citation_inspection

2.40(b)(2) Attending Veterinarian and adequate veterinary care (dealers and exhibitors) *** 36 animals were found in need of veterinary care during the inspection. This included: ~ Animal 1: One female gray and white Syrian Hamster was housed with her litter (containing 5 live pups) in the trailer, fifth rack, row 3, box 5. This female hamster was thin and lethargic and in addition to the live pups one freshly dead partially cannibalized hamster pup was also present in the enclosure. When examined, this hamster had a large amount of soft wet brown debris around her tail consistent with diarrhea. ~ Animal 2: One gray and white Syrian Hamster was housed in a group enclosure in the trailer, first rack, row 2, box 3. This animal had a right eye that was sunken, crusted with brown debris and was held partially shut when identified by the inspector. ~ Animal 3: One dark gray Syrian Hamster with white feet was housed in a group enclosure in the trailer, first rack, row 6, box 7. This animal had a patch of hair loss on its back and nose. The area of hair loss on the back was approximately 1cm in diameter and the underlying skin appeared normal. The area on the nose was smaller and underlying skin appeared crusty. When identified by the inspector, the licensee stated that the hair loss on the nose was just from pushing against the feeder and on the back was likely scars from fighting previously. ~ Animal 4: One female grey and white Syrian hamster was housed with her litter (containing 5 live pups) in Room #17, rack #1, row #2, box #3. This hamster had a wet area with brown discoloration on the underside of the tail and chin consistent with diarrhea and grooming of the area. In addition to the live animals, there were also two dead hamster pups in this enclosure. One of these was fresh and partially cannibalized. The second was older and consisted only of dried fur and skin. ~ Animal 5: One male tan long-haired Syrian hamster was housed with a single other adult hamster in Room #17, rack #3, row #3, box #19. This hamster had incomplete hair loss / thinning over the hind end of the body. The underlying skin was dry and had numerous scabs. The facility representative stated that this was likely bites from the other hamster and separated them when identified by APHIS Officials. ~ Animals 6-15: One brown female Syrian hamster was housed with her litter (containing 9 live pups) in Room #17, rack #3, row #1, box #5. The adult hamster had a moderate amount of wet brown debris under the tail consistent with diarrhea. The hamster pups were all wet over the fur on the backs and had varying degrees of diarrhea on their hind end. In addition to the live animals there was also 1 dead pup in this enclosure. ~ Animals 16-22: Seven juvenile Gerbils were housed in room 5 of the 'Main Building' in rack #16, row #4, box #7. This included 3 brown, 1 white, 2 black, and 1 tan all of which had areas of dark red-brown scabs over their back and/tails. The most severely affected was the white gerbil which had scabs extending from the back of the neck down the back to the base of the tail as well as hair loss in those areas. The licensee stated that there appeared to be some aggression in this enclosure and removed the one animal that had the least amount of scabs, presumed to be the aggressor and separated the enclosure for observation. ~ Animal 23: One black Russian dwarf hamster was housed with 7 other hamsters in box 5 of the hallway near room 5 of the main building. This hamster had a large area of hair loss covering 1/4 to 1/3 of its head between the eyes and ears. The skin underlying this area of hair loss had three large scabs present. ~ Animal 24: A white chinchilla was observed with hair loss on the sides of both ears. There was also some scabbing in this area. This can be an indication that there is a medical issue. This animal had not yet received veterinary attention. Measures need to be taken to provide appropriate veterinary care in a timely manner in order to prevent the animal unnecessary pain and distress. ~ Animal 25: A black chinchilla was observed to have hair loss on its neck area. This hair loss extended full circle around the entire neck. Hair loss can be a sign of a more serious health issue. This animal had not yet received veterinary attention for this condition. ~ Animal 26: A grey chinchilla was observed with an abnormal reddening area around its eyes with areas of hair loss. There was crusty discharge on both eyes and nose, and a cloudy discharge on the left eye. The eyes were sunken in and the chinchilla was huddled in the enclosure and appeared depressed and lethargic. These signs are indicators of a negative health issue and suggestive of systemic disease and animal discomfort. The animal had not yet received veterinary care for this issue. ~ Animal 27: A white chinchilla was observed with hair loss between its ears on the back of its neck. The skin underneath was bright pink in color. Hair loss can be a sign of a more serious health issue. This animal had not yet received veterinary attention for this condition. ~ Animal 28: A black chinchilla was observed with a cloudy "hazy" appearance in both eyes. This condition affected the center of the eye in the middle of the cornea. There was a discharge noted in the left eye. This could be an indication of a serious underlying medical issue and can cause distress to the animal. The chinchilla had not received vet care for this condition. ~ Animal 29: A black chinchilla was observed squinting with a discharge from both eyes. The animal was not opening the eye fully, which may be an indication of discomfort or pain. The animal remained huddled in the corner of the enclosure and seemed reluctant to move around compared to the normal movements of the healthy chinchillas. The chest area was wet and had a crusty appearance. The chinchilla had not received vet care for this condition. ~ Animal 30: A white chinchilla was observed with a discharge from both eyes. This can be an indication of a more serious illness affecting the animal, and could possibly cause distress to the animal. The chinchilla had not yet received veterinary care for this issue. ~ Animal 31: In the Hut on the top row bin 1 a black and white guinea pig was