Purpose

The University Attending Veterinarian (UAV) has direct authority from NC State University and is the regulatory authority that oversees all veterinary care for all research and teaching animals under NC State jurisdiction. Authority can be delegated to the named Primary Site Veterinarian (PSV). 

Standard

The facility manager facilitates regulatory compliance by collaborating with the Primary Site Veterinarian by following the following guidelines.

• Ensure the University Attending Veterinarian has access, upon request, to all research and teaching animals and all records related to health care.
• Ensure direct and frequent communication between the Primary Site Veterinarian and/or  the Attending Veterinarian through established mechanisms to ensure that timely and accurate information is conveyed about animal health, behavior, well-being, appropriate treatments, or euthanasia. If no Primary Site Veterinarian is named, the reporting line is directly to the University Attending Veterinarian.
• Ensure that accurate and legible medical records are maintained following IACUC policy.
• Ensure all research personnel are aware that UAV can assist with analgesics, anesthetics, other pain-relieving measures, surgical protocol refinement, and establishing withdrawal times for extra-label use of drugs when indicated so that the humane needs of the animals are met and are compatible with scientific requirements, to the extent possible.  
• Ensure research personnel are aware of the IACUC-reviewed and -approved SOP described below.
• Ensure humane animal care and use by working with UAV to create and or review SOPs relating to animal husbandry, nutrition, preventative medicine programs, sanitation practices, zoonosis control, biosecurity, hazard containment, animal  procurement, acclimatization, quarantine, shipment, daily observation, reporting of pain and distress, emergencies, common health concerns, administering treatments, analgesics, anesthetics, euthanasia agents, and the like.
• Ensure humane animal care and use by working with (PSV and/or UAV) to create and or review SOPs relating to animal procurement, acclimatization, quarantine, shipment, daily observation. reporting of pain and distress, emergencies, common health concerns, administering treatments
• Submit all SOPs created to support the animal care and use program for review and approval by the Attending Veterinarian upon creation, major revision, or on a triennial basis at a minimum.
• Train and document the training and competency of all non-veterinary staff, according to created SOPs upon creation, major revision, or on a triennial basis at a minimum.