Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 105 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH › Title 105 CMR 910.000 - Licensure Of Research Institutions Using Dogs Or Cats In Research And Education › Animal Health and Husbandry Standards › Section 910.134 - Veterinary Care

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
(A) Programs of
				disease control and prevention, euthanasia, and adequate veterinary care shall
				be established and maintained under the supervision and assistance of a doctor
				of veterinary medicine, and appropriate records kept thereof.
(B) Each dog and cat shall be observed daily
				by the animal caretaker in charge, or by someone under his direct supervision.
				Sick or diseased, injured, lame, or blind dogs or cats shall be provided with
				veterinary care or humanely disposed of unless such action is inconsistent with
				the research purposes for which such animal was obtained and is being held:
				provided, however, that the provision shall not effect compliance with any
				state or local law requiring the holding for a specified period of animals
				suspected of being diseased.
(1) In the case
				of a research institution, the program of adequate veterinary care shall
				include the appropriate use of anesthetic, analgesic, or tranquilizing drugs,
				whenever the animal is likely to suffer more than transient pain. The use of
				these three classes of drugs shall be in accordance with the currently accepted
				veterinary medical practice as cited in appropriate professional journals or
				reference guides which shall produce in the individual subject animal an
				appropriate level of tranquilization, anesthesia, or analgesia, consistent with
				the protocol or design of the experiment. The use of these three classes of
				drugs shall be used in such a manner to effectively minimize the pain and
				discomfort of the dogs or cats while under experimentation.
(2) If the experiment or procedure is likely
				to cause greater discomfort than that attending anesthetization, dogs or cats
				must first be rendered incapable of perceiving pain and be maintained in that
				condition until the experiment or procedure is ended. The only exception to
				this is those cases where the anesthetization would defeat the purpose of the
				experiment and data cannot be obtained by any other humane procedure. Such
				procedures must be carefully supervised by the responsible investigator or
				other qualified senior scientist and must have prior written approval of the
				attending veterinarian and/or institutional animal care committee. A record of
				such approval must be maintained by the research institution.
(3) It shall be incumbent upon each research
				institution through its animal care committee, if existing, and/or the
				attending veterinarian to provide written guidelines and consultation to
				research personnel with respect to the type and amount of tranquilizers,
				anesthetics, or analgesics recommended as being appropriate for each dog or cat
				used by that institution.
(4) It
				shall be the obligation of the institution to ensure that all personnel who
				carry out animal anesthesia, surgery or other manipulations are qualified
				through training and experience to accomplish these tasks in a humane and
				scientifically acceptable manner.
(5) Muscle relaxants or paralytic drugs
				(
e.g.
succinylcholine or other curariform drugs) are not
				permitted to be employed alone for surgical restraint, but may be used in
				connection with drugs producing adequate anesthesia.
(6) If it becomes necessary to kill an
				experimental dog or cat, such euthanasia must be performed by trained persons
				utilizing methods which do not cause pain or distress to the animal subject.
				When euthanasia is administered, such performance must conform to the
				recommendations of the American Veterinary Medical Association Panel on
				Euthanasia. In the case of any proposal to administer euthanasia by any method
				which differs from those recommended by the American Veterinary Medical
				Association Panel on Euthanasia, such methods must be specifically approved by
				the attending veterinarian and/or the institutional animal care committee prior
				to performance of such euthanasia. Record of approval must be maintained by the
				research institution.
(7) Post
				surgical care must be carried out immediately following all survival surgical
				procedures. Such care shall include observation of the animal until it has
				recovered from anesthesia and must also include any action necessary to ensure
				the animal's physical comfort and alleviation of post surgical pain.
				Appropriate medical records must be maintained by the institution in each
				case.
(8) When multiple survival
				surgical procedures, unrelated components of any research project, are to be
				performed on a single dog or cat, they must be approved by the animal care
				committee and/or the attending veterinarian. A record of such approval, and the
				reasons therefor, shall be placed on file at the institution.
(9) In all situations where physical
				restraint is necessary in excess of a few hours, the use of a proposed
				mechanical restraining method must first be justified and receive approval by
				the institutional animal care committee, if any, or the attending veterinarian.
				A record of such approval shall be placed on file at the institution.
(10) In the case of naturally occurring
				diseases, dogs and cats shall be provided with proper veterinary
				care.