Draft SOPs for review | Analgesia | Anesthesia | Surgery | Euthanasia | Experimental Guidelines | Animal Care | Veterinary Care | Monitoring Log template | Occupational Health and Safety | Farm SOPs | SAIL | Body Conditioning Score | Controlled drug SOP | Controlled Substances Requirements | PHAC Biohazard info | ALPHA Certificate | McGill Animal Incident Report Form | Draft SOP for review by APWOC (formerly UACC) | Template Crisis template |
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) provide a detailed description of commonly used procedures. SOPs offer investigators an alternative to writing detailed procedures in their protocol. Any deviation from the approved procedures must be clearly described and justified in the Animal Use Protocol application in Darwin. Approval of the protocol indicates approval of the deviation from the SOP for that project only.
The following Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) were created and/or revised by the Veterinary Committee and/or the Occupational Health and Safety Working Group, and approved by the Animal Policy and Welfare Oversight Committee (APWOC). They are reviewed every 3 years at most. The month and year appearing in the file name indicate when that SOP last underwent changes. Starting in 2020, the date of last review will now be specified inside the SOP even if no changes were made to it.
If you have questions or have a recommendation to make, please send an animalcare [at] mcgill.ca (email) or talk to the Veterinarian in your area.
DRAFT SOP : None for review
Note that the SOP #416 Social Defeat is currently undergoing revisions again. Once done, it will be re-posted for review.
APPROVED SOPS BELOW:
Analgesia:
SOP 101-Rodent Analgesia - Dec 2021 v2
SOP 102-Rabbit Analgesia - Dec 2021 v2
SOP 105-Cat Analgesia - Dec 2021 v2
SOP 106-Swine Analgesia - March 2022 v2
SOP 107-Bird Analgesia - Dec 2021 v2
SOP 108-Fish Aquatic Amphibian Reptile Analgesia - March 2022 v2
SOP 109-Ruminant Analgesia - Dec 2021 v2
SOP 122-Ferret Analgesia - Dec 2021 v2
Anesthesia:
SOP 110-Mouse Anesthesia - Jan 2021 v2
SOP 111-Rat Anesthesia - Jan 2021 v2
SOP 112-Hamster Anesthesia - Jan 2021 v2
SOP 113-Guinea Pig Anesthesia - Jan 2021 v2
SOP 116-Dog Anesthesia - Jan 2021 v2
SOP 117-Cat Anesthesia - Jan 2021 v2
SOP 118-Fish and Aquatic Amphibian Anesthesia - March 2022 v2
SOP 119-Swine Anesthesia - Nov 2020 v2
SOP 120-Rodent Anesthesia Protocol Lung Physiology Measurements - Jan 2021 v2
SOP 121-Bird Anesthesia - Jan 2021 v2
Surgery:
SOP 201-Rodent Surgery - Jan 2021 v2
SOP 202-Rodent Stereotaxic Surgery - Jan 2021 v2
SOP 205-Rodent Tumor Resection - March 2021 v2
SOP 206 - Rodent Ovariectomy - March 2021 v2
SOP 207 - Rodent Castration - March 2021 v2
SOP 208 - Rodent Mammary Fat Pad Injection - March 2021 v2
SOP 209- Cranial Surgery in Non-Human Primates - June 2018
SOP 210- Care of Cranial Implants and Chambers in Non-Human Primate - May 2018
Euthanasia:
SOP 301-Rodent Euthanasia - July 2021 v2
SOP 302-Large Animal Euthanasia - March 2021 v2
SOP 303-Fish and Aquatic Amphibian Euthanasia - March 2022 v2
Experimental Guidelines:
McGill's EHS SOP 401- Controlled Substances
SOP 402- Tissue Collection for Genotyping - Mice - March 2022
SOP 403- Guidelines Blood Collection Volumes and Frequency - March 2022
SOP 404 - Substance Administration - Sept 2017
SOP 405- Monoclonal Antibody Production - Mice - March 2022
SOP 406- Polyclonal Antibody Production - Rabbits - March 2022
SOP 407- Polyclonal Antibody Production - Rats - March 2022
SOP 408- Water Control in Non-Human Primates - May 2019
SOP 409- Maintaining Clinical Records - Oct 2016
SOP 410 - Humane Intervention Points - Oct 2016
SOP 412- Humane Intervention Points for Aging Rodents - May 2019
SOP 413 - Tissue Collection for Genotyping - Rats - Oct 2016
SOP 415- Humane Intervention Points for Rodent Cancer Models - Oct 2018
SOP 417- Food and Water Restriction in Rodents - May 2019
SOP 419- Humane Intervention Points Rodents Models Involving Paralysis - Dec 2018
This Monitoring Log is to be prepared by the Facility Animal Care Committee as per the approved Animal Use Protocol: 
