Teachers who use animals must keep clear and accurate records of:
- The number of guinea pigs owned or kept at the school
- Identification of individual animals (by description of markings or photos)
- The dates and sources of acquisition of each guinea pig
- Disposal details and dates for each animal
- Dietary details for guinea pigs
- Complete breeding records
- The dates and types of husbandry practices carried out
- The name, dosage, batch number, expiry date, withholding period and dates of any chemicals administered
- Any accident, illness or injury involving school animals and the veterinary treatment provided (if required).
- Any significant occurrences that adversely affect the welfare of school animals, such as vandalism, outbreak of disease etc.
The type and format of the records maintained will vary from school to school and be dependent on the number of animals kept, number of staff involved in maintaining the records and the layout and location of the rooms used for housing the animals.
The minimum requirement is a daily diary that is accessible to all staff that is involved in the care and use of the animals.
Where there are several staff members involved in the care of animals it is essential that there is a mechanism for each staff member to document notes about the general health status of school animals and that these notes are available to all other staff members who may be involved in animal care.