CLEANING AND TAGGING OF LABORATORY ANIMALS

Cleaning

• Change rabbit & rodent bedding. 
• Change & sanitize cage weekly or up to twice weekly for rats and spot changed later in the week if needed. 
• Change pans are sanitize twice weekly or biweekly. 
• Sanitize all water bottles, stoppers, and sipper tubes weekly, replace bottles/replenish feed as needed. 
• Sweep if necessary. 

Tagging (Identification)

Small rodents

• Rodents must be identified to the cage level, by protocol number, investigator, species, strain, sex, contact name and number, date of arrival or birth and age. 
• Rodents may be identified individually by tattooing, microchips, ear punches, ear tags, clipping hair, dyes, magic marker. 

Rabbit & guinea pigs

• Guinea pigs, chinchillas and rabbits must be identified to the cage level similar to small rodents. 
• Individual animals may be identified with tattoos, microchips, dyes, hair clipping or Magic Marker.