Monitoring log TEMPLATE - Oct 2017
Metastatic Model Monitoring log <- is a log
Mammary Gland Identification Mouse
Tumor Monitoring Log <- is a log
Animal Care:
SOP 501 - Animal Transport and Use Outside of Animal Facilities - Oct 2016
SOP 502 - Environmental Enrichment for Mice - March 2016
SOP 503 - Environmental Enrichment Program for Rats - May 2015
SOP 504 - Environmental Enrichment for Rabbits - March 2016
SOP 505 - Environmental Enrichment Program for Hamsters - May 2015
SOP 506 - Environmental Enrichment Program for Guinea Pigs - May 2015
SOP 507 - Environmental Enrichment Program for NHPS - may 2015
SOP 508- Rodent Husbandry - Jan 2020
SOP 516 - Marmoset Cage Changing 2013
SOP 517- Marmoset Room Sanitation
SOP 518- Transportation of NHPs to an Imaging Facility - March 2018
SOP 521 - Macaque Husbandry 2013
SOP 522 - Macaque Daily Care 2013
SOP 527 - Avian Husbandry - Oct 2016
SOP 528 - Avian Daily Care - Oct 2016
SOP 529 - Sheep Husbandry 2013
SOP 531 - Animal Acquisition Receiving and Acclimation - March 2016
SOP 532- Vermin Control Program - Nov 2017
SOP 533 - Microbiological Monitoring Program 2013
Removed: SOP 535 - Animal Facility Regulations
SOP 536 - Procedure Room Maintenance - May 2015
SOP 539 - Maintenance of Passive Watering System - March 2016
Veterinary Care:
SOP 601 - Rodent Veterinary Care Program - May 2017
SOP 602- Rodent Health Monitoring Program - Dec 2021
SOP 603 - Rodent Quarantine Program - May 2017
SOP 604 - Bioexclusion Levels for Rodents
SOP 605 -Rodent Import - May 2017
SOP 607- Long-term Housing - Jan 2020
SOP 608 -Mouse Breeding Colony Management - Dec 2018
SOP 609 - Rat Breeding Colony Management - March 2016
SOP 610 - Testing of Biological Material - March 2016
SOP 611- Excluded Pathogens - Rodent Facilities - July 2021
SOP 612 - Working with Immunodeficient Mice - May 2017
SOP 613- Working with Rodents in the Imaging Facility - Jan 2020
SOP 616- Rodent Identification - Jan 2020
SOP 617 - Treatment of Pinworms in Rodent Colonies - March 2016
SOP 618 - Treatment of Fur Mites in Rodent Colonies - Sept 2017
SOP 619 - Common Rodent Treatment - May 2018
SOP 621- Rabbit Health Monitoring Program - Nov 2017
SOP 622 - Marmoset Health Monitoring Program 2013
SOP 623 - Marmoset Breeding Colony Management
SOP 624 - Cat Breeding Program - Sept 2017
SOP 625 - Cat Conditioning Program - May 2017
SOP 626- Macaque Health Monitoring Program - March 2018
SOP 627 - Non-Human Primate Quarantine Program 2013
Occupational Health and Safety:
SOP 701- Macaque-Related Injury - March 2018
SOP 702 - Animal Related Injury - March 2016
SOP 703 - Use of Viral Vectors in Neuroscience - Rodents - Nov 2019
SOP 705- Animal Biosafety Level 2 - Rodents - Dec 2018
SOP 706 - Use of Hazardous Agents in Rodents - General - March 2016
SOP 707 - Occupational Health Program - March 2016
SOP 710 - Personal Protective Equipment Requirements
SOP 711 - Use of TNBS in Rodents - March 2016
712 - Use of Azoxymethane in Rodents- March 2016
SOP 713 - Use of BBN in Rodents - March 2016
SOP 714 - Use of MPTP in NHPs - March 2016
SOP 715 - Use of Cisplatin in Rodents - March 2016
SOP 716 - Use of Doxorubicin in Rodents - March 2016
Body Condition Score:
Body Condition Score Outline Mice (BCS)
Body Condition Score Outline For Rats (BCS)
Of interest: Article Body Condition Score for Rats
Requirements on Record Keeping, Storage and Disposal of Controlled Substances
Refer to the McGill Environmental Health and Safety Office's SOP 401 on Cannabis and Controlled Substances.
Research Institutes of affiliated hospitals should contact their local Safety Office or EHS Officer.
For McGill researchers and instructors:
• All Principal Investigators (PIs) intending to use controlled substances (and cannabis) need to contact the domenic.dulisse [at] mcgill.ca (EHS Cannabis & Controlled Substances Officer) for notification and exemption processing. The PI's information is added to EHS' records and follow ups are performed. All research and teaching involving animals MUST have an approved Animal Use Protocol before being considered for an exemption.
