Health & management Dr. Moore

APSC 4464: Companion and Laboratory Animal Health & Management

  • Instructor: David M. Moore, MS, DVM, DACLAMAssoc. Professor Emeritus at VMCVM and VTCSOMFormer Assoc. VP for Research Compliance

Learner Objectives

  • Understand various drug administration routes: enteral and parenteral.

  • Details on performing gavage in rodents and dose/volume considerations.

  • Evaluate inhalation exposure methods and their implications.

  • Compare luer-lock and standard syringes and identify advantages.

  • Recognize needle diameter conventions and changes in structure.

  • Discuss concerns regarding needle reuse and drug quality.

  • Identify common injection sites for rodents and rabbits.

Administration of Substances

  • Clinical Treatments:

    • Infectious agents: disease study and treatment evaluation.

    • Therapeutics: vaccinations, anesthetics, analgesics.

    • Hormonal management, chemical tests, imaging contrast agents.

    • Electrolytes/fluid for dehydration, nutritional support.

Factors Affecting Drug Use

  • Absorption: Influenced by chemical nature, blood supply, body temperature, and hydration.

  • Distribution/Metabolism: Effects of temperature on metabolic rate, liver status, etc.

  • Excretion: Impact of chemical nature, organ damage, and disease.

Routes of Administration

  • Enteral:

    • Via food/water, orally, or by gavage.

  • Parenteral:

    • Various injection methods: intradermal, subcutaneous, intramuscular, intraperitoneal, intravenous, and more.

  • Inhalation: Derivatives for delivery and study purposes.

Special Diets and Forms

  • Custom Diets: Adjusted for fats, kcal, amino acids, vitamins, etc.

  • Physical Forms: Pelleted, powdered (mash), gel for toxicology.

Direct Oral Dosing: Via Syringe

  • Requires restraint and can stress animals; risks include rejection of unpalatable liquids.

Gavage Dosing Considerations

  • Risks: Esophagus/stomach wall penetration, aspiration into lungs.

Injection Techniques

  • Intramuscular: Careful volume restrictions due to pain potential and scarring from repeated site use.

  • Intravenous: Techniques for locating veins in small animals; gauge size impacts trauma potential.

Parenteral Injection Sites

  • Sites include abdominal, leg, tail, and cardiac areas, requiring specific techniques for safety and efficacy.

Euthanasia Protocols

  • Guidelines for humane euthanasia include techniques, regulations, and evaluations of pain relief and distress minimization.

Monitoring and Confirmation of Health

  • Health monitoring systems involve environmental controls, disease monitoring, and individual animal assessments.