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Follow the links below to find material targeted to the unit's elements, performance criteria, required skills and knowledge

Elements and Performance Criteria

1. Prepare for procedures and maintain documentation
   • Comply with institutional protocols, policies and procedures as set down by the Animal Ethics Committee (AEC) and relevant legislative requirements, including WHS, at all times
   • Identify regulatory and project documentation requirements
   • Verify project reproductive and breeding program objectives
   • Revise, review, maintain and update records according to institutional policies and procedures
2. Monitor natural birth of transgenic offspring
   • Identify signs of parturition
   • Monitor birth and make decision to foster pups or leave with birth mother
   • House and monitor mother and offspring to minimise stress to animals
3. Perform caesarean procedures
   • Justify need for caesarean section and confirm AEC approval
   • Prepare equipment, including personal protective equipment and medications
   • Euthanase female by cervical dislocation or sedate and euthanase
   • Conduct caesarean procedure
   • Collect, identify, check and monitor pups
   • Euthanase birth mother (if not previously) and dispose of carcass according to legislative requirements
4. Foster pups onto clean mother
   • Verify clean or dirty status of the mother and separate handling and treatment areas of each group according to biosecurity requirements
   • Select and prepare foster mother prior to caesarean surgery of birth mother
   • Select and prepare area for fostering to ensure minimal stress to foster mother and pups
   • Allocate pups to foster mother and monitor bonding