Veterinary care and husbandry at The Jackson Laboratory—West
Veterinary care and husbandry of production and dedicated colonies of JAX® Mice maintained at our Sacramento, CA facilities are upheld to The Jackson Laboratory's high standards of husbandry practices.
Transportation
Foundation Stocks are transported to The Jackson Laboratory—West in climate controlled trucks carrying only JAX® Mice. The mice are unpacked in a dedicated room under a BioSafety hood/change station and are housed in flexible-film isolators or in Thoren PIV (Pressurized Individually Ventilated) racks in our barrier rooms.
Bedding
The bedding is composed of Beta Chip® and is changed once a week. For more information on Beta Chip, please see the Northeastern Products Corp. web site.
Diet
Most strains of JAX® Mice maintained at The Jackson Laboratory—West are fed sterilized LabDiet® JL Rat and Mouse/Irr 6F 5LG4/5LL4. Strains with special dietary requirements are fed accordingly.
The following strains are maintained on LabDiet® JL Rat and Mouse/Irr 6F 5LG4/5LL4 at our Sacramento, CA facility and are fed LabDiet® NIH Rat and Mouse/Auto 6F 5K52/5K67 at our Bar Harbor facility.
- FVB/NJ (Stock Number 001800)
- CBySmn.CB17-Prkdcscid/J (Stock Number 001803)
- B6D2F1/J (Stock Number 100006)
- NOD.CB17-Prkdcscid/J (Stock Number 001303)
- B6.129P2-Apoetm1Unc/J (Stock Number 002052)
Drinking water is supplied from a local source and is acidified using hydrochloric acid to achieve a pH range of 2.8-3.1.
Health Monitoring
The health monitoring program is in accordance with standards established in Bar Harbor, Maine. The health status of mouse production colonies at our Sacramento, CA facility meets The Jackson Laboratory's Gold Standard, equivalent to our highest health status rooms in Bar Harbor. The Comparative Pathology Laboratory at The University of California at Davis provides health monitoring and veterinary care for The Jackson Laboratory—West. Mice maintained at our Sacramento, CA facility are routinely monitored using statistically valid sampling procedures and recognized testing protocols including serological and molecular techniques. The List of Agents Monitored page records the selected agents monitored in JAX® Mice, including bacteria, parasites, viruses, and fungi. Results of diagnostic tests are summarized by area, updated monthly, and posted on the JAX® Mice website. In addition, all shipments are accompanied by the corresponding Animal Health Report.
Genetic Monitoring
The Genetic Quality Control Department at The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine, performs genetic monitoring. Colonies at our Sacramento, CA facility are monitored for Genetic Quality Control in the same manner, using the same schedule as colonies in Bar Harbor. Genetic Quality Reports for JAX® Mice can be found at the Genetic Quality page on the JAX® Mice & Services website.
For additional information regarding the veterinary care and husbandry of JAX® Mice housed at The Jackson Laboratory—West, call 800-422-6423 or +1-207-288-5845. Alternatively, you may send an email to orderquest@jax.org.
