citation_inspection: 29

A ram at a sheep flock that is used under a holding protocol and a teaching protocol approved by the facility's Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee was found to be unable to stand on January 24, 2014. The herdsman who discovered the animal in this condition monitored and treated the animal for three days without consulting the attending veterinarian. The animal did not improve, and was subsequently euthanized. Animals should be observed on a daily basis to assess their well-being, and any problems should be promptly communicated to the attending veterinarian, so that appropriate steps can be taken to address health problems. In this case the animal clearly needed prompt veterinary attention, and it was not received. Failure to communicate problems and provide adequate care can result in unnecessary suffering. The facility recognized this failure, reported the event, and has taken appropriate action to correct the problem with the personnel involved. An exit interview was conducted on 9/21/15 with facility representatives.