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Animal Care & Use / Veterinary Services / Services

Website

The ACVS website is continually expanding.  It contains a large amount of useful information for anyone involved in animal based research at UWO.  Information on the University Council on Animal Care, the Animal Use Subcommittee and Veterinary Services are all included on the site.
Two items of note are

• ACVS Newsletter

This document, published approximately every two months, contains news items pertinent to the UWO community.  It can be accessed from the homepage by clicking on "What's New” or click on the above link.   If you would like to receive a copy of this newsletter when it is published, please contact the ACVS receptionist at extension 86768.

• Secure Mouse User's Site

This site is specifically for researchers who use mice at Western.  Information on transgenics and knockouts housed at UWO is included on the site.  In addition, the site will soon contain information on the health status of the barrier facilities.  If you would like to have access to the site please contact the ACVS receptionist at extension 86768

Teaching and Courses

We provide undergraduate lectures on ethics and animal use at no charge. ACVS staff members are also available to provide hands-on instruction in animal handling and basic procedures that students are required to perform during undergraduate laboratories.

For research staff we provide training in accordance with CCAC requirements. This includes a basic course on animal care and use as well as a comprehensive package of WebCT instruction and hands-on training in a variety of species and skill areas. For more information see our website page 'Teaching and Courses.'

Veterinary On-Call Services

A veterinarian is on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year (366 in a leap year) to provide veterinary services to animals involved in research projects. During working hours, a veterinarian may be contacted by the university telephone system or by cell phone (661-2195). After hours and on holidays the cell phone number should be used. Veterinary Services is committed to responding to emergency calls within ten minutes.  Telephone numbers are available from facility managers and should be posted in a prominent location. 

If you use the cell phone system and your call is not immediately answered, please leave a message including your telephone number and remain by the phone.  If your call is not answered within 10 minutes please call again.  We also request that you notify the department of any call which is not answered in a timely fashion  (661-2111 ext. 86768.) 

Drugs and Supplies

The Department of ‘Animal Care and Veterinary Services’ maintains and inventory of commonly used veterinary drugs and supplies. Drugs are only sold in accordance with an approved "Application to Use Animals in Teaching and Testing". Restricted drugs are only dispensed in small amounts. Accurate record keeping and suitable storage facilities are prerequisites. For information on controlled drugs see the section below.

Items are sold on a cost plus basis and are charged directly to the investigators account number. Items may be ordered specifically for an investigator. There is no additional charge for this service unless immediate delivery is required. In such instances, shipping and handling will also be applied. 

Controlled Drugs / ACVS Dispensing License

All use of controlled drugs, (such as ketamine, pentobarbital, buprenorphine, etc.), is regulated by Health Canada. Principal Investigators must apply for a Controlled Substance ‘exemption’ through Health Canada to be able to purchase, hold, and use controlled substances. An approved Animal Use Protocol must be in place to do this.

The required forms can be downloaded from the Health Canada website. The possession of controlled drugs carries specific obligations regarding storage and record keeping. Storage requirements can be found at the Directive on Physical Security Requirements for Controlled Substances. Please download the template of the “Controlled Drug Recording Sheet”.

The expected wait time to receive an approved exemption from Health Canada is up to 8 weeks. All exemptions have an expiry date of one year post-approval, and NO drugs may be purchased after the license is expired - regardless of any ‘un-used’ portion on the exemption.

If you have drug remaining in-stock towards the end of your license and do not plan on purchasing more, an ‘extension’ is required to use and possess said controlled substance. This exemption extension does not allow you to purchase additional drugs – it simply allows you to legally hold and use any controlled substances that you currently have on-hand.

PIs are responsible for renewal of their license; you will not be reminded by Health Canada, AUS, ACVS, or any other licensed vendor of pending expiry. You are encouraged to apply for a consecutive exemption no later than 8 weeks prior to the current exemption’s expiry in order to avoid any interruption in your animal research.

Once you have received an exemption from Health Canada you may purchase the required drugs. Controlled drugs may only be purchased through a licensed vendor. To make it convenient for investigators to purchase controlled substances, Animal Care & Veterinary Services holds a dispensing license with Health Canada.

See 'Controlled Drugs Available from ACVS.' This document lists drugs available through ACVS as well as some of the manufacturers of the most commonly used controlled drugs. Please note that buprenorphine and pentobarbital (anaesthetic solution) are only available from ACVS. For more information regarding controlled drugs dispensed by ACVS please contact

If you decide to use ACVS as your supplier you will need to put the following information for the application:

Name of Director
Animal Care and Veterinary Services
510D Medical Sciences Building
University of Western Ontario
London, Ontario
N6A 5C1
519-661-2111 ext. 86768

Veterinary Consultation

Veterinarians are available to discuss such topics as anaesthetic and analgesic regimes, animal models, surgical methods etc. There is no charge for this service. 

