Appendix 4: Example Animal Monitoring Sheet
This is Appendix 4 of the Code of Practice for the Housing and Care of Laboratory Mice, Rats, Guinea Pigs and Rabbits.
AEC project number: | Investigator name and phone contact (BH and AH): |
Animal — ID number: | Species/strain |
Animal details (sex/age etc) | Comments: |
- Each animal is examined and observed for abnormalities at each time point (weekly or daily as appropriate)
- Observations are recorded in the table
- Normal clinical signs are recorded as 'N'
- Abnormalities are recorded as 'A' and severity is scored in brackets for example, Breathing: A (3)
- Comments concerning abnormalities are recorded in the comments section of the table
- Additional observations tailored to the monitoring requirements for each animal experiment are to be added at 'Other'.
CLINICAL OBSERVATION | DATE | ||||||
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UNDISTURBED |
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Coat |
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Activity |
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Breathing |
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Movement/gait/trembling |
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Eating |
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Drinking |
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Alert/sleeping |
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ON HANDLING |
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Alert |
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Body condition |
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Bodyweight (g) |
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Dehydration |
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Eyes |
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Faeces |
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Nose |
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Breathing |
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Urine |
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Vocalisation |
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OTHER (specify) |
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COMMENTS |
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INITIALS: |
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Signature of (Chief) Investigator:
Date:
Clinical signs severity score
SIGNS | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
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Activity | normal | isolated, abnormal posture | huddled/inactive | moribund |
Alertness/ | normal | dull or depressed | little response to handling | unconscious |
Body condition* | normal | thin | loss of body fat, failure to grow | loss of muscle mass |
Body weight* | normal weight and growth rate | reduced growth rate | chronic weight loss >15% OR failure to grow | acute weight loss>10% |
Breathing | normal | rapid, shallow | rapid, abdominal breathing | laboured, irregular, skin blue |
Coat | normal | coat rough | Unkempt, wounds, hair thinning | bleeding or infected wounds, or severe hairloss or self mutilation |
Dehydration | none | skin less elastic | skin tenting | skin tenting & eyes sunken |
Drinking | normal | increased OR decreased intake over 24 hrs | increased OR decreased intake over 48 hours | constantly drinking OR not drinking over 24 hours |
Eating | normal | increased OR decreased intake over 24 hours | increased OR decreased intake over 48 hours | obese OR inappetence over 48 hours |
Eyes | normal | wetness or dullness | discharge | eyelids matted |
Faeces | normal | faeces moist | loose, soiled perineum OR abnormally dry +/- mucus | running out on handling OR no faeces for 48 hrs OR frank blood on faeces |
Movement/ | normal | slight incoordination OR abnormal gait | incoordinated OR walking on tiptoe OR reluctance to move | staggering OR limb dragging OR paralysis |
Nose | normal | wetness | discharge | coagulated |
Urine | normal | abnormal colour/volume | no urine 24 hrs OR incontinent, soiled perineum | |
Vocalisation | normal | squeaks when palpated | struggles and squeaks loudly when handled/palpated | abnormal vocalisation |
Other |
* these criteria may not apply in some situations (such as, tumor growth, obesity/metabolic studies)
Special husbandry requirements**
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Euthanasia/humane experimental endpoint criteria **
Clinical sign | Action |
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** as approved by the AEC, relevant to each specific situation
Scientific measures (data or tissues to be collected as part of the experimental use)
(animals that are killed should be weighed and have their bodies placed in labelled bags and refrigerated)
Reference: Morton, D.B. (1997) A scheme for the recognition and assessment of adverse effects in animals.
In: Developments in animal and veterinary sciences, 27. Animal Alternatives, Welfare and Ethics. pp 235–240. Eds van Zutphen, L.F.M. and Balls, M. Elsevier Science B.V.