Modernization of Small Animal Caging for infectious disease studies at the Boise VAMC

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PROJECT SUMMARY While static caging for husbandry of small animals is accepted by the Guide, ventilated caging has become the gold standard for small animal husbandry. Static caging results in increased temperature and humidity in the cages. This results in wet bedding materials that can foster growth of micro-organisms. As a result, increased changing of animal bedding is required to maintain sanitary living conditions. Increased frequency in cage changing has multiple detrimental effects. First, more bedding is required to house the animals and generates more bedding waste. Second, multiple cage changes per week increases the water consumption and dirty wastewater generation as cages require sanitization in hot water cage washers. Third, increased handling of animals can have negative effects on research studies. Fourth, frequent cage changing increases the exposures of VMU personnel to both animal dander and infectious agents. The goal of this project is to obtain funds to upgrade the caging at the Boise Veterans Affairs Medical Center Veterinary Medical Unit (VMU) from static caging to ventilated caging. By moving from static caging to ventilated caging the animals will be in housing that provides better air flow allowing for better control of temperature and humidity in their cages, improving not only the living conditions for the small animals but increasing the rigor and reproducibility of the experiments conducted in the VMU as well as safety of VMU personnel.