APHIS 7084, Pre-License Phone Discussion with Guinea Pig and Hamster Breeder/Dealer Applicant

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE
ANIMAL CARE
Pre-license Phone Discussion with Guinea Pig & Hamster Breeder/Dealer Applicant
INTERNAL USE
Background and General Facility Questions
 Have you been licensed with USDA-APHIS-Animal
Care before?
 If so, how long ago were you licensed and for what
timeframe?
o Can you tell me what happened to cause this
failure to renew your license?
o Tell me about your past inspection reports –
was anything cited, how were the problems
fixed?
o Were there any minor issues or concerns that
your inspector discussed with you previously
but did not put on the report?
o What measures have you taken to fix those
issues/concerns?
o Do you understand that there are no
“teachable moments” or minor issues for
these pre-license inspections?
 How many guinea pigs (or hamsters) are currently
under your control or at your facility?
 How many of these animals are intact females and
capable of being bred?
 Are these all of the animals and locations you are
using or intending to use for regulated purposes?
 Have you ever pled ‘no contest’ or have you ever
been found to have violated any Federal, State, or
local laws or regulations pertaining to animals?
When?
 Tell me about your facility and how and where your
animals are housed. What types of enclosures do you
utilize?
o Hamsters: Do you understand that all
hamsters must be housed indoors?
o Guinea pigs: Do you intend to house your
guinea pigs indoors, outdoors, or both?
o Do you understand that guinea pigs cannot be
housed outdoors unless your facility is located
in an appropriate climate, and prior approval
has been obtained from the department?
Animals Raised/Kept Inside the Home or Animals
Cohabitating with Humans (Reference Animal Welfare
Inspection Guide 4-22)
 Do you keep or raise animals in your home?
 Do you have a special room or area in your home that
is set aside specifically for the animals?
 If you do – do you understand that this animal area
will need to meet the requirements of indoor housing
including surfaces, ventilation, etc.? (need to refer to
indoor housing facility questions at this point)
 Do you understand that the areas of the home that are
available to the animals must be kept clean and safe
to ensure their well- being? (Safety hazards –
electrical cords, toxic plants, choking hazards, etc.)

APHIS Form 7084
OCT 2018

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Do you understand that all areas housing animals and
items associated with their care will need to be
inspected?

Indoor Facilities (not applicable to animals
cohabitating with humans):
 How is the facility heated and cooled and how is the
temperature regulated?
 What is the high temperature in the summer and the
low temperature in the winter inside the facility?
 Guinea pigs and hamsters must be housed in facilities
where temperatures are maintained between 60-85
degrees – are you able to meet this requirement?
 How do you monitor the temperature and humidity
levels?
 How is the facility ventilated? Doors, vents, windows,
or some other auxiliary ventilation system?
 How is the facility lighted? Are there windows or
skylights? What is the lighting schedule?
 Are interior surfaces including walls, floors, and
ceilings impervious to moisture? What is used to
make surfaces impervious to moisture?
 How often do you have maintenance issues that
require repair or replacement? Are these issues
currently fixed?
Enclosures and Sanitation
 What are the size of the cages? (length, width, and
height)
 What materials are the cages made of?
 How often do you repair or replace cages?
 How many animals do you house per cage?
 Do you ever house more than that number?
 What kind of enrichment do you use? (toys, exercise
wheels, chew sticks, etc.)
 How often do you clean and sanitize the enrichment
toys?
 How often do you spot clean?
 What cleaning products do you use to clean the
cages?
 What is the bedding and how often is it replaced or
refreshed?
 How often do you do a complete bedding change and
clean/sanitize the entire enclosure?
 Do you use hide boxes or tubing?
 How often are the hide boxes or tubing sanitized?
 How often do you change the bedding out of the hide
box?
 How often do you clean and sanitize food/water
receptacles?
 What type of water receptacles do you use?
o For automated watering systems or water
bottles, are the nipples specifically designed
for the species to reduce flooding and/or

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saturation of the bedding material near the
watering station?
For automated watering systems- how often
do you flush/clean the lines? How often do
you check to ensure each individual lixit is
working?
If you use ground watering dishes, are they
shallow enough to prevent drowning hazards
to young animals?

