Which document serves as a guide for the care and use of laboratory animals?

Which document serves as a guide for the care and use of laboratory animals?

• A. Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals
• B. Good Laboratory Practice regulations
• C. PHS Policy
• D. Animal Welfare Act

Answer: (A)

The standard reference that outlines how laboratory animals should be housed, cared for, and used in research is the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. This document provides the humane care and welfare framework that institutions follow, including aspects such as housing, husbandry, veterinary care, anesthesia and analgesia, humane endpoints, surgical procedures, enrichment, and personnel training. It’s the main source used by IACUCs to evaluate and approve animal work. The other items play different roles. Good Laboratory Practice regulations set rules for the quality and integrity of data in regulatory testing, not the day-to-day care of animals. PHS Policy requires compliance with the Guide but is not the guide itself. The Animal Welfare Act is the law that governs animal welfare at a federal level, but it isn’t the care-guide document.

The standard reference that outlines how laboratory animals should be housed, cared for, and used in research is the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. This document provides the humane care and welfare framework that institutions follow, including aspects such as housing, husbandry, veterinary care, anesthesia and analgesia, humane endpoints, surgical procedures, enrichment, and personnel training. It’s the main source used by IACUCs to evaluate and approve animal work.

The other items play different roles. Good Laboratory Practice regulations set rules for the quality and integrity of data in regulatory testing, not the day-to-day care of animals. PHS Policy requires compliance with the Guide but is not the guide itself. The Animal Welfare Act is the law that governs animal welfare at a federal level, but it isn’t the care-guide document.