To recover a portion of the money spent on animal care, per diem rates for the various species are charged by the VSC. The per diem charge covers boarding and feeding of an animal, cage and room cleaning and sanitation, and veterinary services for spontaneous illnesses. The charge does not cover veterinary, diagnostic laboratory, and pathology services for medical problems resulting from experimental procedures, special diet, or special husbandry requests; those services are billable to the investigator. Per diem rates are established by the University and published on an annual basis, and are available from your department business office, on this website, or from the VSC office (650-723-3876).
Inventory sheets are maintained by the animal care staff on a daily basis. Per diem charges for animal care begin on the day the animal arrives and is housed in an animal room. Per diem rates on animals born in the animal facility usually begin on the day animals are weaned. A typical weaning schedule is listed below:
| rats, mice, hamsters | 21 days |
| guinea pigs | 14 days |
| nonhuman primates | variable |
| dogs | 8 weeks |
| cats | 6 weeks |
| rabbits | 6 weeks |
Movement of Animals
When transporting animals between laboratories and the animal housing areas or other laboratories, care should be taken to minimize the time spent in common hallways or lobbies. Cages and carts should be draped with a cloth to ensure animals and cages are shielded from public view. Also, efforts should be taken to reduce the amount of stress the animal may experience while being transported. All animals should be transported in approved cages that will prevent escape and/or injury and can be sanitized between animals. Cardboard boxes should not be used. All containers utilized for transporting animals should be appropriate for size of animal, accommodate only one animal or group of compatible animals previously housed together, and be sanitized after each transport. Animals should not be carried in your arms or in open boxes. For transportation of small rodents, it is recommended that plastic shoebox cages with secured lids be used. After use, these cages should be returned to the cagewash area for sanitation. For selection of appropriate caging for transporting animals on campus, contact the VSC Facility Operations Manager (725-3882). See also the Guidelines for Transporation of Animals from the Stanford Centralized Animal Facilities, developed by the Administrative Panel on Laboraoty Animal Care (A-PLAC).
Transportation of animals between facilities can be provided by the VSC husbandry staff. In order to request the transportation of animals, complete a Request for Transportation Form (copies can be obtained from the VSC Service Request Forms webpage or the VSC Administrative Office located in RAF-I) or contact an animal husbandry supervisor at 650-723-3876. Submit the completed transportation request form or telephone the animal husbandry supervisor a minimum of 24 hours (Monday - Friday) prior to the desired transportation date. Transportation requests which are for experimental purposes will be subject to a service charge.
Written permission from the University Biosafety Officer (650-725-1473) and the VSC must be obtained to transport animals used on biohazard studies from approved housing facilities. The VSC must also approve the transport of nonhuman primates and sheep outside of approved housing locations.
When a vehicle is used to move animals between buildings on campus, contact the VSC (650-725-3875) to arrange for transportation assistance. Written permission to transport animals in any vehicle other than those VSC vehicles that have been approved by USDA and other agencies for the transport of animals, must be obtained from the Attending Vertinarian (or designee). Written assurance must include that the animal will:
- be placed in a secure transport cage
- not be left unattended during transport
- be placed in an environmentally controlled vehicle
- be directly transported to and from facilities
Further, the following information must also be provided in writing as part of the transportation approval process:
- species and number of animals to be transported
- description of vehicle used for transportation (for animal species included under the federal Animal Welfare Act, vehicle must meet United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) requirements
- purpose of transporting the animal
- duration of stay outside VSC animal facilities
- destination of transport
- name of the responsible person who will provide transportation
- disposition of animals/carcasses and caging equipment
Additional conditions may be required by the VSC to transport animals.