• The EHS' MyLab software migration will allow for this information to be kept and tracked within MyLab. Permits will be issued to PIs using cannabis and controlled substances.
• Training for cannabis and controlled substance will be mandatory for all users. They will be granted a permit contingent on successful completion of the training which is every 2 years.
• An inspection checklist has been created specifically for cannabis and controlled substances in labs. PIs must follow Health Canada’s directive on physical security, while McGill veterinarians do not (they are responsible for the safe keeping of their drugs and reporting to Health Canada).
• A Cannabis compliance committee is being set up with the Director of EHS and will allow for better decision making and department awareness. This will be done for controlled substances in the near future.
• Controlled drug suppliers have been added to the McGill Market Place (MMP) and follow the same rules as radiation materials. Note that all orders must be approved by the cannabis and controlled substance officer.
• A revised SOP #401 for controlled substances is now posted on the EHS site. There is more information on EHS' website for the Cannabis and Controlled Substance Compliance Program (CCSCP) , Environmental Health and Safety, McGill University.
PHAC Biohazard Information
The Public Health Agency of Canada has implemented since December 2015, new regulations pertaining to the use of Human Pathogens and Toxins. Background information can be found on their website and details on the regulation here.
In order to work with Biohazardous Materials in a laboratory setting, researchers must complete an “Application to Use Biohazardous Materials”. These applications are reviewed and approved by McGill's Environmental Health and Safety Office (not the Animal Care Committee). Approval of the Application means that the researcher is compliant with the Biosafety Programwhich includes lab inspections and training.
Useful links (these two are also available as free Apps for a smart phone or tablet as well):
- Canadian Biosafety Standard (CBS), 2nd edition.
- Public Health Agency of Canada Pathogen Safety Data Sheets (PSDS).
Farm SOPs:
Small Animal Research Unit (SARU)
SOP SARU_02-Clean_Side_Cage-Washer
SOP SARU_03-Clean_Dirty_Side_Cage_Washer
SOP SARU_04-Sanitizing_Animal_Facility
SOP SARU_05-Sanitizing_Operating_Room
SOP SARU_07-Animal_Care_Outside_Normal_Hours
SOP SARU_08-Ventilated_Cage_Rack
Large Animal Research Unit (LARU)
SOP LARU_02-Husbandry_Schedule_Swine
SOP LARU_03-Daily_Feeding_and_Watering
SOP LARU_05-Swine_Preparation_for_Surgery
SOP LARU_06-Swine_Anesthesia_for_Surgery
SOP LARU_07-Surgery_and_Pre-Op_Room_Cleaning
SOP LARU_08-Controlled drug was removed - EHS has created a new one, please see SOP #401 under 'Experimental Guidelines' above.
SOP laru-sop10_animal_reception_calves
SOP laru-sop11_husbandry_schedule_calves
SOP laru-sop12_daily_feeding_and_watering_calves
SOP laru-sop13_calf_preparation_for_lopucalves
SOP laru-sop14_-_rev01_anesthesia_for_lopu_calves
SOP laru-sop15_post-lopu_care_calves
SOP laru-sop16_fire_evacuation_plan_for_laru
Macdonald Campus Farm Cattle Complex
SOP DC-121 Flushing Gutters in the Dairy Barn
SOP DC-206 Box Stall Sanitation
SOP DC-207 Tie Stall Sanitation
SOP DC-208 Heifer Pen_Stall Sanitation
SOP DC-209 Calf Pen Sanitation
SOP DC-210 Acquisition of Dairy Cattle - Jan 2021
SOP DC-212 Handling and Moving Cattle - Jan 2021
SOP DC-301 Body Condition Scoring for Dairy Cows
SOP DC-302 Lameness Scoring for Dairy Cows
SOP DC-303 Injury Scoring for Dairy Cows
SOP DC-304 Cleanliness Assessment for Dairy Cows
SOP DC-305-2 Mastitis Monitoring and Detection
SOP DC-306-3 Mastitis Treatment
SOP DC-308 Dehorning and Extra Teat Removal
SOP DC-400 Heat Detection and Breeding
SOP DC-405-2 Post Partum Care of Dairy Cattle
