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
Universal Citation: 105 CMR 910.000 MA Code of Regs 910.134
Current through Register 1531, September 27, 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.
(C) Supervision.
(1) The
care handling and veterinary treatment of dogs and cats used in research,
teaching and testing of drugs and medicines shall be under supervision of the
attending veterinarian or the chairman of the animal care committee, if
any.
(2) When dogs and cats are
used by students for their education or the advancement of Science, the care
and handling of such dogs and cats shall be under the direct supervision of an
instructor with animal science background or experienced in handling and care
of animals.
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