Special Care Instruction Form FAQ

Where do I get a form?

You can get a form from our main office or from our web site at Special Care Instruction Form.

Why do I need a SCI?

The SCI is designed to be a way for investigative personnel to communicate with ARC personnel. We have an obligation to provide feed and water to all animals everyday. That is our default activity. If experiments require special feed, water, or cage changing, the change must be clearly communicated to the veterinarians, husbandry managers, and husbandry technicians. When instructions are properly communicated, mistakes are much less likely to happen. The SCI ensures that everyone on the animal care team gets a chance to review the SCI before it goes into effect. Without a SCI we will always try to care for the animals by providing fresh water and feed and a clean cage.

What is meant by special care?

Special care is any deviation from normal husbandry procedures. Changes in normal watering, feeding or cage changing should be included on the SCI form. If animal carcasses need to be saved or if investigators need to be informed immediately when animals are found dead, a SCI form should be used to document these instructions.

Where do I submit the form?

After you complete the form, it should be delivered to the ARC main office in room TB03A. It will be distributed from there to the veterinarian and to the husbandry manager. The form should not be given to the husbandry technician in the room or be left in the animal room without approval. Husbandry technicians are instructed to direct investigative personnel to their supervisor with all requests for special care. You may also submit the form by pressing the Send button at the bottom of the form. You will be contacted before the SCI goes into effect. If you do not hear from us, be sure to contact our main office to confirm that we have received the form.

Where are the completed forms kept?

A copy of the form is kept on file in the ARC office and a copy is placed in the Animal Husbandry Data Book in the animal room. The form is always available in the room. Husbandry technicians who are new to a room or are filling in for an absent coworker are instructed to look in the Animal Husbandry Data Book before they begin work to find out if there are any SCI forms in the room. The form is also used by team leaders on the weekends to determine how animals are care for.

Once I have a SCI in place, how do I mark the cages so that husbandry technicians know to apply special care to animals in the cage?

There are many ways to identify cages. Any method should stand out and be easily identified. Writing on the cards even with colored ink is not sufficient. The cages must be labeled with a brightly colored sticker or a colored acetate to tell husbandry technicians that this is a special care cage. The graphic below illustrates how the acetates are used. The acetates are placed in front of the card. The following standardized code for colored acetates is:

Red = Special Feed

Yellow = Special Water

Blue = Special Cage Changing

Green = Other Instructions described on SCI

Figure 1. Labeling a Cage with an Acetate (Click Refresh to view animation)

When does a Special Care Instruction Form end?

The date for terminating a SCI should be included on the form. We would suggest that every SCI be renewed annually to ensure that no changes are required.

Why do I need a form now? I have been doing it this way for years.

We have a responsibility to care for the animals properly and know that they are being properly cared for at all times. The form is a way that we are attempting to do this. No special care can be performed or is authorized without a properly completed form.