Animal Care Program Policy on Wire Cages
The IACUC established a policy at the December 8, 2000 and revised at the August 27, 2004 meeting regarding the use of wire-bottom caging with rodents to be consistent with current mandates by the Federal Government to limit their use.
Wire-bottom caging has been shown to cause foot and limb problems in rodents housed in them for lengthy periods of time. Therefore, the IACUC would like to limit the length of time rodents are housed in this type of caging. The policy will require that all rodents living in wire-bottom caging be transferred to solid-bottom caging after one year unless they show evidence of foot lesions sooner. Additionally, once they reach over 600 grams they should not be kept in wire-bottom caging. They should be housed in shoebox caging at the most economical site for the program to house them.
Updated November 13, 2006 by SAK