It is recommended that investigators, technicians and other research staff take advantage of this service prior to the submission of invasive animal use protocols. The veterinarian will attempt to identify problems which may arise during the review process. This may expedite the review process. 

In addition, information is available on animal handling equipment, zoonotic diseases, specialized surgical instrumentation and other topics related to animals in research. 

Consultations may be made over the telephone, or in person, either in the animal laboratory or in the offices of ‘Animal Care and Veterinary Services.’  If you would like to make arrangements to discuss any animal research related questions please send an email to

Rent-a-Tech, Rent-a-Vet Surgical and Medical Services

If your research staff does not have the time or the expertise to undertake complicated surgical or medical procedures, Veterinary Services may be able to assist. We can develop research models and complete experimental procedures on a fee for service basis. We can take responsibility for all aspects of an experimental protocol from ordering animals through surgery, recovery and monitoring to euthanasia. Data will be collected as per your instructions. Alternately, we will perform individual procedures leaving the remainder of the protocol to your staff.

If you are working with a partner in industry we can also provide you with all of the above services.

Some examples of research procedures that have been performed recently include:

• surgical induction of osteoarthritis (stifle) in the mice
• surgical creation of a mandibular defect in the pig
• pharmokinetic studies in the rat
• surgical creation of an ulnar defect in the rabbit

• antibody raising procedures

• blood collection

• anaesthesia

• post-operative care and monitoring
• surgical assistance
• gavaging
• injections

If you would like to arrange a consultation with an ACVS veterinarian please phone the main ACVS office at ext. 86768. To receive a quote on an established procedure or protocol please contact .

Quarantine Timelines - Mice from Non-Commercial Suppliers

ACVS has the facilities to quarantine and test mice of unknown health status. The service is available to all animal use facilities affiliated with Western. A sentinel bedding program is used. For more information about the process or costs involved please contact Veterinary Services at ext. 86746.

Note: For an additional $350.00 Vet Services can ‘rush’ samples to CRL Wilmington for testing – this will allow for the reduction of approximately one week from the above timeline.

Veterinary Rounds and Veterinary Health Checks

University veterinarians make routine visits to all holding facilities. This provides research staff with the opportunity to discuss problems with animal care or research methods. The veterinarian discusses the visit with the facility manager and research staff and prepares a brief report, which is sent to the facility manager and members of the Animal Use Subcommittee. In addition, on a less frequent basis, visits are made to research laboratories. 

In addition to the above visits, arrangements can be made to have a veterinarian observe procedures, examine animals or perform post-mortem procedures. You may contact the department directly, or have the facility manager make the necessary arrangements.

Loans and Rentals  

The Department of Animal Care and Veterinary Services makes a number of items available to investigators. There is usually a daily stipend applied. The income from this charge is used to maintain the various items. A partial list of some of the items is included below. If you are interested in obtaining additional information please email:  or have the facility manager make the necessary arrangements. 

•      rodent induction chambers

•      circulating water heating pads

•      glass bead instrument sterilizers

•      ultrasonic instrument cleaner

•      surgical instruments

•      restraints

•           mouse

•           rabbit

•      gas anaesthetic machines

•      heat lamps

•      surgical drape packs

•      surgical greens

Libary and Handouts

The Veterinarians and Veterinary Technicians in Animal Care and Veterinary Services hold several books that may be of use to investigators and research staff. In addition to texts there are also instructional and informative video and audiotape presentations which may be viewed in the library. Journals specifically related to Laboratory Animal Medicine are also available for use within the library. 

In addition to the above, handouts on animal diseases and procedures are available.  Some of these are available on the website: http:///www.uwo.ca/animal/acvs

Pathology Services

At the request of investigators, a clinical veterinarian is available to perform post-mortem examination of animals. Costs are outlined in the Veterinary Services Fee Schedule. If additional testing is requested by the investigator, these are charged out on a cost plus basis.  Veterinary Services also performs routine necropsies as part of the procedure for release of animals from quarantine.  Charges as outlined in the Fee Schedule apply to all procedures required in the quarantine of animals.

In cases where a veterinarian performs a post-mortem examination on an animal due to disease or health concerns there is no charge to the investigator.

 A veterinarian is available to perform necropsies as part of a research protocol or where industry contracts are involved, however in these cases the procedure would be charged out as a rent-a-vet service (see above.)