10091123Laboratory Animal Science 1
Course Information
Description
This course includes the history of laboratory animal technology and laboratory animal uses. Emphasizes the Animal Welfare Act and other regulations pertaining to the care of laboratory animals. Covers laboratory animal husbandry in depth as students provide care and treatment for a colony of laboratory animals. 
Total Credits
2
Course Competencies
  1. Explore the history and issues of using animals in research
    Assessment Strategies
    Written Product

  2. Explore Regulations and Guidelines that guide animal use in biomedical research
    Assessment Strategies
    Test

  3. Explore the macroenvironment and microenvironment requirements for animals housed in a research facility
    Assessment Strategies
    Test, written product

  4. Explore sanitation methods, disinfection techniques, and disease control measures utilized in a research facility
    Assessment Strategies
    Skill Demonstration

  5. Determine the nutritional requirements of laboratory animals
    Assessment Strategies
    Skill Demonstration

  6. Explore animal breeding, genetics and heredity
    Assessment Strategies
    Virtual mouse breeding project, Written Product

  7. Explore careers available in animal research
    Assessment Strategies
    Test

  8. Maintain a small, healthy, reproductive colony of research animals
    Assessment Strategies
    Skill Demonstration - handling, restraint, and manipulation skills during colony management, Lab Project Written Product
    Criteria
    Follow Standard Operating Procedures given in the project protocol
    Lap project constructs and maintains a healthy, reproductively successful colony of rodents
    Perform daily animal care until the lab project is terminated
    Perform daily recordkeeping until the lab project is terminated
    Outline the factors used in designing an animal facility
    Explain how animal macro-environmental parameters impact animal health
    Distinguish various types of animal caging and their uses
    Define the terms commonly used in sanitizing animal cages, equipment, and facilities
    Micro-environment successfully provides prolonged housing of rodents
    Compare selected types of mating systems
    House a colony of mice for a prolonged period
    Perform basic animal care and husbandry to maintain reproductively successful mini-colony of mice
    Describe the stages of the estrous cycle
    Compare the reproductive parameters of the various laboratory animal species (type of estrous cycle, estrous cycle length, estrus duration, gestational length)
    Define selected genetic terms
    Outline the principles of Mendelian genetics
    Demonstrate the use of Punnett squares in predicting various genetic characteristics
    Define selected disease terminology
    List the sources of animal disease
    Explain the methods of disease transmission and prevention
    Perform daily observations on an animal colony
    Distinguish normal, healthy animals from those with signs of disease
    Outline selected diseases of various animal species
    Analyze compiled data associated with the maintenance of animal colonies
    Define humane euthanasia
    Identify various methods of humane euthanasia acceptable to the AVMA for selected laboratory species

  9. Demonstrate effective handling and restraint skills utilized with rodents in rabbits
    Assessment Strategies
    Quiz, Exam, Skill demonstration in lab
    Criteria
    Complete lab practicals in 25 minutes or less
    Handle rodents and rabbits
    Restrain rodents and rabbits

  10. Administer compounds to laboratory animals via common sites and routes of administration
    Assessment Strategies
    Quiz, Exam, Skill demonstration in lab
    Criteria
    Identify the parts of needles and syringes used for injection
    Demonstrate the correct set-up and manipulation of needles and syringes (filling, aspiration, delivery, and disposal)
    Calculate pharmaceutical doses
    Differentiate various route of compound administration
    Perform parenteral administration of injectable compounds, including SQ, IM, ID, IV, & IP
    Perform oral administration of compounds for selected species
    Differentiate between tranquilization, sedation, and anesthesia
    Participate in the demonstration of anesthesia by anesthetizing and monitoring an animal from induction through recovery

  11. Collect commonly needed specimens from laboratory animals via common sites and methods of collection
    Assessment Strategies
    Quiz, Exam, and/or Skill Demonstration in lab
    Criteria
    Recognize the common routes of blood collection for various laboratory animal species
    Collect blood by performing the proper technique for each of the selected laboratory animal species

  12. Determine sex of rodents and rabbits
    Assessment Strategies
    Exam, Quiz, and/or Skill demonstration in lab
    Criteria
    Identify male rodents and rabbits by observing anatomical structures
    Identify female rodents and rabbits by observing anatomical structures

This Outline is under development.