ANU Veterinary Services

The ANU Vet Services Team vets are available to assist all ANU researchers engaged in all animal-based research and teaching.

Contact

For emergency matters and Unexpected Adverse Events (UAEs), call us on 02 6125 1130.

We are available by on call phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If we miss your call or are on another call please leave a message with a return phone number so we can call you back as soon as possible. (The on call number is an ANU landline forwarded to a mobile phone, so the number you are dialling from may not be displayed on the mobile).

For the majority of enquiries, we can provide advice over the phone to alleviate immediate animal welfare concerns. We may respond in person to emergencies, or may advise you to take your animals (non-rodent species) to a local veterinary clinic. 

Please do not take animals to a local veterinary clinic without ANU Vet approval (unless this option has already been covered under your approved animal ethics protocol).

For non-urgent matters, our contact details are available.

Advice and assistance

We work closely with research and teaching staff (including animal care technicians, management and research technicians) as well as students to maintain high standards of animal care and management whilst achieving research and teaching excellence.

Topics that you may like to discuss with our team include:

• Anaesthetic options and anaesthetic management
• Analgesia/pain relief
• The 3Rs: reduction, refinement, replacement
• Skill development and training
  • Anaesthesia
  • Analgesia
  • Recognising pain and distress in animals
  • Wildlife handling and management
• Identification methods
• Writing, developing and implementing procedures in the laboratory
• Technique improvement
• Development of new techniques
• Investigations of new species usage on campus…
• and pretty much any other animal related question.

Ethics protocol consultation

You may like to contact us in advance of preparing an animal ethics protocol, prior to accepting a position at ANU, or as part of your ethical review process. You can request a meeting with the vet team or get advice by email or over the phone. (Contact details)

We can also provide feedback on completed applications prior to submission, if you send them through at least two weeks in advance of the submission deadlines. The earlier you get your draft to us, the more time we will have to review your application in depth and engage with you to improve the application. You can now select ‘Vet Review’ as an option in REMS when drafting your animal ethics application.

We can provide feedback via REMS, and you are welcome to contact us to arrange a time to talk about your protocol in person or via email.

The vet team will review the entire protocol, but may focus more on refinements and veterinary procedures (e.g. anaesthesia, surgery or euthanasia techniques) as well as the overall quality of the application. Please note that the Vet Review does not guarantee Animal Ethics Committee (AEC) approval. There may still be questions from the Committee during the formal AEC review process.

We are also available to work with you on your approved protocol while it is active, including on refinement, reduction and replacement initiatives for your work as you work on variations to your protocol or issues as they arise.

Unexpected adverse events (UAEs)

Monitoring your animals and reporting any unexpected adverse events (UAEs) is an essential part of effective research practice.

If something has happened, even if  you aren't sure whether you need to report a UAE or not, phone the on-call ANU Vet ASAP on (02) 6125 1130 for advice.

Proactively discussing any concerns about your work with us will ensure we can assist you to continue your research and improve the welfare outcomes for animals under your care.

Further UAE information, including reporting requirements, can be found in Managing Your Protocol - Staff Services - ANU

Reporting ethical concerns

If there is an imminent animal welfare concern, call the on call ANU Vet ASAP on (02) 6125 1130 

Further information can be found on Raising Concerns - Staff Services - ANU

Vet service charges and agreements

The ANU Vet Services Team does not charge for advice or for veterinary time related to investigations for animal welfare purposes under current active, approved animal ethics protocols.

If researchers need or request further work that incurs external costs, such as submitting samples for analysis (e.g. pathology), we will pass on those costs (including freight) directly to the local area by request for approval of journal transfer.

If we need to use treatments or drugs when assisting animals under your protocol, we can provide drugs for single, one-off use. For ongoing use and dispensing of drugs (doses or entire bottles), we will charge these to the research group at cost.

Our core responsibilities are to provide training, advice and support for research programs, and to support issues relating to animal welfare. Should you require ongoing veterinary involvement in your research, please speak with the Senior ANU Vet  on how we can best support your needs or direct you to external service providers.

Post Approval Monitoring 

The Code requires AECs to conduct Post Approval Monitoring (PAM). 

The ANU Animal Welfare Officer (AWO) role has been established to conduct PAM.
The ANU Vets have been appointed as AWOs and they have been formally delegated to conduct PAM on its behalf.

The AWO is authorised by the AEC to ensure that animal research projects are proceeding in compliance with legislation and with the decisions of the AEC, as well as in relation to animal welfare matters.

For further information on this process please read the AEC approved PAM document