IAUTP Scheduling and Courses

Required for all principal investigators, co-investigators, research personnel, veterinary technicians, animal care staff, students with animal work, visiting scientists, facility coordinators and anyone else working with or alongside animals at Western and its affiliates.

This online course follows CCAC guidelines on training of personnel working with animals in science. All personnel working with animals in science must be knowledgeable about the principles of humane experimental science and ethical issues associated with the use of those animals.

Learning Objectives

• The socio-historical basis of the debate on animal experimentation 
• Levels of ethical questioning in animal experimentation 
• CCAC’s ‘Ethical Principles of Animal Experimentation’ guidelines  
• The Three Rs tenet (replacement, reduction, and refinement) 
• External regulatory bodies and related regulations 
• Key aspects of safe handling and performing manipulations

For people working with animals on an AUP. (You may be exempted from this course if you never handle or associate with an animal without supervision by a lab member.) Workshop time: 2-3hrs. 

Prerequisites

• Ethics in Animal Research 

Learning Objectives

• Processes and regulations regarding animal research at Western.

For people handling & caring for animals in the lab. Workshop time: 2-3hrs.

Prerequisites

• Ethics in Animal Research
• Animal Research at Western 

Learning Objectives

• Animal welfare concepts and regulations  
• Rodent basic biology, sexing, behavior identification, husbandry, and normal rodent behaviour 
• Basic techniques of rodent handling and restraint  
• Animal ‘normal’ and ‘abnormal’ clinical signs 
• The importance of early experimental endpoints 
• Euthanasia using  CO2  
• The importance of  record maintenance

For people handling and caring for mice and rats on an AUP, and those working closely with people who do, or have any influence over the care of an animal. Workshop time: 2-3hrs.

Prerequisites

• Ethics in Animal Research (Core) 
• Animal Research at Western (Core) 
• Animals in Research Settings 

Learning Objectives

• Assess rodent ‘normal’ and ‘abnormal’ clinical signs 
• Understand the sick animal response process 
• Distinguish between males and females 
• Demonstrate appropriate rodent handling and restraint techniques, including cage to cage transfer 
• Perform socialization in rats 
• Weigh animals accurately 
• Practice required record-keeping

For people working this technique on an AUP. Workshop time: 2-3hrs.

Prerequisites

• Ethics in Animal Research (Core)  
• Animal Research at Western (Core)  
• Animals in Research Settings  
• Handling  & care 

Learning Objectives

• Understand the importance of using sterile technique   
• Select appropriate syringes and needles   
• Demonstrate safe needle handling   
• Draw up solutions for injections using sterile technique  
• Demonstrate proper rodent handling and restraint   
• Demonstrate proper injections into a rodent, including sites   
• Demonstrate required record keeping

For people working this technique on an AUP. Workshop time: 2-3hrs.

Prerequisites

• Ethics in Animal Research (Core)  
• Animal Research at Western (Core)  
• Animals in Research Settings  
• Handling  & care  
• Subcutaneous & Intraperitoneal Injections 

Learning Objectives

• Understand the importance of using sterile technique   
• Select appropriate syringes and needles   
• Demonstrate safe needle handling   
• Draw up solutions for injections using sterile technique  
• Demonstrate proper rodent handling and restraint   
• Demonstrate proper injections into a rodent, including sites   
• Demonstrate required record keeping

Prerequisites

• Ethics in Animal Research (Core)  
• Animal Research at Western (Core)  
• Animals in Research Settings  
• Handling  & care  
• Subcutaneous & Intraperitoneal Injections 

Learning Objectives   

• Understand the importance of using sterile technique   
• Select appropriate syringes and needles   
• Demonstrate safe needle handling   
• Draw up solutions for injections using sterile technique  
• Demonstrate proper rodent handling and restraint   
• Demonstrate proper injections into a rodent, including sites   
• Demonstrate required record keeping

For people working this technique on an AUP. Workshop time: 2-3hrs.

Prerequisites

• Ethics in Animal Research (Core)  
• Animal Research at Western (Core)  
• Animals in Research Settings  
• Handling  & care  
• Subcutaneous & Intraperitoneal Injections 

Learning Objectives

• Learn and practice tail vein IV injections  
• Proper technique pre-, intra- and post-procedure  
• Compare various restraint equipment and techniques for this procedure  
• Acceptable quantities for an IV injection  
• Assess considerations for species, size and health status   
• Perform aseptic drawing technique

For people working this technique on an AUP. Workshop time: 2-3hrs.

Prerequisites

• Ethics in Animal Research (Core)  
• Animal Research at Western (Core)  
• Animals in Research Settings  
• Handling  & care  
• +/- IP & SQ Injections  

Learning Objectives

• Understand the types, effects, advantages and disadvantages of injectable and gaseous anesthesia in rodents  
• Understand the planes of anesthesia and how to recognize the different stages  
• Understand proper anesthetic equipment setup, including a gas isoflurane machine  
• Anaesthetize an animal using the gas anesthesia machine and assess its anesthetic depth properly  
• Apply eye lubricant properly  
• Practice different anesthetic concentrations and their impacts upon the animal  
• Monitor and maintain temperature   
• Learn how to complete an anesthetic monitoring sheet   
• Understand the important elements of post-anesthetic recovery  
• Prepare a recovery cage  
• Learn and practice recovery methods  
• Monitoring 

For people working this technique on an AUP. Workshop time: 2-3hrs.

