Sick Animal Reporting

Responsibilities and Requirements for Sick Animal Reporting

It is the responsibility of all personnel working with laboratory animals to report any unthrifty condition, lameness, unexpected experimental response or phenotype to the veterinary staff.  There are several methods to report a sick animal to the veterinary staff.

The first method, the DVMax reporting system, is used mostly by the husbandry staff.  The DVMax medical records system is used to report sick animals and manage medical care for many of the units.  Any animal care worker or researcher may turn in an electronic sick animal report via email to [email protected] , or by fax to 530-752-4205, this written report MUST be followed by a phone call to 530-752-0514 within 24 hours to ensure timely reporting and receipt of the sick report.  Alternatively they may just phone in a sick call to 530-752-0514 or in an emergency call the oncall veterinarian at 530-219-3076.

An animal health technician, facility manager or other designated person will triage the case and report to the clinical veterinarian per local procedures.  The clinical veterinarian will either opt for further exam or prescribe a treatment.  The investigator or other person designated on the protocol staff roster is contacted and advised of the ailment, proposed treatment and makes a decision with the veterinary staff regarding the course of treatment.  Standard treatments for certain ailments have been prescribed by the Attending Veterinarian and are available in local operating procedures for commonly occurring ailments.  The Campus Veterinary Services Staff also has standard treatments for common ailments of rodents that they are authorized to implement via standing prescription.

Sick Reports are responded to in order of severity and with regard to room order and health status.  Generally Sick Animals are examined and/or contact is made with the Principal Investigator or other designated person on the protocol staff roster who has been delegated the responsibility for research project decisions involving animal health and/or reporting husbandry staff within 24 hours (1 day) of the report or exam.  Sick Reports that cannot wait 24 hours(1 day) are followed up with an immediate phone call by the reporting person to the responding person when entered into the DVMax system, faxed or emailed.  The Clinical or On Call Veterinarian or the CVS Clinic may be called during normal work hours for emergency sick reports.  After hours the On Call Veterinarian is paged in the event of an emergency.

Units using the Large Animal Field Service, the CNPRC or another designated veterinarian follow the procedures enacted by those units.  The time intervals and standard that all Sick Animals MUST be reported to the responsible veterinary service in a timely manner apply across the entire animal care program.