The Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) is the national peer review agency responsible for setting and maintaining standards for the ethical use and care of animals used in science. The CCACÌýmade theoretical and practical training mandatory for all animal users in January 2003. Ï㽶ÊÓƵ’s Animal Care Committees started implementing the training program fully in 2004. The approval of new Animal Use Protocols as well as renewals are conditional on all personnel having the relevant training. Each individual listed in the personnel section needs to have passed the theory course and, if handling live animals, have at least registeredÌýfor the practical course specific to the species and procedures involved in the project.
To assist researchers in meeting these training requirements, the Comparative Medicine & Animal Resources Centre (CMARC) offers a variety of biomethodology workshops for laboratory animals. Our Veterinary Care team has extensive knowledge and expertise with numerous techniques and procedures in several species.
The practical training has been subdivided into modules to tailor the training to each individual’s needs.
We encourage workshop participants to only enroll in the training sessions that are relevant to their research protocol and to complete their training as close as possible to the start of the research project.Ìý
- Module 1 - Introduction
- Module 2 - Substance Administration (Injections)
- Module 3 - Analgesia and Anesthesia
- Module 4 - Surgery and Aseptic Technique
- Module 5 - Breeding Colony Management
- Module 6 - Intravenous Injection (Mouse)
- Module 7 - Blood Collection Methods
- Specialized Training
Module 1 – Introduction to the Laboratory Mouse/Rat
All individuals working with laboratory rodents must complete this module.
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Course Content:
- Species overview
- Humane intervantion points
- Handling and restraint
- Identification
- Sexing
- Tissue sampling for genotyping
- Euthanasia
NOTE: ÌýDuring this workshop, you may be exposed to waste anesthetic gases (isoflurane). If you are currently pregnant, please consult your physician or Ï㽶ÊÓƵ's Environmental Health and Safety department before enrolling.Ìý
Module 2 - Substance Administration (Mouse/Rat)
***Module 1 is a prerequisite
Participants are only required to complete training for the procedures listed in their Animal Use Protocol.
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Course Content:
- Subcutaneous injection
- Intraperitoneal injection
- Intramuscular injection (rat only)
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Module 3 – Rodent Anesthesia and Analgesia (Mouse/Rat/Hamster/Gerbil)
***Modules 1 and 2 are prerequisites
This module is targeted to participants who will be anesthetizing rodents.
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Course Content
- Pain recognition and assessment
- Analgesia
- Injectable anesthesia (video)
- Gas anesthesia
- Monitoring during anesthesia
- Recovery
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NOTE: ÌýDuring this workshop, you may be exposed to waste anesthetic gases (isoflurane). If you are currently pregnant, please consult your physician or Ï㽶ÊÓƵ's Environmental Health and Safety department before enrolling.Ìý
Module 4 – Rodent Surgery and Aseptic Technique (Mouse/Rat)
***Modules 1, 2 and 3 are prerequisites
This module is exclusively for participants who will be performing recovery surgeries on rodents; itÌýis composed of 3-4 training sessions
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Course Content:
- Basic principles of rodent surgery
- Aseptic technique
- Wound closure
- Pre-operative considerations
- Intra-operative procedures
- Post-op care
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To register for this workshop,Ìýworkshop.cmarc [at] mcgill.ca (subject: Surgery%20Training%20Information) (contact us).
NOTE: ÌýDuring this workshop, you may be exposed to waste anesthetic gases (isoflurane). If you are currently pregnant, please consult your physician or Ï㽶ÊÓƵ's Environmental Health and Safety department before enrolling.Ìý
Module 5 – Rodent Breeding Colony ManagementÌý(Mouse/Rat)
***ModuleÌý1 is a prerequisite
This module is targeted to participants who will be breeding rodents.
Module 6 – Intravenous Injection Mouse
***ModuleÌý1 is a prerequisite
This module is specifically for participants who will be performing intravenous injections in mice as part of their research project.
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*For intravenous injection training in rats, workshop.cmarc [at] mcgill.ca (subject: Rat%20Intravenous%20Injection%20Training) (contact us).
Module 7 – Blood Collection (Mouse/Rat)
***ModuleÌý1 is a prerequisite
This module is specifically for participants who will be performing survival blood collection procedures as part of their research project.
Blood collection techniques taught as per the needs of the Animal Use Protocol and include:
- Saphenous vein
- Tail vein
- Submandibular vein (mouse only)
Specialized Training
Training for techniques not covered in the Core modules and training for other species is available.