Veterinary and Health Issues
 Who is your Attending Veterinarian (AV)?
 What experience does your AV have with guinea
pigs/hamsters?
 Has your attending veterinarian visited recently?
When?
 What is your formal arrangement?
 How have you given your AV appropriate authority to
ensure that adequate care is provided to your
animals?
 Do you have a current, written program of veterinary
care (PVC) signed by your AV?
 Does the written PVC reflect what you actually do at
your facility?
 Does the PVC cover routine medications,
vaccinations, routine treatments including routine
dental care, and when needed, euthanasia?
 Do you have any expired or unlabeled medications?
 How often do you observe each animal and what do
you do when problems are discovered?
 How are problems recorded and communicated to
your AV?
 How do you maintain medical records?
 How often do you check the teeth of your animals?
 What do you do to correct misaligned or overgrown
incisor teeth?
 Do you offer any natural items (such as chew toys) to
assist in the healthy development of teeth and prevent
overgrowth?
 What method of euthanasia do you currently use?
Has this been authorized by you AV and included in
your written PVC?
o For CO2 euthanasia onsite by licensee or
employees- Do you have a CO2 Regulator?
Do you have a CO2 flow meter? Which
employees are authorized to conduct
euthanasia? What type of training do
employees receive? How do you confirm
death after animals have been euthanized
with CO2 (pulse, heartbeat, ocular reflex
test)?
Identification and Records
 How do you identify each animal?
 Are you familiar with APHIS Form 7019? (Record of
animals on hand other than Dogs and Cats.) Form is
not required but the information in 2.75 (b) (1) is.
 Have you documented the animals on hand with the
correct information using this form or a separate form?

APHIS Form 7084
OCT 2018

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Do you have all the acquisition information possible
(name, address, USDA license number, driver’s
license number, etc.)?
o If not – can you get at least directions to the
seller’s facility?
o A phone number?
o Some form of official identification?
Are you familiar with APHIS Form 7020? (Record of
Acquisition, Disposition, or Transport of Animals –
Other than Dogs and Cats) – Form is not required but
the information in 2.75 (b) (1) is. (Still need to ask this
question but need to make clear this is not required
for the PL.)

Feeding and Watering
 Describe the current diet being utilized at your facility.
 Is the diet homemade or commercial?
 Has this diet (adult & baby formula) been approved by
the AV?
 How do you maintain appropriate levels of Vitamin C
in your guinea pig diet? Has this been approved by
your AV?
 How is food stored? Is animal food separated from
food intended for human consumption? Is animal food
stored to prevent contamination
(chemicals/cleaners/medications/or any other nonfood items)?
 How are extra bags of food and extra bedding
material stored?
Additional Topics
 How do you manage pest control?
 How do you keep any vermin/rodent pest
management items stored to eliminate accidently
exposing your guinea pig/hamster colonies?
 Do you harem breed? (Ok for guinea pig, not
permitted for hamsters)
 Do you understand that all female hamsters and their
young must be housed separately?
 What is your routine maintenance plan?
 Who will be caring for the animals, apart from you?
o Have they had training in the care and
husbandry of the animals and are they familiar
with:
  your PVC
  your maintenance plans
  any other procedures you have in
place to ensure compliance
 Are there days and/or times during the week when
you are unavailable for routine inspections?
 Is there someone else who you can authorize to be
available for routine inspections?
 Do you understand the difference between regulated
and unregulated activity?
 Do you understand that you cannot conduct regulated
activity until you have a USDA license?
 Do you have your copy of the Animal Welfare Act
(“the blue book” or the CD)?
 Have you read through the regulations and standards
that apply to your facility and to your situation?

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Do you understand that you are legally responsible for
complying with all of them?
Are you aware that once the first pre-license
inspection is conducted, you have 90 days to
complete the inspection process with a maximum of
three inspections?
o It can take a week or two to schedule second
and third inspection so please allow for that
time to schedule inspections.
When the first pre-license inspection is conducted
(please allow at least 2-4 hours), some educational
components and tools will be presented. Once that is
completed, a physical inspection of the facility will be
conducted.
Do you understand that 100% compliance is required
to pass and receive a license?
Do you feel that you are ready for an inspection?
Do you have any questions?

APHIS Form 7084
OCT 2018

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