Graduate Assistant - Animal Care

Following is a summary of the responsibilities of the Merion Animal Room Caretakers GA position. Details of each responsibility follows, along with a schedule of when specific tasks need to be performed.

 

A.    Feed and water rats and mice housed in the facility.

B.    Change dirty cages for rats and mice housed in the facility.

C.    Monitor and report any injuries or changes in behavior/health of rats and mice housed in the facility to the faculty in charge of the facility and veterinarian.

D.    Wash dirty cages, bottles, and other items used to house rats and mice maintained in facility.

E.    Track amount of food and bedding store in the facility.

F.    Wash floors inside card controlled animal areas.

 

 

All animals are kept in separate rooms accessed through card controlled double doors.

 

Any animals kept in Room 13 are Dr. Sweet’s responsibility, unless you are specifically directed otherwise to care for animals that are to be used in classroom experiments.

 

There is a 24 hour quarantine from entering the mouse room if you have entered the rat room. This is to help prevent the spread of disease into the transgenic mouse colony and maintains an isolation environment for mice. Take of mice before taking care of rats.

 

When caring for animals please talking a minimum and wear headphones if listening to music. Strange noises can be stressful for the animals.

 

A.    Log keeping/health monitoring

1.     Initial the daily log indicating when you fed and watered the animals. Be sure to get on the correct line.

2.     Note any health problems or state that all animals appear healthy. Take time to look at each animal. If you see an animal that looks sick or injured, notify the veterinarian and faculty facility manager. Do NOT just leave a note on the daily logs.

B.    Mice

1.     Food/water – 1x per week

                                     i.    Empty the old bottle of water on each cage and give each cage a new bottle of fresh water.

1.     Water bottles should be completely filled.

2.     Bottles can be filled from sink 13A.

                                    ii.    Feed all animals.

1.     Single/double housed animals – 1 scoop of food

2.     Multi housed animals – 1.5 scoops of food

3.     Food is store in food storage container in 13B.

2.     Cage cleaning – 1x per week

                                     i.    A supply of material for clean mouse cages is held in Room 13 in a covered shelf to facilitate cleaning

                                    ii.    Mice should be transferred to a new cage containing ½ bucket of bedding, new cage top, fresh water bottle and food.

1.     Cages should be assembled and ready before transferring mice.

                                  iii.    Dirty cages should be transported to Room 16 and cleaned there.

C.    Rats

1.     Food/water – 2x per week

                                     i.    Empty the old bottle of water on each cage and give each cage a new bottle of fresh water. Water bottles should be completely filled.

                                    ii.    Feed all animals. All rat feeders must be filled to at least the lowest cross bar of the feeder.

                                  iii.    If housed with more then one animals in a cage 2x bottles and feeders must be fitted to cage and filled.

2.     Cage cleaning – 2x per week

                                     i.    Pull the drip pan out from under each cage. Remove the dirty paper and place it in the plastic bag. If the pan is soiled with urine or fecal pellets, change it with a clean pan. Take the dirty pan to Room 16 and wash and disinfect it there. Line the clean drip pan with clean newspaper.

                                    ii.    Change rats to a new hanging wire cage. Bring dirty cage back to Room 16 for cleaning.

                                  iii.    Wipe all fur, dried food, urine, etc. off the cage rack. Be sure that all sipper tubes are functional.

 

A.    Food and bedding

1.     Food

a. Bulk food is kept in the metal cabinet in Room 9.

b. Food should be transferred into the appropriate container before being brought into the facility. No open bags of food may be stored with in the facility if not contained in a food storage container.

c. When opening a new bag of food check the milling date and use the oldest bag first.

d. Inform faculty in charge of facility and Dr. Sweet when last bag of food is opened.

2.     Bedding

a. Bedding is stored on pallets in Room 9.

b. Bedding for cages should be transferred into the bedding storage container when a new bag is open.

c. Only open a new bag of bedding when the bedding storage container is empty.

B.    Cage washing

1.     Cages, racks, bottles, cage tops, etc. are washed in Room 16.

2.     Dirty cages/pans should be emptied in the cage specific garbage can and washed immediately or placed in the gray cabinet.

a. All waste generated by the animal rooms must be placed in a clear plastic bag, which is tied shut. Place that bag into a second bag, and seal the outer bag also. Place the double-bagged waste into the public hall outside the facility. Housekeeping should remove the waste.

b. Cages in the grey cabinet should be washed within one week.

c. For your own protection, there are rubber gloves, rubber aprons, disposable lab coats, and facemasks to wear. Wearing these items when feeding and watering the animals is optional. You must wear a facemask, gloves, and either an apron or lab coat when cleaning cages. These items must be removed before you leave the facility.

d. Get more gloves, masks, etc. from the science storeroom as needed. Tell George Zittle to charge it to the Animal Facility.

3.     Clean cages are stored on the metal shelf in Room 16.

a. Cages and bottles should be stored upside down.

b. Bottles tops should be stored in a clean wire rack.

c. Cages should not be put away wet. If a cage comes out of the washer wet place it on a shelf by itself to dry before stacking it with the others.

C.    Cleaning the facility

1.     Mouse room needs to be cleaned before the rat room. This is too help preventing spread of diseases to the transgenic mouse colony and prevent mice from smelling rat odors.

a. Brooms and dust pans are located within each the mouse and rat room. Please keep these separate and do not bring material from one room to the other.

2.     Sweep and mop the floors of the individual animal rooms, hallways within the card-controlled facility, and Room 16.

a. You may have to move cages and other items to do a good job of sweeping. Most large pieces of shelving are on wheels.

b. Housekeeping WILL NOT come beyond the double doors--they are only responsible for Room 10, the locker rooms, and Room 13.

3.     Cleaning supplies are located in the janitor’s closet, Room 14. Follow the specific instructions for the cleaning solutions.

 

 

Daily (every visit)

1.     Check on mice (health and cleanliness) – resolve any problems

2.     Check on rats (health and cleanliness) – resolve any problems

3.     Wash dirty mouse and rat cages in gray cabinet

4.     Fill out logbook

 

Twice per week (in addition to the daily tasks)

1.     Maintain rats - change cages, food, and water

 

Once per week (in addition to the daily tasks)

1.     Maintain mice - change cages, food, and water

2.     Check bulk food and bedding levels

3.     Sweep and mop floors.