Rodent Special Task Charges

OAR Informational Sheet for Researchers:

Rodent Special Task Charges

 

Purpose: The purpose of this document is to provide a list of rodent-associated fees for services offered by the Office of Animal Resources (OAR).  This document’s intent is to provide examples of the most commonly incurred charges associated with routine procedures, special care and management of rodent colonies.

 

A summary of OAR fees associated with rodents:

 

$25 per cage

• Pups on pups (P)
• Weaning (W)
• Divide Harem Cage (D)
• Mis-sexed cage (MX)
• Tail/ID (T)
• Ear notch for genetic material (EG)

 

$5 per cage

• Treatment (TX)
• Euthanasia (E)
• Malocclusion trim (M)
• Special Feed (F)
• Extra cage change (C)
• Change or place water bottles (B)
• Write new card (X)  
• Handle breeder hut (H)
• Single housing (S)
• Ear notching only (N)
• Separate Aggressive mice (AM)
• ABSL3 cage set-up (A3)
• Special bedding (SB)  
• Special caging (SC)
• Separate rats after weighing (SR)

 

 

Rodent Special Task Charges

Pups on pups (P) $25 fee per cage

• When OAR finds two litters in a rodent breeder cage, OAR will place a bright green *Attention* Breeder card with “Pups on pups” marked, stating that two litters of pups were found in the cage
• If pups on pups has not been corrected by the lab on the date detailed in the Rodent Breeder Informational card, the lab will incur a cha rge
• Charge includes: writing cage cards, setting-up new cages, weaning
• Please note that there can be exceptions:
  • Small weanlings with an orange
  • Lab has IACUC approval

 

Weaning (W) $25 fee per cage

• Charge applies to each breeder cage from which mice/rats are weaned
  • Includes breeding colonies managed by OAR and late weaning
• OAR will wean non-OAR managed breeding cages when pups are at least 25 days of age or older
• Charge includes: writing cage cards, setting-up new cages, weaning

 

Divide Harem Cage (D) $25 fee per cage

• OAR will separate harems in mouse cages only when a dam has given birth and the cage is non-compliant with space requirements
• This term will also be used to denote a rat breeder cage where a litter is born and a male rat is present in the cage with the dam/female rat
• Charge includes: creation of new cage cards, separating animals

 

Mis-sexed cage (MX) $25 fee per cage

• This charge is applied when a lab incorrectly sexes mice and this results in unwanted pregnancy or litters
• OAR will separate mis-sexed cages
  • Immediate when a dam has given birth in a multiple male cage and the cage is non-compliant with space requirements
  • When a dam is visibly pregnant
  • When a dam has given birth and the cage is non-compliant with space requirements
• Charge includes: separation of pregnant female, setting-up breeder cage and breeder cage card

 

Tail/ID (T) $25 fee per cage

• OAR husbandry staff will tail mice as requested by investigators in mice/rats up to 24 days of age
• Charge includes: writing on cage cards, materials, labeling tubes, sample collection, ear notching, completing the tailing log
• Tailing request for mice over 24 days of age must be forwarded to the OAR vet staff for assistance
  • The Animal Protocol needs to be reviewed for post-weaning tail sample collection approval
  • Analgesia must be provided

 

 

Ear notch for genetic material (EG) $25 fee per cage

• OAR husbandry staff will ear notch and collect the tissue material as requested by investigators
• Charge includes: writing on cage cards, materials, labeling tubes, ear notching, sample collection, completing the tailing log

 

 

Treatment (TX) $5 fee per cage

• Charge applies for every cage handled  by OAR to apply a treatment
• Treatments are designated with blue treatment cards (marked as OAR is treating)
• Charge includes: medication, application of the medication, documentation on the blue treatment card
• Examples of treatments include: gruel, Essential 6 topical treatment, SSD cream, triple antibiotic ophthalmic ointment

 

Euthanasia (E) $5 fee per cage

• OAR will euthanize mice and rats as requested by lab staff
• Lab must label cages with a beige euthanasia card and a request slip must be present
  • The request slip must match the number of cages requested for euthanasia, their animal protocol and account
• Charge also applies to email requests sent to the vet staff for requests of euthanasia of non-emergency orange carded cages
• Charge includes: euthanasia and removal of animals, completion of cage removal slip, breakdown of caging, placement of animals in the carcass cooler

 

