Introduction to Laboratory Animal Science and Technology

J. K. Inglis

• Publisher: Pergamon
• Year: 2013
• Print ISBN: 9780080237725
• eBook ISBN: 9781483279770
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Animal Husbandry
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Introduction to Laboratory Animal Science and Technology discusses the principles involved in the healthy maintenance of animals in the laboratory or animal house. This book is divided into eight six units of study of the physical requirements of animals, physiological data, and techniques of husbandry, followed by summary data capsules and recommended further reading. After an overview of the laboratory animals, this book goes on dealing with various aspects of animal care, including their accommodation, health care routine, and animal health and hygiene. The next chapters examine the components of animal diet, the biological aspects of animal reproduction, breeding and heredity. The final chapter emphasizes the legal requirements concerning anesthesia, laboratory procedures, and the issue of euthanasia. This book will prove useful to laboratory technicians, students, students, researchers, and the general public who are concerned for animals and their use in laboratory work.

UNIT 1: STUDY OBJECTIVES

Animal Accommodation

(a) Describes various forms of animal housing.

(b) Describes the importance of designs, materials, and traffic within the animal house.

(c) Describes different types of animal room.

(d) Describes the importance of design, materials, and facilities within the animal rooms.

(e) Describes the important requirements of cage construction for different animal species.

(f) Describes the various methods of shelving and racking of cages.

(g) Describes different types of animal pen.

(h) Describes aquaria and terraria used in laboratories for holding small animals.

(i) Suggests project work.

UNIT 1

Animal Accommodation

Publisher Summary

An animal house or aquaria for fishes exist because a user—researcher—requires a space to study the animals held within the premise of the animal house. The animals are kept in captivity by man for recreation, educational purposes, experimentation utility, and /or for breeding. A selection of a suitable animal accommodations depend on many factors like the species and size of the animal, the number of animals to be kept in captivity, the reason for the captivity, and the available space and finance. This chapter discusses such animal accommodations by describing the various forms of animal housing, the important requirements of cage construction for different animal species, and the various methods of shelving and racking of cages, the types of animal rooms and pens, and the varied aquaria and terraria used in laboratories for holding small animals. It also highlights the importance of the design, materials used in construction, and traffic within the animal house and focuses on the importance of design, materials, and facilities within the animal rooms.

ANIMALS are kept in captivity by man for a variety of reasons. The reasons may be one of the following:

Recreational.

Educational.

Experimental.

Production/breeding.

The accommodations provided for animals kept in the laboratory situation are to be examined under the following sub-headings:

1.1. Animal houses.

1.2. Animal house rooms.

1.3. Animal cages.

1.4. Animal pens.

1.5. Aquaria.

1.6. Terraria (vivaria).

1.7. Project program (construction materials).

The choice of suitable accommodation will depend upon several factors, such as:

(a) The species and size of animal.

(b) The number of animals.

(c) The reason for confining the animal.

(d) The space and finance available.

This study unit, in common with all others, is only an introduction. Further, more detailed information may be obtained by turning up the references mentioned in the text and in the bibliography.

1.1. Animal houses

It can be said that the animal house is where laboratory animals live and where animal technicians work, but this is not the complete picture. The student or researcher has a partial interest in the animal house. Without the “user” the animal house would have no reason to exist, the technician no employment.

The animal house may be a small unit within the teaching facilities of a school or college. It may be a larger complex within a commercial organization. Whatever the size, some of the basic requirements will be similar and will be taken into account when considering the design and the layout and so forth.

FIG. 1 Points requiring attention in the animal house

The species of animals that are to be housed may not be the same year after year, and so it is as well to provide facilities that are as flexible as possible. For instance, mobile cage units and even moveable slide-back walls are preferable to fixed units and walls that are expensive to modify if a different species of animals need to be accommodated.

Whilst attempting to be as flexible as possible in designing the layout of the animal house, one should not become too remote from the practical issues such as bringing in water, gas, and electricity, getting rid of wastes, maintaining a degree of isolation from possible sources of infection or infestation, or nuisance. Whatever scheme of layout is proposed, it is less than useful if it does not function efficiently.

1.1.1. ANIMAL HOUSE FACILITIES

Some of the facilities to be found in the larger animal house may be listed as below:

1. Reception area for receiving incoming materials such as animals, bedding, feed, and machinery.

2. Quarantine room(s) in which incoming animals may be held for a period of time in order to observe whether any disease symptoms make themselves obvious.

3. Administrative offices where records of materials and stock are kept.

4. Locker room with facilities for personnel, including lavatories, showers, and a refreshment area.

5. Store-rooms for bedding, feed, cleansing materials, chemicals, instruments, and caging materials not in use. Stores should be classed as “dirty” or as “clean”.

6. Engineers room, or a space in which all the mechanical plant is located, such as switches, furnace, air-conditioning, and fuse boxes.

7. Cleansing area where soiled cages and equipment may be sterilized. This area requires a fair amount of space in order to accommodate those dirty materials awaiting steaming, etc. A disposal unit or incinerator may be provided in this area for getting rid of soiled bedding, carcases, etc.

8. Surgery/X-ray room may be...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• PERGAMON INTERNATIONAL LIBRARY of Science, Technology, Engineering and Social Studies
• Other titles of interest
• Copyright
• Acknowledgements
• Commercial Organizations
• Preface
• Introduction
• Pre-study Unit
• UNIT 1: STUDY OBJECTIVES
• UNIT 1: Animal Accommodation
• UNIT 2: STUDY OBJECTIVES
• UNIT 2: Animal Care Routines
• UNIT 3: STUDY OBJECTIVES
• UNIT 3: Animal Health and Hygiene
• UNIT 4: STUDY OBJECTIVES
• UNIT 4: Diets, Feeding, and Drinking
• UNIT 5: STUDY OBJECTIVES
• UNIT 5: Reproduction, Breeding, and Heredity
• UNIT 6: STUDY OBJECTIVES
• UNIT 6: Legal Requirements—Anesthesia, Laboratory Procedures, and Euthanasia
• UNIT 7: Data Capsules
• UNIT 8: Self-testing Exercises
• Bibliography
• Contact Addresses
• Glossary and Index