lab animals

Mice

• easy to maintain

• Prolific breeder

• Possess great genetic diversity

Rats

• easily maintained

• Make excellent pets

• Easily for surgical manipulation

• Sample collection

Rabbits

• can be house trained

• Pets

• Shows

• Research

• Food/fur/byproducts

Mouse species

Mus Musculus

Mouse And rat mother

Dam

Mouse and rat father

Sire

Mouse and rat parturition and offspring

Pup for both

Rat species

Rattus norvegicus

Rabbit species

Oryctolagus caniculus

Rabbit mother

Doe

Rabbit father

Buck

Rabbit parturition

Kindle

Rabbit offspring

Kit/ kittling

Mice and rats order

Rodentia

Rabbit order

Lagomorpha

Mice animal handling

1. Grasp gently but firmly at base of tail with dominant hand

2. Scruff the mice was still holding the tail with non dominant hand

3. Pick up mouse and lay it back on non dominant hand, and grasp the tail again with other fingers in non dominant hand

Rat animal handling

1. Do not scruff, it is stressful for them and rats are docile so they don’t even need it

2. Grasp firmly at base of tail

3. For finer restraint: grasp whole body and circle thumb and index around forelimbs while rest of fingers support the chest. Use other hand tp support lower body/tail

Rabbit handling

• Always support hindquarters- trap skin over shoulder with one hand, support hindquarters with other hand

• Most secure method: grasp rabbit’s scruff with one hand, tuck head under bend of other elbow while supporting weight with that forearm

• Do not life rabbit by ears

• Restraint box or cat bag for longer restraint

Temporary identification

• felt tip marker on ear

• Color a patch of fur, usually for albino/ light colored

• Shave a patch of fur

Permanent identification

• ear punching

  • Notch near the edge or hole in middle of ear

• Ear tagging

• Implanting a numerically coded transponder microchip

Lifespan

• Mouse: 1-2

• Rat: 2-4

• Rabbit: 5-6

Breeding onset (F/m)

• mouse: 6-7/6-8 weeks

• Rat: 9-10/10-11 weeks

• Rabbit: 5/6 months

Estrous cycle

• mouse: 4-5 days

• Rat: 4-5 days

• Rabbit:15-16 days (induced)

Gestation length

• mouse: 19-21 days

• Rat: 20-22 days

• Rabbit: 31-32 days

Weaning age

• mouse: 21 days

• Rat: 21 days

• Rabbit: 4-8 weeks

Litter size

• mouse: 10-12

• Rat: 9-11

• Rabbit: 7-9

Lee-boot effect

• synchronize females by housing them together

• They will enter a state of persistent diestrus

Whitten effect

• introduce the bedding from a male into a cage of females

• They will be in estrus about 3 days later

Sample cells from the vagina with a small swab

• reveals different cells depending on stage of cycle

Vulva appearances

• diestrus- smaller vulva and its dry

• Proestrus and estrus- vulva moister, pink in color, more open (caused by rising levels of estrogen)

• Metestrus- vulva is enlarged

Mice and rats applied nutrition

• omnivorous

• Monogastric digestive system

• Adult rats: consume approx 5g of feed and 10 ml of water per day for every 100g of BW

Rabbits applied nutrition

• concentrate selectors

• Rabbits naturally select foods higher in energy density

• Non ruminant herbivores with enlarged hind gut—> caprophagy

• Coprophagy- re ingestion of soft feces

  • Behavior highest when diet is high in non digestible fiber

  • Provides essential components of rabbit nutrition- vitamins, microbial protein, volatile fatty acids

Standard photoperiod

• 14 hours light, 10 hours dark

OR

• 12 hours light, 12 hours dark

Mice housing

• cages: 96.7 cm²/15 in² of floor area/ animal for group housed mice

• Female with a liter: cage 330 cm²/51 in² of floor area

• Recommended temp: 20-26 C/ 68-79 F

• Humidity: 30-70%

Rats housing

• Cage: 451 cm²/ 70 in² of floor area/animal for group of adult rats

• Female with a litter: 800 cm²/ 124 in² of floor area

• 20-26 C/ 68-79 F

Rabbit housing

• cages: 0.46 m²/ 5 ft² of loor area/animal for group housed or housed in pairs

• Recommended temp: 16-22 C/ 61-72