Division of Comparative Medicine (DCM)

The Division of Comparative Medicine (DCM) is an academic Division of the Medical School. The chair of the division reports to the dean for research for all aspects of teaching, research, and professional programs. DCM provides programs of veterinary care, which include training, preventive medicine, clinical, and diagnostic professional services. The professional programs and services provided by DCM complement the animal care programs provided by the Vivarium.

Services

• Vendor evaluation and screening
• Quarantine health assessment
• Rodent health surveillance program
• Investigation of illness in individual animals and animal colonies
• Reporting of animal health problems to investigators
• Diagnosis of naturally occurring diseases
• Treatment of sick or injured animals
• Peri-operative care (including anesthesia induction, maintenance, and recovery)
• Preventative care (semiannual primate TB tests, annual cat and ferret exams)
• Necropsy of animals
• Phenotypic characterization of genetically modified rodents
• Veterinary consultation (animal observations, protocol reviews, experimental design, animal models, comparative medicine)
• Various technical services (including specimen and tissue collection, immunizations for antibody production, euthanasia, rodent pairing, and experimental treatments)
• Submission of animal specimens for diagnostic tests (e.g., MAP/RAP/HAP or PCR IMPACT analysis)
• C-section rederivations of rodents
• Radiology services
• DCM reference library
• Veterinary supplies and equipment
• Emergency veterinary care