Iowa State University
Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)
Effective Date: 3-5-2014
Approved Date: 3-5-2014
Revised Date:
Last Reviewed:
SOP ID Number: H200.01
SOP Title: Separation of Animals
Separation of Animals
Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
1.
Purpose
The purpose is to describe recommendations for the physical separation of animals by
species, source, and health status, as described in the Guide for the Care and Use of
Laboratory Animals, 8th Edition.
2.
Scope
This SOP is applicable to all ISU staff, research investigators, and technicians who provide
care and/or use animals for teaching or research.
3.
General Requirements
All ISU staff, research investigators, and technicians who provide care and/or use animals
for teaching or research must be familiar with and observe this SOP.
4.
Procedure
A. Physical separation of animals by species is recommended to prevent interspecies
disease transmission and to eliminate the potential for anxiety and physiologic and
behavioral changes due to interspecies conflict (Arndt et al. 2010, The Guide).
B. Separation should usually be accomplished by housing different species in separate
rooms, but, in some instances, it may be possible with cubicles, laminar flow units,
cages that have filtered air or separate ventilation, or isolators.
C. It may also be acceptable to house different species in the same room—for example, two
species that have a similar pathogen status and are behaviorally compatible (PritchettCorning et al. 2009, The Guide), or aquatic species.
5.
Roles and Responsibilities
Roles
ISU IACUC
Animal Caretakers
6.
Responsibilities
 Review IACUC protocols for the
separation of animals based on
species, source, and health status.

Follow the procedure in this SOP.
Definitions
n/a
Office for Responsible Research
Iowa State University
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Iowa State University
Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)
Effective Date: 3-5-2014
Approved Date: 3-5-2014
Revised Date:
Last Reviewed:
7.
SOP ID Number: H200.01
SOP Title: Separation of Animals
Appendices
Document History
8.
Forms and Templates
n/a
9.
References
Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, 8th Edition
Arndt SS, Lohavech D, van’t Klooster J, Ohl F. Co-species housing in mice and rats: Effects
on physiological and behavioural stress responsivity. Horm Behav. 2010; 57:342–351.
Pritchett-Corning KR, Chang FT, Festing MF. Breeding and housing laboratory rats and
mice in the same room does not affect the growth or reproduction of either species. JAALAS.
2009; 48:492–498.
10. Contact Information
IACUC will be the contact most frequently used for IACUC SOPs. The following statement
can be used in this case: Direct questions about this document to: Institutional Animal Care
and Use Committee, Iowa State University, 515-294-9581, iacuc@iastate.edu.
The Attending Veterinarian will often be the contact: Dr. Mary Sauer, 515-294-0266,
msauer@iastate.edu.
LAR Medical may be the contact. The following statement can be used in this case: Direct
questions about this document to: LAR Medical, Laboratory Animal Resources, Iowa State
University, 515-294-8507, larmedical@iastate.edu.
_______________________________
Additional Signee (if applicable)
______________________________
Date Signed
_______________________________
Signature of IACUC Chair or Co-Chair
______________________________
Date Signed
______________________________
Implementation Date
Office for Responsible Research
Iowa State University
Page 2 of 3
Iowa State University
Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)
Effective Date: 3-5-2014
Approved Date: 3-5-2014
Revised Date:
Last Reviewed:
SOP ID Number: H200.01
SOP Title: Separation of Animals
Appendix 1
Document History
Effective Date
(Type in date)
Version Number
01
Author(s)
Description
First Issue
Document management
enters after approval.
Document management
enters # (2 digits)
before sending for
approval.
Name(s) of the
author(s)
For version 01, enter “First
Issue.” Otherwise, enter
“Replaces [Document Number and
Title].”
Briefly describe revision. (Author
is responsible for description of
revisions that were made.)
For reissued SOP that has
undergone review, indicate that a
review was performed and the
SOP was reissued with no
significant content change.
Office for Responsible Research
Iowa State University
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