observed with a crusty discharge from the left eye. The animal was not opening the eye fully, which may be an indication of discomfort. The guinea pig had not received veterinary care for this issue. ~ Animal 32: One light sable juvenile ferret housed in the Ferret / Rabbit room had a right eye that was partially closed and had an accumulation of light brown crusty debris present. ~ Animal 33: One tricolor Abyssinian-type guinea pig was present in the "Hut" building on the male rack, row #5, tub #3 (co-housed with 13 other guinea pigs). This guinea pig had a small circular area of hair loss just above the nose with a small central scab. The surrounding skin was dry and crusty. ~ Animal 34: One light tricolor rough coated "teddy-bear" type guinea pig was present in the "Hut" building on the male rack, row #5, tub #3 (co-housed with 14 other guinea pigs). This guinea pig had a right eye that was being held partially closed and had brown crusty debris on the upper and lower lid accumulating in the corner of the eye closest to the nose. ~ Animal 35: One white Abyssinian-type guinea pig with a brown patch near the eye was present in the "Hut" building on the male rack, row #2, tub #8 (co-housed with 14 other guinea pigs). This guinea pig had a left eye that was being held partially closed. There was a small amount of crusty debris accumulated along the lower lid and at the corner nearest the eye. ~ Animal 36: One grey agouti with white guinea pig with a single rosette on the head (Crested / American-type) was present in the "Hut" building of the male rack, row #4, box #8 (co-housed with 9 other guinea pigs). This guinea pig had a left eye that was completely sealed shut with brown crusty debris. When examined the eye could not be opened with gentle wiping. The facility maintains an area within each room for animals requiring additional care, however, none of the animals listed above were identified by facility staff prior to inspection. All of these animals / enclosures were mixed with the general population of animals in their respective rooms. The clinical signs of hair loss, eye abnormalities, loose stool / diarrhea, and general lethargy / depression are all indicators of ill-health or disease. These conditions can result from multiple causes including traumatic injury and infectious diseases, or other causes. Depending on the underlying cause, left untreated these conditions may progress leading additional unnecessary animal suffering. Animals exhibiting advanced signs of disease such as generalized lethargy, depression, and weight loss are also at an increased risk of death when left untreated and several dead animals were found in the above enclosures. Additionally, pre-weaning juvenile animals whose mothers' have died are at significant risk of suffering and or death if appropriate steps are not taken to properly diagnose the cause of death, provide appropriate treatment and supportive care, or humanely euthanize individuals if they are not old enough to self-feed and survive on their own. All licensees are required to implement appropriate methods for adequate veterinary care including the use of methods to prevent, control, diagnose, and treat disease for all animals. Appropriate diagnosis and treatment of these animals is necessary to ensure humane care. Correct by reporting these animals to the attending veterinarian and having them examined by a licensed veterinarian for diagnosis and the development of an appropriate treatment plan for each animal condition. Documentation of this examination, the treatment plan, implementation of the treatments, and recommendations for prevention / control of disease spread to the remaining animals shall be maintained by the licensee for examination by APHIS Officials upon request. To be completed by: 8 January 2016 Note: Facility representatives brought several animals to the attending veterinarian as they were identified during inspection. The animals received immediate appropriate attention. Documentation of examination by the attending veterinarian and the treatment recommendations was provided to APHIS Officials for many of the most severely affected animals during the inspection and prior to the exit interview. *** In addition to the animals requiring veterinary care for physical ailments listed above, one Roborovski dwarf hamster exhibiting an abnormal repetitive (stereotypic) behavior was identified by inspectors. This tan hamster was cohoused with 7 other Roborovski dwarf hamsters in box 3 of the hallway near room 5 of the main building and was observed for several minutes during which time it consistently jumped in "back flip" motion. The animal would backflip, run several paces forward into the same starting position and then back flip again, repeating this process greater than 20 times in a row with little to no deviation to the behavior. The animal continued this behavior even when other animals in the enclosure walked in its path only making minor alterations as were necessary to continue the behavior. APHIS Officials were able to disrupt the behavior by talking or moving the enclosure at which time the animal burrowed and/or ate a few bites of food, only to return to the stereotypic behavior shortly after. APHIS Officials returned to this area to observe the animal again approximately 30 minutes later at which time the animal was still preforming this abnormal behavior. The facility representative stated that this had not been observed by the facility previously and no steps had been taken to identify or address the cause. Abnormal repetitive behaviors often called stereotypies are a behavioral indicator of stress and can be detrimental to the animal. All licensees are required to use appropriate methods to prevent control, diagnose, and treat diseases and injuries including this type of behavioral disease. Correct by having this animal examined by the attending veterinarian so that appropriate methods for diagnosis, treatment, and continued monitoring can be taken to identify and correct the cause of the behavior. A record of this examination, treatment recommendations, and implementation of the treatment plan shall be maintained by the facility for review by APHIS Officials upon request. To be completed by: 12 January 2016

