Calvert Laboratories is very committed to the health and welfare of the animals it is privileged to use for research.  To that end Calvert has a very active Department of Laboratory Animal Medicine (DLAM).  The department is staffed by two veterinarians, one licensed veterinary technician, one certified animal technologist and one veterinary technician.  The department is responsible for the health and well being of the animals at Calvert.  Extensive health monitoring programs are in place for our rats and mice.  Large animals are given individual physical exams prior to being placed on study.  Other diagnostics may also be performed depending on the species such as viral testing and TB testing in non-human primates. Vendor health reports are closely scrutinized as to the health status of their colonies and periodic site visits are performed at the vendor facilities to ensure that they meet the proper standards of health and husbandry.  Through these monitoring systems a list of approved vendors has been developed at Calvert.  If a vendor other than one on the approved vendor list is requested extensive research into the health status of these animals will be conducted which may include a request for retired breeders on which a full in-house health work-up will be performed.  Even then the rooms that these animals are housed in may be made limited access so as not to risk the introduction of disease into our established vendors animals.

     Enrichment of the various species is also practiced at Calvert.  It is policy to make every attempt to give animals devices that may provide some enrichment in their lives by promoting species specific behaviors.  Mice are provided with PVC pipes that they can hide in and climb on.  Rats are provided with nylabones for gnawing.  Rabbits are provided with balls to play with.  Dogs are exercised together, provided with chew toys and have interaction with the technicians.  Non-human primates are provided with perches, swings, foraging devices, pair housed when possible, treats and fruit.  New enrichment devices are added in as personnel think of different ideas that are judged as acceptable on the basis of animal health and GLP concerns. 

     DLAM also provides support for surgeries conducted at Calvert and performs the majority of the large animal survival surgery done at the facility.  Extensive standard operating procedures (SOP) have been developed for all aspects of surgery from autoclaving of instruments to proper use of anesthetics and analgesics.  Our dedicated surgery suite is maintained and stocked by DLAM.

     Clients often ask for procedures to be performed that are unique.  DLAM is actively involved in researching new procedures and developing them.  Once a procedure is developed and it is determined by DLAM that there are other qualified personnel who can be trained to perform the procedure, the identified suitable personnel will be trained by DLAM staff on how to conduct the developed procedure. 

     Study directors are provided with a full range of support services from DLAM.  These services range from research on proper vehicle use, proper use of analgesics and anesthetics, proper species use on a research project, husbandry needs of unique species to proper study design.  Research and ordering of unique products and pharmaceuticals required for study performance is also done by the staff of DLAM. 

     Three out of the five members of DLAM are also members of Calvert’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).  DLAM is very actively involved in this committee.  In addition to the veterinary expertise the department provides to the committee, changes in regulatory guidelines that involve the use of animals are closely monitored.  This information is then disseminated to the members of the IACUC so that recommendations of accepted methods of reduction, refinement and replacement can be given to study directors, clients, and management.  Accepted alternatives to the use of animals are actively pursued as they are becoming accepted by the government regulatory agencies.  Calvert is very proactive in using these accepted methods and providing them for their clients.  Clients who are given the information and choose not to use the alternatives are asked to give justification as to why they will not use a currently accepted alternative.   

     Calvert has full AAALAC accreditation.  DLAM is instrumental in maintaining this accreditation as well as insuring that USDA inspections go smoothly with the goal being no findings on inspection reports.  The implications of this task are great.  It requires many aspects of the facility and operations to be monitored to make sure that they are functioning properly and within regulations.  The myriad of functions that must be monitored range from implementation of the use of humane endpoints to the minimum number of air exchanges that are required in an animal room.

     Overall, DLAM’s primary function of maintaining animal health and ensuring welfare impacts the majority of the factors that are required to assure accurate and humane study results.