SOP DC-407 Calving Cows-Heifers
SOP DC-501 Colostrum Management
SOP DC-502 Milk Replacer Preparation
SOP DC-503 Calf Identification
SOP DC-506 Tube Feeding a Calf
SOP DC-601 Milk House Pre-Milking Set Up
SOP DC-602 Milk House Post-Milking Wash
SOP DC-603 Bulk Tank Sanitizing Procedures
SOP DC-604 Box Stall Milker Sanitization
SOP DC-605 Preparing Cows for Milking
SOP DC-606 Post-Milking Procedure
SOP DC-607-3 Milking Procedure - General
SOP DC-608-2 Milking Fresh Cows
SOP DC-609-2 Milking Pail Cows in Tie Stalls
SOP DC-610 Milking Pail Cows in Box Stalls
SOP DC-611-2 Milking Staphylococcus Aureus Positive Cows
SOP DC-612-3 Milking antibiotic treated cows
SOP DC-613 Accidental Milking Antibiotic Treated Cows into Milking System
SOP DC-617 Calilfornia Mastitis Test (CMT)
SOP DC-701-1 Substance Administration for Dairy Cattle
SOP DC-702 Collection of Blood Sample
SOP DC-712-1 Pre- and Post-Op Procedures and Long-Term Care of Fistulated Cows
SOP DC-713 Rumen Content Collection from Fistulated Cow
SOP DC-715 Controlled Internal Drug Release Silicone Device Insertion
SOP DC-716.2 Transrectal Ultrasonography and Aspiration
SOP DC-717 Liver Biopsy in Cattle
SOP DC-718 Endometrial Cell Collection by Cytobrush Technique
SOP DC-A-3A Dehorning Weight and Medication Chart
SOP DC-A-4A.1 Heat Cycle, Signs and Conception rates of Dairy Cattle
SOP DC-A-4B.1 Signs of Heat in dairy Cattle
SOP DC-A-4C.1 Factors Influencing Heat Detection in Dairy Cattle
SOP DC-A-4D-1 Leg Band Color Legend
SOP DC-A-5A Colostrum Quality Readings
SOP DC-A-6A Herd Health Scoring Record
SOP DC-A-6B Injury Scoring Record for Dairy Cows
SOP DC-A-6C Lameness Scoring Record for Dairy Cows
SOP DC-A-6D Cleanliness Assessment Record for Dairy Cows
Donald McQueen Shaver Poultry Complex
SOP PU-201 Biosecurity_Broiler Facility
SOP PU-201 Biosecurity_Broiler Facility
SOP PU-204 Sanitation Procedure_Broiler Barn
SOP PU-205 Manure Management_Broiler
SOP PU-208 Loading and Transporting Broilers
SOP PU-209 Receiving Broiler Chicks and Poults
SOP PU-301 Biosecurity_Layer Barn
SOP PU-302 Environmental Management_Layer
SOP PU-303 Layer Barn Preparation
SOP PU-304 Layer Barn Sanitation Procedures
SOP PU-305 Manure Management_Layers
SOP PU-308 Loading and Transporting Spent Hens
SOP PU-309 Receiving Layer Hens
SOP PU-404 Egg Collection Room 100
SOP PU-405 Egg Collection Room 200
SOP PU-A-2A Broiler Temperature Management Chart_Draft
SOP PU-A-3A Should this bird be loaded_Decision tree
SOP PU-A-3B Handling Guidelines for Catching Crews
Small Animal Imaging Labs (SAIL)
SAIL-SOP-01-Rodent Transportation Procedure
SAIL-SOP-02-Animal Management and Housing at the SAIL Facility
SAIL-SOP-03- Working with CL2 Animals
SAIL-MRI-SOP-01-Pre-scan Procedures
SAIL-MRI-SOP-02-Anesthesia Induction and Maintenance
SAIL-MRI-SOP-03-In-Scan Subject Health Monitoring
SAIL-MRI-SOP-04-Post-Scan Recovery and Follow-up
SAIL-MRI-SOP-05-Cleaning and Decontamination
SAIL-MRI-SOP-06-Daily Maintenance and Cleaning
SAIL-MRI-SOP-07-Weekly Maintenance and Cleaning
SAIL-PET-SOP-01-Radioligand Handling
SAIL-PET-SOP-02-Animal and Scanner Preparation
SAIL-PET-SOP-03-Anesthesia Induction and Maintenance
SAIL-PET-SOP-04-Scanning and Monitoring
SAIL-PET-SOP-05- Post-scan Recovery and Follow-up
SAIL-PET-SOP-06-Cleaning and Decontamination
SAIL-PET-SOP-08-Weekly Maintenance and Cleaning
SAIL-PET-SOP-09-Radioactive Cages Management
SAIL-Xtreme-SOP-01-Animal and Imager Preparation
SAIL-Xtreme-SOP-02-Anesthesia Induction and Maintenance
SAIL-Xtreme-SOP-03-Animal Recovery and Follow-up
SAIL-Xtreme-SOP-04-Cleaning and Decontamination
SAIL-Xtreme-SOP-05-Daily Maintenance and Cleaning
McGill University Animal Incident Report Form:
McGill Animal Care Incident Report Form - 2013
Template for a Crisis Management and Communication Plan SOP:
SOP TEMPLATE for Crisis Management Plan - April 2021