Risk-based approach to the health monitoring of dogs, cats, ferrets

Laboratory predatory mammals (dogs, cats and ferrets) are animals that make valuable contributions to biomedical research as test systems in drug trials, despite the tendency to exclude highly sophisticated animals from experimentation. However, there are experiments in which researchers cannot yet abandon predatory mammals for a number of reasons. Their size plays an important role here; the animals are relatively large. In addition, a number of diseases that are modeled only on these animals, due to the receipt of more accurate models that are very similar to the processes occurring in humans. Health monitoring of laboratory animals, aimed at monitoring the condition of animals and maintaining their well-being, should be relevant for testing centers. The use of one provided list of pathogens for monitoring the health of animals in different territories remote from each other, in which there may be different epidemiological situations, different means of preventing infectious diseases, vaccines, etc., may be used, but it seems doubtful. In search of an up-to-date list of pathogens for control in laboratory predatory mammals in Russia, a risk assessment system was used, in particular the FMEA / FMECA method (Failure Mode Effect Analysis/Failure Mode Effect Criticality Analysis) — Analysis of the types and consequences of potential non-conformities. We used this method to evaluate the list of pathogens for laboratory primates, miniature pigs and rabbits. The risk assessment made it possible to identify some indicators from the international list of pathogens that are not relevant for the regions of the Russian Federation, as well as to detect several indicators that pose a danger to laboratory animals used in Russia, but are not included in the FELASA list, which should be taken into account when conducting health monitoring.