What is the role of the Attending Veterinarian in daily welfare monitoring?

• A. Only paperwork completion at the end of the study.
• B. Handling all experimental data analysis.
• C. Regular health assessments, treatment of illnesses, advising on welfare concerns, and ensuring veterinary oversight of protocol compliance.
• D. Designing the experimental protocol without welfare input.

Answer: (C)

Daily welfare monitoring hinges on proactive veterinary oversight that actively safeguards animal well-being. The Attending Veterinarian acts as the clinical lead for the animal care program, performing regular health assessments to detect illness or signs of pain early, and authorizing or providing treatments as needed. They advise on welfare concerns, help implement analgesia and humane endpoints, and ensure that the study stays compliant with approved welfare standards through continuous veterinary oversight of the protocol. This collaborative, hands-on role keeps welfare considerations integrated into everyday care, rather than relegated to paperwork at the end, left to data analysis, or ignored during protocol design.