Mice and Rats: Care, Management, and Clinical Medicine

Vocabulary flashcards covering anatomy, behavior, housing, reproduction, pathology, and clinical procedures for laboratory and pet mice and rats.

Mus musculus

The scientific name for the pet mouse, which grows to about $3\text{--}4\text{ inches}$ in length, weighs around $30\text{ grams}$ ($1\text{ ounce}$) as an adult, and has an average lifespan of $1\text{--}2\text{ years}$.

Rattus norvegicus

The scientific name for the Norway rat, kept as both a pet and laboratory rat species, with an average adult body length of $9\text{--}11\text{ inches}$ and a lifespan of $2\text{--}3\text{ years}$.

Rodere

The Latin word meaning "to gnaw," from which the term rodent is derived.

Boggling

A "bug-eyed" behavior in rats that serves as a sign of contentment.

Bruxism

Teeth grinding in rodents; indicates contentment in rats, whereas it is typically a sign of pain in other species.

Coprophagic

The dietary behavior of consuming one's own feces, commonly practiced by mice and rats.

Rodent block

A commercial pelleted food that forms the basis of a mouse and rat diet, providing a hard chewing surface to wear down incisors and prevent malocclusion.

Anogenital distance

The anatomical spacing between the anus and genitalia used for sex determination in rodents, which is shorter in females and longer in males.

Pinkies

The term used for newborn mice and rats that are born hairless, blind, and altricial.

Whitten Effect

The reproductive phenomenon in which a group of female mice exposed to male urine begin cycling if they were previously not cycling.

Bruce Effect

The reproductive phenomenon in which pregnant female mice abort their litters when exposed to the scent or urine of an unfamiliar male.

Porphyrin (Chromodacryorrhea)

Red nasal and ocular discharge secreted by the Harderian gland; often mistaken for blood and commonly observed in overly stressed or sick mice and rats.

Harderian gland

The specialized lacrimal gland behind the eyes of rodents that secretes porphyrin.

Piloerection

Erection or bristling of the hair coat in rodents, often serving as a clinical indicator of pain.

Tyzzer's disease

A common, severe bacterial infection causing gastrointestinal disease in rodents characterized by diarrhea, dehydration, and high mortality.

Hypsodont teeth

Open-rooted teeth, such as the incisors of mice and rats, that continue to grow and erupt continuously throughout the animal's life.

Incisor Malocclusion

A condition where continuously erupting rodent incisors fail to wear down evenly and grow into each other, commonly caused by lack of gnawing materials or tooth trauma.

Dental burr

The specialized veterinary tool required for trimming overgrown rodent incisors; nail clippers should never be used.

Mycoplasma respiratory infection

A common bacterial respiratory infection in rats causing nasal discharge and dyspnea; it is often recurrent, creates lifelong carrier animals, and is treated with Doxycycline and Enrofloxacin.

Oral gavage

A method of administering liquid medication directly into the stomach using a small feeding tube passed down the esophagus.

Intraperitoneal (IP) injection

An injection route delivered directly into the lower right quadrant of the rodent's abdominal cavity.

Total blood volume (Rodents)

The standard circulating blood volume in mice and rats calculated at $60\,\text{ml/kg}$ of body weight, of which approximately $3\%$ can safely be drawn.