Special Procedures

Footpad injections - Must be approved by the IACUC. Approval will only be given when justified for scientific reasons. CFA inoculated into the footpad produces swelling, ulceration, and necrosis. Adjuvants should be inoculated into only one of the animal's feet and, for rodents, a hind foot should be used.

Rabbits do not have true footpads, are heavier than small rodents, place more weight on the feet and are generally held in cages with wire bottoms. Use of CFA on the feet of rabbits is, therefore, inappropriate.

Toe Clipping - Because toe-clipping can alter the gait or weight-bearing ability of a rodent's rear limbs, the Guide limits its use to justified instances. According to the 1996 edition, toe clipping "should be used only when no other individual identification method is feasible and should be performed only on altricial neonates." The IACUC has adopted the following policy in accordance with these guidelines:

·           Investigators considering using toe clipping as a means of rodent identification must first show that they have considered alternative methods of identification e.g. colored strains, ear notches & tags, tattoos

·           The investigator must provide the IACUC with a justification of why toe clipping is necessary for identification of his or her rodents, including a discussion of why alternative methods are unsatisfactory. For example, a requirement for permanent marking of rodents, and a requirement for early determination of genotype are justifications for toe clipping.

·           Toe-clipping without anesthesia is limited to rodents within the first week of life and must be limited to one digit per extremity and the attending veterinarian or designee must be present to verify that the person is highly experienced with this technique.  Toe clipping after the first week of life must be done using ethyl chloride to freeze the area.

Tail Clipping - Class 1 providing the tail is wiped with 70% alcohol (a cooling, as well as sterilizing effect), and the tail (<0.5 cm) is clipped with a new razor blade on a glass slide on a firm surface.  Bleeding is controlled by dipping the tail in a small pile of styptic powder, and allowing the animal to recover for 10 minutes in a cage before returning to the colony.  Animals 6 weeks or older require anesthesia.

Copyright 2003
Medical College of Georgia
All rights reserved.

Institutional Animal and Care Use Committee/Medical College of Georgia
Please email comments, suggestions or questions to:
IACUC@mcg.edu

August 27, 2007