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  6. Prolonged Physical Restraint
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Prolonged Physical Restraint

Purpose:

To ensure that physical restraint of conscious animals for prolonged periods is scientifically justified and performed in a manner that is humane as possible, the UConn Health Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) has approved the following policy for prolonged physical restraint of animals used for experimental purposes.

Definition:

Physical restraint: the use of manual or mechanical means to limit some or all of an animal’s normal movement for the purpose of examination, collection of samples, drug administration, therapy or experimental manipulation per The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (The Guide).

Prolonged restraint: defined as a period of physical restraint for 30 minutes or more of a conscious animal.

Policy:

    1. The Guide states that prolonged restraint must meet the following conditions:
      • Restraint devices should not be considered a normal method of housing and for convenience;
      • Alternatives to physical restraint should be considered;
      • The period of restraint must be the minimum time necessary to achieve the research goals;
      • Animals to be placed in restraint devices should be given training (with positive reinforcement) to adapt to the equipment and personnel;
      • Animals that do not adapt to the restraint methodology should be removed from the study;
      • Provision should be made for observation of the animal at appropriate intervals, as determined by the IACUC;
      • Veterinary care must be provided if lesions or illnesses associated with the restraint are observed; and
      • The purpose of the restraint device and its duration should be clearly explained to personnel involved with the study and must be properly trained.
  2. Complete descriptions of the use of the restraint device needs to be detailed in the non-surgical procedures section of the protocol. Details regarding the justification for use, the acclimation of the animals to the restraint device, and the veterinary care plan (if required) is to be detailed in the Protocol Checklist section of the protocol; the “Prolonged Restraint” checkbox must be checked and all questions completed.

 

Effective Dates:  June 4, 2026 through June 30, 2029

This policy has been approved by a majority vote of the IACUC Members