Prerequisites

• Ethics in Animal Research (Core)  
• Animal Research at Western (Core)  
• Animals in Research Settings  
• Handling  & care  
• Subcutaneous & Intraperitoneal Injections 

Learning Objectives

• Understand the effects of anesthesia in rodents involving injectable and gaseous anesthesia  
• Learn the advantages and disadvantages of different anesthetic regimes  
• Understand the planes of anesthesia and how to recognize different stages   
• Calculate the anesthetic dosages and learn how to perform dilutions  
• Complete a controlled drug record   
• Draw up anesthetic agents  
• Anaesthetize an animal and assess its depth properly   
• Monitor, including anesthetic depth, and maintain temperature  
• Create and complete an anesthetic monitoring sheet   
•  Apply eye lubricant   
• Learn and practice recovery methods  
• Understand the important elements of post-anesthetic recovery  
• Prepare a recovery cage  
• Monitoring  
• Caging 

For people working this technique on an AUP. Workshop time: 2-3hrs.

Prerequisites

• Ethics in Animal Research (Core)  
• Animal Research at Western (Core)  
• Animals in Research Settings  
• Handling & care (Mouse/Rat) 
• Anesthesia (gas or injectable)  
• Ip & SQ Injections (Mouse/rat)

Learning Objectives

• Know about surgical instruments, their purpose, and how to use them to promote positive surgical outcomes  
• Know how to aseptically organize and maintain the surgical area including surgical instruments and pack to maintain sterility  
• Know how to aseptic hand scrub, glove, and drape 

For people working this technique on an AUP. Workshop time: 2-3hrs.

Prerequisites (Mouse/rat users)

• Ethics in Animal Research (Core)
• Animal Research at Western (Core)  
• Animals in Research Settings  
• Handling  & care (mouse/rat) 
• Anesthesia (gas or injectable)  
• IP & SQ Injections (mouse/Rat) 
• Principles of Aseptic surgery workshop

Prerequisites for other species users

• Ethics in Animal Research (Core)  
• Animal Research at Western (Core)  
• Animals in Research Settings  
• *Species* Handling & care  
• Principles of Aseptic surgery workshop 

Learning Objectives

• Know how to cut through the different lays of the body wall  
• Know how to suture with the following patterns: simple interrupted, subcuticular sutures, staples, and appropriate use of tissue glue

For people working this technique on an AUP. Workshop time: 2-3hrs.

Prerequisites

• Ethics in Animal Research (Core)  
• Animal Research at Western (Core)  
• Animals in Research Settings  
• Handling & Care 

Learning Objectives   

• Properly handle and restrain the rodent in order to safely administer the solution via gavage needle  
• Demonstrate proper gavage technique  
• Understand potential associated complications   
• Appropriately monitor the animal after the procedure and understand how to respond to any issues that may arise  

For people working this technique on an AUP. Workshop time: 2-3hrs.

Prerequisites

• Ethics in Animal Research (Core)  
• Animal Research at Western (Core)  
• Animals in Research Settings  
• Handling & Care  
• Subcutaneous & Intraperitoneal Injections 

Learning Objectives

• Learn and practice blood collection techniques from the lateral saphenous and tail veins  
• Animal restraint and care  
• Proper technique pre-, intra- and post-procedure   
• Compare various restraint equipment and techniques   
• Understand acceptable blood sampling quantity and frequency    
• Volume measurement   
• Give consideration to species, size and health status   
• Type of sample needed, including appropriate collection container  

For people working this technique on an AUP. Workshop time: 2-3hrs.

Prerequisites

• Ethics in Animal Research (Core)  
• Animal Research at Western (Core)  
• Animals in Laboratory Settings  
• Handling & Care (Mouse or rat)  
• Subcutaneous & Intraperitoneal Injections (Mouse or Rat)  
• *Gas Anesthesia* (If required on your AUP)

Learning Objectives

• Understand the importance of deeply anesthetizing the animal  
• Learn how to collect blood from the heart   
• Proper timing, procedure, and problem-solving techniques  
• Learn and understand the importance of a secondary method of euthanasia  
• Record the procedure in medical records

For people working this technique on an AUP. Workshop time: 2-3hrs.

Prerequisites

• Ethics in Animal Research (Core)  
• Animal Research at Western (Core)  
• Animals in Research Settings  
• Handling & Care  
• Subcutaneous & Intraperitoneal Injections  
• Anesthesia (gas or injectable) 

Learning Objectives

• Understand the anatomy of the laryngeal area  
• Proper use of specialized equipment used in rodent intubation  
• Practice on anesthetized animals to ensure that intubation can be performed   
• Monitoring and care after recovery

For people working this technique on an AUP. Workshop time: 2-3hrs.

Prerequisites

• Ethics in Animal Research (Core)  
• Animal Research at Western (Core)  
• Animals in Research Settings  
• Handling & Care  
• Subcutaneous & Intraperitoneal Injections

For people managing breeding colonies on an AUP. Workshop time: 2-3hrs.

Prerequisites

• Ethics in Animal Research (Core)  
• Animal Research at Western (Core)  
• Animals in Research Settings  
• Handling & Care  

For people working this technique on an AUP. Workshop time: 2-3hrs.

Prerequisites

• Ethics in Animal Research (Core)  
• Animal Research at Western (Core)  
• Animals in Research Settings  
• Handling & Care  

Learning Objectives

• Learn this specialized technique in order to humanely euthanize a mouse  
• Step 1 - Gain proficiency using a model (cadaver);   
• Step 2 - Perform this technique on an anaesthetized mouse  
• Review the techniques of proper animal monitoring  
• Recognize time of death 

NOTE: Individuals are required to learn this technique with or without anesthesia, as stated in their AUP.