Recommended Syllabus for an Institutional Animal User Training Program (1999)

1. Core Topics/All Animal Users Participate:



1. Regulations and animal welfare
   
   • overview of Canadian Council on Animal Care: guidelines and policies/educational tools/Assessment Program/peer review system
   • role of the local animal care committee in overseeing animal use and maintaining standards
   • applicable regulations and legislation
   • animal user accountability to ensure ethical animal use
   
   
2. Moral, legal, and ethical issues
   
   • animal welfare movement
   • concerns of the public regarding humane treatment of animals
   • foundations for ethical considerations concerning animal use
   • contentious issues; recognition of various aspects and views
   • examples of evaluation of competing ethical demands (case studies of ethical dilemmas); ethical problems of allocation of resources (e.g., provision of enrichment in housing); level of invasiveness versus potential benefit (examples)
   • scientific integrity and scholarly activity - responsible use of animals
   
   
3. The concept of the Three Rs
   
   1. Reduction
   • appropriate animal numbers - statistical requirements (power analysis)
   • controlling variability
   • literature searches
     
     
   2. Refinement
   • onus to achieve expertise/limit pain/prevent wasting of animals
   • expertise can reduce variability thus reducing numbers required
   
   
   
   3. Replacement
   • alternatives
   • the need to consider
   • resources/databases


1. Lab Animal/Teaching Stream


For animal users involved in research, teaching and testing using laboratory animal, companion animal and farm animal species:


1. Research issues


• influence of environment/husbandry on research
• influence of disease on research
• effects of stress on animals - causes of stress
• responsibility of the investigator
• anesthesia/analgesia overview
• euthanasia
• definition
• appropriate methods
• effects on research
• effects on personnel
• animal models/appropriate selection/resources
• CCAC categories of invasiveness
  
  
2. Basic animal care/animal biology/techniques


• animal facilities and husbandry
• basic knowledge of facility operation to consider effects on research/stress producing situations
• environmental enrichment/reduction of stress
• roles of the animal care veterinarian/animal care technicians and how their activities can impact research
• role of the animal care technician as an observer, source of information/data collection/part of the research team
• awareness of technical services/source of expertise/variability reduction through consistent/competent manipulations
• animal identification/importance in terms of lost/confounded data
• animal health monitoring
• disinfectants and sterilization
• use of facility Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
• animal procurement - general considerations
• recognition of pain and/or distress - endpoints



3. Occupational health and safety


Review of hazards involved in working with animals:


• physical hazards
• noise, electrical, radiation
• chemical hazards
• hazard awareness and right to know legislation; flammable, corrosive and toxic agents
• biological hazards
• zoonotics: rabies; cercopithecine; Herpes B; Q-fever
• biohazards, review of risk levels 1-4 with examples
• bites and scratches
• laboratory animal allergy - how allergies develop, preventive measures and intervention strategies
• facility specific operational items
• legislated training requirement of Provincial Occupational Health and Safety Acts
• local occupational health and safety programs and administration of WHMIS
• medical surveillance programs
• accident procedures and reporting



4. Facility specific operational items



• approval and use of animals at the specific facility - local animal care committee structure
• tours of facility
• introduction to personnel
• security
• group discussions of animal use proposals, e.g., of how to complete institutional applications
• local animal procurement procedures/disposal
• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and record forms
• local occupational health and safety programs and administration
• drug acquisition, storage, use and record keeping
• principles of containment systems for housing infected animals
• principles of exclusion housing; clean air stations and facilities for immune suppressed animals



5. Wildlife Stream


For animal users involved in research, teaching and testing using wildlife species in the field. Topics to be developed for the appropriate species, as required:



Birds	Small mammals
Reptiles	Large mammals
Amphibians	Marine mammals
Aquatic species



• ethical considerations
• effects on animals, ecology (including animals threatened with extinction) and humans
• causes and effects of stress on animals
• public concerns
• role of the institutional animal care committee
• justification
• controls/regulations
• Canadian Council on Animal Care
• Canadian Wildlife Service
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada
• provincial permits
• scuba diving training (provincial diving regulations)
• potential hazards and precautions
• chemicals (immobilizing agents, disinfectants, marking agents, etc.)
• potential zoonoses
• environmental hazards
• common techniques for observation
• acceptable capture and immobilization techniques
• handling/restraint
• marking techniques
• health evaluation
• common tissue sampling/blood sampling techniques
• short-term and long-term holding/husbandry
• release (yes/no?; implications)
• anesthesia/analgesia
• euthanasia in the field



2. Topics to be Covered in Modules/not Part of Core Course, but Available on Regular Basis When Applicable:



1. Topics to be developed for the appropriate species, as required:




Rodents	Horses
Rabbits	Amphibia
Cats	Reptiles
Dogs	Birds
Swine	Non-human primates
Cattle	Exotic species
Poultry	Goats
Sheep	Cephalopods



1. General


• overview of biology and diseases
• handling, restraint and common techniques (Codes of Practice)
• necropsy/sampling
• recognition of pain and/or distress
• anesthesia
• analgesia
• surgical principles
• animal preparation, including health monitoring aspects, site preparation, induction
• aseptic technique
• instrument sterilization
• multiple survival surgeries on a single animal
• surgical procedures on a series of animals
• post-operative monitoring and pain management
• records
  
  
2. Specialized techniques


• food deprivation/motivation techniques
• diet manipulations
• adjuvant use
• transgenic animals


3. Conducting research, teaching, or testing using fish


• biology and behavior
• capture and transportation
• permits and regulations
• acclimation
• handling and restraint
• tagging and marking
• holding systems (tanks, water delivery systems, environmental control and monitoring, equipment), water management and quality, flow rates, oxygen, water filtration, other environmental requirements
• health and disease
• general husbandry and aquaculture strategies
• nutrition and feeding
• common problems in aquatic facilities (supersaturation, chlorine, pollutants, etc.)
• transgenic techniques
• anesthesia
• surgery
• specialized techniques (e.g., cannulation)
• euthanasia

May 5 1999

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