Malocclusion trim (M) $5 fee per cage

• OAR will clip incisors in mice or rats as needed if they are long and mal-aligned (malocclusion)
• OAR will check teeth on these animals weekly to determine if the teeth need to be clipped
• A charge will be incurred every time the cage is assessed, regardless if the teeth are clipped or not
• First incisor clip will not be charged.  The lab will be given up to 7 days to evaluate the cage and determine if they will keep the animal
• Charge includes: checking teeth, clipping teeth if necessary, writing on treatment card

 

Special Feed (F) $5 fee per cage

• Feeding OAR standard diets does not incur a charge
• OAR Standard diets: 7913, 7904 or 7912 (breeder diet),  Irradiated Uniprim Diet (06596), and 2920X (phytoestrogen free) 
  • Although OAR does not charge to feed standard diets, OAR charges for bags of Irradiated Uniprim Diet
• Special diets are designated by a yellow information cage tag
• OAR will charge a lab when the lab requests OAR assistance with managing the feeding of the special diet
• Charge includes: Procuring and returning special diet from the feed cooler

 

Extra cage change (C) $5 fee per cage

• This charge is incurred when cages become soiled (ex: wet bedding from urine)  at a higher rate than normal due to an experimental procedure or unique animal model (ex: diabetic mice, mice on a high salt diet)
• Charge includes: performing an additional cage change (bottom’s only)

 

Change or place water bottles (B) $5 fee per cage

• This charge applies only to rodents, such as when a lab requests that OAR places water bottles for a cage transfer (ex: transfer of rats to locations without automatic watering) or when OAR is hired to replace water bottles every 7 days (ex: rodents on a water bottle row)
• Charge also applies if OAR is responsible for placing or changing water bottles in specialty housing rooms (ex: room with metabolic cages, cubicles)
• Charge includes: placing wire top that accommodates water bottles and transferring feed.  It also includes changing water bottles for clean ones every 7 days

 

Write new card (X) $5 fee per cage

• This charge is incurred when an investigator staff does not properly fill-out cage cards and OAR has to complete the task
  • Ex: missing animal numbers, animal protocol/account information
• Facility supervisors will contact the lab staff to inform them of the cage cards that require additional information
  • If the task is not performed within the next full work day, OAR will transcribe the cage card and charge the lab
• If a cage card is soiled (ex: ferrets), the facility supervisor will inform the lab staff by email of the request to replace the cage card 
  • If the task is not performed within the next full work day, OAR will transcribe the cage card and charge the lab

 

Handle breeder hut (H) $5 fee per cage

• When a lab utilizes huts to maximize breeding or as added enrichment, OAR will charge a fee to transfer or place a new breeder hut in a clean cage during routine cage changing procedures.
• Charge includes: transferring the breeder hut, replacing breeder hut

 

Single housing (S) $5 fee per cage

• This charge is applied when a lab requests that rodents be singly housed on arrival for experimental needs (as stated on the animal order recap)
• Charge includes: setting-up individual cages for each animal

 

Ear notching only (N) $5 fee per cage

• This charge is used when a PI request that OAR ear notch animals for identification without requesting material for genetic analysis
• Charge includes: ear notching mice, sanitation of ear notch tool

 

Separate Aggressive mice (AM) $5 fee per cage

• This charge is applied when aggressive mice are separated into smaller group cohorts by OAR to prevent further aggression
• Charge includes: setting-up additional cages for the animals that were separated, generation of cage cards

 

ABSL3 cage set-up (A3) $5 fee per cage

• This charge is applied when a lab request that animals be placed in ABSL3 caging
• Charge includes: setting-up cages with a feeder top to accommodate the water bottle, transferring feed, placement of mice in corncob bedding (if applicable), draping mice for pick-up

 

Special bedding (SB) $5 fee per cage

• Housing rodents on OAR standard bedding (paper enriched bedding) does not incur a charge

• This charge is applied when a lab utilizes non-standard bedding in rodent caging based on research needs (ex: corncob bedding) and OAR is responsible for changing the cages
• Charge includes:  Procuring the non-standard type of bedding for a cage change

 

Special caging (SC) $5 fee per cage

• This charge is applied when a lab utilizes non-standard caging or caging components based on research needs (ex: flat top, running wheels) and OAR is responsible for changing the cages
• Charge includes:  Procuring the non-standard caging component for a cage change

 

Separate rats after weighing (SR) $5 fee per cage

• This charge is applied when group housed rats are weighed by OAR and the cage is non-compliant with space requirements

• Charge includes: creation of new cage cards, separating animals

 

Last updated 8/9/23