The University of Louisiana at Lafayette-New Iberia Research Center provides veterinary care through the employ of eight veterinarians. The Division of Veterinary Sciences has a staff of 20 members, including five full-time veterinarians licensed by the Louisiana Board of Veterinary Medicine to practice in the State of Louisiana and are also accredited by the United States Department of Agriculture. Additionally, a diplomate of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine heads the veterinary staff. A veterinarian is assigned to each specific animal colony area and that individual makes recommendations and provides oversight for the preventive medicine programs for the individual colonies. Additionally the program veterinarian is responsible for the clinical care of animals requiring veterinary medical attention, which includes but is not limited to:

• Disease detection and surveillance, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and resolution.
• Handling and restraint: utilization of appropriate anesthetics, sedatives, and analgesics; and methods of euthanasia.
• Surgical and post surgical care
• Promotion of animal physical and psychological well being through behavioral enrichment program
• Oversees adequacy of husbandry program
• Involved in the review and approval of all animal care and use
• Training of institutional staff in the care and use of laboratory animals
• Assists in establishment and/or monitoring of occupational health and safety program
• Assists in monitoring for zoonotic diseases
• Advises on and monitors biohazard control policies and procedures relevant to the animal care and use program.

Diagnostic equipment available for use at the Center includes a Continental TM40 radiographic unit with automatic processor and computer imagery for diagnostic enhancement and an Aloka SSD 5000 and portable Aloka SSD 500V and probes, including doppler capabilities ultrasound sonogram equipment. A centrally located surgical suite is available as well as a special procedures unit equipped with the following:

• One Quantiflex V.M.C. Anesthesia Unit
• Two Narkove Deluxe Anesthesia Units
• Two Spacelabs Life Support Monitors
• Olympus Endoscope with video monitors and color photo printer
• Three Burdick EK10 Electrocardiograph Units
• One Zoll Defibrillator
• Medivision Laparoscope with a High Intensity Light Source, Digital Camera and Digital Enhancer
• Valleylab Electrosurgical Generator and Accompanying Instrumentation
• Haemonetics MCS Apheresis Unit
• Novametrix model 7100 pulse-oximeter/capnograph
• Ultrasound imaging/radiographic imaging

Health problems are minimized by implementing practices that are consistent with the guidelines in the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals the (Guide). Animals in all colonies are observed a minimum of twice daily, seven days a week. All abnormal findings are recorded by designated animal care personnel within the Division of Animal Resources and reported to a supervisor for appropriate assessment and follow up. All observations regarding abnormal health conditions are reported to the program veterinarian.

Regular preventive health examinations are scheduled on either an annual or semiannual basis as prescribed by the specific animal program. Additionally, the program veterinarian performs the physical examinations on candidate animals as part of the pre-shipment selection process. The preventive health schedule for all animals is as follows:

Comprehensive Physical Examination to be performed by the Contract Veterinarian, including but not limited to:

• Complete blood count Serum chemistry Fecal for parasite check Tuberculosis
• Serum for archiving
• Serology Screening for Retroviruses (SIV, SRV, STLV-1) and Herpes B virus for all animals when dictated by specific program.
• Body weight
• Dental Examination/dental prophylaxis

Veterinarians are offered the opportunity for paid continuing education to maintain licensure and keep them current on the newest equipment, techniques and regulations in the field of laboratory animal medicine as it pertains to nonhuman primates or emergency medicine.

Veterinarians choosing not to “track” for ACLAM boards are afforded the opportunity to obtain continuing education credits in the form of two paid professional meetings per year. The meetings may be of a workshop or training nature or of a lecture format. The meetings are only required to be pertinent to the field of clinical medicine.

Veterinarians choosing the tracking option are given the opportunity to attend 3 meetings per year, in an effort to provide the opportunity for attendance to ACLAM training lectures and work shops. (Also see memo-describing tracking).

Clinical rounds are held each week at 2:30 p.m. on Thursdays. Rounds include discussion of clinical cases and recent journal articles and outline of selected relevant book chapters. The intent of clinical rounds is to provide a forum of clinical discussion and consultation on pressing cases as well as a review of literature and ACLAM series book chapters.