The licensee currently lacks adequate guidance to personnel regarding euthanasia of animals conducted by the facility. The Methods used for Euthanasia were not adequately described in the Program of veterinary Care stating only that animals could be euthanized by either the veterinarian or the licensee and by Carbon Dioxide or Sodium Pentobarbital but not differentiating who was permitted to use which method, for which species, or what staff training was required. When APHIS officials questioned facility personnel in charge of performing euthanasia and the methods which they were trained, the reply was that the procedure was " (cid:28)learned on the internet"(cid:29). The licensee must seek adequate guidance from the Attending Veterinarian (AV) and ensure that all employees are appropriately trained in these techniques including positive determination of death as directed by the AV before they are allowed to perform these responsibilities. A complete description of the methods used including a description of these procedures and designation for which species it is appropriate must be included in the program of veterinary care. Failure to obtain adequate guidance from the AV regarding this topic may result in deviation from acceptable practices without the veterinarian(cid:25)s' knowledge and lead to unnecessary animal suffering. Correct by ensuring that additional guidance as described above is incorporated into the PVC and that records of staff training in these methods are maintained from this point forward. To be completed by: 18 January 2016

Several escaped animals were observed in multiple buildings throughout the inspection. This included loose hamsters observed in the trailer, the chinchilla area of the main building, and the hut. Additionally, one escaped guinea pig was observed in the hut and one escaped chinchilla was observed in the hamster area of the main building. Injury can occur from falls and exposure to dangerous substances when an animal escapes out of its enclosure. In addition, there were several hamster enclosures observed with full thickness cracks in the bottoms, some of which were covered with tape. Correct by ensuring that all primary enclosures are maintained in good repair and that they properly contain the animals. Additionally ensure worn enclosure must be replaced when necessary. To be completed by: 8 February 2016

