Identification and Treatment of Some Conditions of Discomforts in Laboratory Mice

The role of the designated veterinarian (DV), according to the new EU legislation, is to supervise the welfare and treatment of animals. The DV is responsible for the prevention, diagnosis, andtreatment of all conditions related to the animal’s health and welfare. Legislation also requires that the necessary veterinary care be available at any time to ensure the continuous monitoring of animal welfare. In Italy, the DV may not always be present, and for this reason it is necessary that caretakers be trained to take prompt action. Their duty is to observe the animals daily and perform treatments prescribed by the DV. A well-trained caretaker could identify and treat some well-defined conditions without the DV’s previous authorization. The above conditions are only those that commonly could occur in the rodent population housed in the facility: 1) not extensive wounds, 2) anal and vaginal prolapsed, 3) phimosis and paraphimosis, and 4) localized abscesses. The immediate treatments are: 1) chlorhexidine or/and clostebol acetate+neomycin sulfate; 2) euthanasia; 3) depending on the severity, euthanasia or antibiotics; and 4) drain and/or antibiotics. This attitude ensures a quick intervention when the treatment is well-defined. Caretakers should acquire the knowledge to distinguish in animals the abnormal from normal state and the ability to act with appropriate treatment while waiting for the DV’s intervention.