NC State Primary Site Veterinarian Guidelines

Purpose

The University Attending Veterinarian (UAV) may delegate authority to the Primary Site Veterinarian (PSV) to ensure animal health, well-being, and the provisions of the animal care program are met. 

 Procedures

• The institution must provide investigators and instructors with access to a veterinarian

• Full-time or part-time species-experienced veterinary authority can be delegated by the UAV to meet the program needs.

• Non-veterinary staff must have a mechanism to report animal concerns to the Veterinarian (UAV/PSV).

• Mechanisms must be documented and available for review. They should ensure timely, direct, frequent, and accurate reporting of animal concerns,
• The mechanisms should ensure concerns associated with animal health, behavior, and well-being are captured, and that appropriate treatment or euthanasia is administered.
• Email, telephone, on-site visit logs, and the like are all acceptable mechanisms
• Provisions for emergency coverage when the veterinarian is not available must be included as part of the mechanism.

• The PSV must communicate with the UAV regularly. The UAV must oversee veterinary care provided

• Communication should Include details of unexpected deaths, chronic/ongoing medical, or biosecurity issues that may impact animals owned by NC State University.
• The Clinical Animal Health Report filled out within 72 hrs is the required communication method for all research and teaching animals.
• Emergency veterinary care must be provided as appropriate. As soon as practical, inform the UAV along with reporting agencies. 

• Animal health SOPs must be developed in conjunction with the UAV

• SOPs are used to ensure appropriate husbandry, handling, medical treatment, immobilization, sedation, analgesia, anesthesia, and euthanasia are administered when not covered by an IACUC-approved protocol.
• Training must be documented for non-veterinary staff that administers SOP treatments.

• Animal health SOPs must have documented review by the UAV.

• Make all applicable SOPs physically or electronically available for review and signing by UAV.

References

4th edition of the Guide for the Care and Use of Agricultural Animals in Research and Teaching p.9

8th edition of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, p. 106.

Animal Welfare Regulations -9 CFR AWR Subpart C -2.33