When APHIS officials questioned an employee about the sanitation schedule for cleaning of the feeders in the hamster rooms, they were told that the feeders were cleaned only when they were contaminated or when the hamster is removed from the room at the end of the breeding span. This may be as great as 21 weeks. In addition, approximately 1 out of every 25 feeders had a buildup of rust observed. This frequency of sanitization is inadequate and can allow a buildup of dust and debris on the food, which may lead to illness. All licensees must ensure that food receptacles are kept clean and must be sanitized at least once every 2 weeks or as often as necessary to prevent deterioration of food. Correct by ensuring that these receptacles are cleaned and sanitized as required from this point forward. To be completed by: 18 January 2016

The wash area in the Hut building did not have hot water readily available to clean enclosures, food, and water receptacles. The facility representative stated that the hot water has been turned off at the heater due to leaking valves and that it must be turned on at the water heater. APHIS officials observed employees using the wash area, but when the water temperature in sinks was assessed by touch it was found to be ice cold. Employees appear to be washing the enclosures with cold water. When the valves were turned on at the hot water heater by management the water did in fact become hot at the washing station. Cold water is not as effective at removing excreta, bacteria, or other contaminants and this practice will not result in enclosures being adequately sanitized which may possibly lead disease transmission and other negative health impact on the animals. Licensees must ensure that primary enclosures are sanitized using hot water of 180 degrees and soap or detergent as in a mechanical cage wash, by washing with a detergent solution and then using an appropriate disinfectant, or by cleaning with live steam. Correct by ensuring repairing that there is a continuous supply of hot water available for cleaning and disinfection or by using an alternate method as allowed by regulation. To be completed by: 18 January 2016

A domestic cat was observed sleeping in an open shipping container in the Hut building. This building houses guinea pigs contained in primary enclosures that are large, open toped bins. The primary enclosures are not designed in a manner that would exclude this free roaming cat (or other animals) from entering the bins. Cats are a predatory animal and may injure or cause unnecessary stress to the guinea pigs. In addition, this could negatively affect the health of the animals contributing to the spread of disease either carried from the outside or from enclosure to enclosure. When identified by inspectors, the cat was removed from the building and then noticed walking into the room again from the rear of the building shortly afterwards. When attempting to determine how the cat was back, inspectors observed that the back door to the Hut building did not close or latch properly. A bleach bottle was observed holding the door closed, however, this bottle could not be propped in place when employees left through the back door allowing the cat to regain entry to the room. Guinea pigs must not be housed in the same primary enclosure as other species. Considering the guinea pigs in this area are housed in open bins and this cat can freely enter the building, it is clear that there is currently no method in place to prevent other animals from entering the guinea pig enclosures. Correct by ensuring that other species of animals, especially potential predators, are not permitted access to animal areas with open topped primary enclosures. Additionally, the facility must ensure that the door is repaired and closes securely to adequately protect the animals contained in this building. Corrected at the time of inspection

There was a buildup of hair, urine scale and debris observed in the majority of the rabbit enclosures. The buildup of brown urine scale in the corners of these cages was enough that it was off the wire creating a (cid:28)lumpy(cid:29) 3-dimensional appearance. The facility representative stated that these cages are regularly brought outside the building and pressure washed and then disinfected using a bleach solution outdoors. This accumulation of urine scale is significant enough to indicate that the current cleaning and disinfection procedures are either not adequate or not being done with sufficient frequency to meet the required cleaning requirements. This condition is insanitary and can harbor bacteria and possibly cause the rabbits to become ill. All enclosures must be kept reasonably free of excreta, hair and other debris. Additionally, the enclosures must be sanitized at least every 30 days in accordance with 3.56(b). Correct by ensuring that these enclosures are cleaned and sanitized at a higher frequency or through alternate methods in order to prevent this condition. To be completed by: 18 January 2016