Rodents

Rodents

For Custom Diets, scroll down

About Rats

About Mice

About Hamsters

Care, Feeding, & Physiology

Researchers conducted the earliest vitamin research on rats in the early 1900's. Rats are popular today in other types of research, such as psychological and biological tests, because they're easy to use. It is possible to evaluate the effects of minute amounts of experimental material on rats—tests that are impractical with larger animals.

Physiologically, rats are similar to other single-stomached animals, except for their lack of a gall bladder and their diffuse pancreas, an organ that is well-formed in other monogastric animals. Three bile ducts lead directly from the liver to the duodenum. The best research results are obtained from uniformly sized rats that are produced in closed colonies. By using rats from the same source you can ensure uniformity of size, good reproduction, and fewer genetic variations.

Psychological tests have proven that rats are highly intelligent and sensitive. They need attention and will usually come to the front of their cages when a human being approaches. Frequent handling of the animals will make them gentle and easier to control. Handling will permit you to check them for physical defects and the presence of external parasites. A gentle, firm grip around the thoracic cavity is comfortable for the rat, while still restricting movement.

Strains of inbred mice are a special category of animals for research uses. Usually inbred mice have higher mortality and poorer growth rates than outbred mice. They are subject to cannibalism, uneven temperaments, and some birth defects. But these mice do serve important functions. Various strains are bred to have inborn errors of metabolism and other genetic anomalies that aid the biologist in gaining an in-depth knowledge of abnormal reactions.

On arrival at the laboratory, new mouse shipments should be placed in quarantine and the shipping material should be burned. It is best, if possible, to avoid mixing animals that come from different suppliers.

Gentle handling of the mouse is important because it affects its disposition. Gloves or forceps should never be used to pick up a mouse. It's easier to catch the active mouse if you use your hand as a dipper and hold the mouse's body gently in the palm of your hand, letting the head stick out between your thumb and forefinger.

Individual mice are hard to differentiate in a group. The ear punch method of marking is a practical way to identify up to 100 mice. If more than 100 are in a colony, toe clipping and fur dyeing can be used as alternative methods.

Three types of hamsters are commonly used in laboratory research:

The Golden hamster (a/k/a Syrian Golden hamster) is the most popular. This breed's name may be misleading, since its color may range from albino to dark brown with a light gray belly. The Golden hamster has twice as many chromosomes as the other breeds, with 44. It has a friendly, gentle disposition and it more easily adapts to captivity than the European or Chinese hamsters, making it preferred among breeders and researchers.

The European hamster is also known as a black-bellied hamster for a good reason; it has a black belly and brown back.

The Chinese hamster has striped sides, thus is sometimes referred to as a striped hamster.

Hamsters are docile if treated kindly and given a comfortable cage. During the day they often sleep, but at night they are very active and require room in which to exercise.

Anatomically, the hamster is more like the rat than any other member of the rodent family. Its large cheek pouches and short stubby tail clearly distinguish it from other lab rodents. The pouches are valuable to researchers interested in studying circulation because part of the circulatory system is very near the surface in this area.

Custom Diets

Thousands of custom diets have been formulated for rodents; we can repeat or modify any existing diet or create new formulas for your specific research requirements.

Several examples of custom rodent diets—

Commonly known as:	Description	Grain-Based = G or Purified = P	TestDiet^® Formula # or Product #
5700-B	Modified Rodent LabDiet^® 5001 with no added NaCl (0.14% total sodium)	G	570B
5700-C	Modified Rodent LabDiet^® 5001 with 2% added NaCl (1.17% total sodium)	G	5TXA
5001-3	Modified Rodent LabDiet^® 5001 with 4% added NaCl (1.95% total sodium)	G	5G03
5001-2	Modified Rodent LabDiet^® 5001 with 8% added NaCl (3.5% total sodium)	G	57BQ
5703-K	Modified Rodent LabDiet^® 5001 with 4% Cholesterol; 1% Sodium Cholate	G	5703-K
5705-I	Modified Rodent LabDiet^® 5001 with 5% Cholesterol; 2% Sodium Cholate	G	5705-I
5705-J	Modified Rodent LabDiet^® 5001 with 1% Cholesterol	G	57BU
5709-7	Modified Rodent LabDiet^® 5001 with 4% Cholesterol; 2% Sodium Cholate	G	5709-7
5755	Basal Diet	P	5755
5759	Fiber-Free Diet	P	5759
5759-1	6% Fiber Diet	P	5759-1
5759-5	12% Fiber Diet	P	5759-5
5759-7	10% Fiber Diet	P	5759-7
5759-9	3% Fiber Diet	P	5759-9
5765	Protein-Free TestDiet®	P	5765
5767	5% Protein	P	5767
5769	8.5% Protein	P	5769
5771	12.5% Protein	P	5771
5773	16.5% Protein	P	5773
5775	20.5% Protein	P	5775
5776	23.5% Protein	P	5776
5779	40% Protein	P	5779
5787	High Protein 60%	P	5787
5787-9	Low Carbohydrate Diet (1.9%)	P	590N
5791	High Fat Diet 25%	P	5791
5793	High Fat Diet 30%	P	5793
5795	Cholesterol Free	P	5795
5797	0.5% Cholesterol Diet	P	5797
5799	2% Cholesterol Diet	P	5799
5800	AIN-76 - Am. Inst. of Nutrition Rodent Diet (original 1976 version)	P	57I2
5800-B	AIN-76A - Am. Inst. of Nutrition Rodent Diet (1977 revision)	P	58B0
5801	5% Cholesterol Diet	P	5801
5801-G	AIN-93G - Am. Inst. of Nutrition Rodent Diet-Growth & Gestation (1993)	P	57W5
5801-M	AIN-93M - Am. Inst. of Nutrition Rodent Diet-Mature & Maintenance (1993)	P	58M1
5803	Low Essential Fatty Acid (EFA) Diet	P	5803
5810	High Carbohydrate Diet (70%)	P	5810
5821	Nicotinic Acid Deficient Diet (0.8 ppm)	P	5821
5822-5	Vitamin A Deficient Diet	P	5T2P
5826-5	Vitamin D Deficient Diet	P	5B7Q
5827	Vitamin E Deficient Diet (<0.001%)	P	5B9G
5829	Ascorbic Acid Deficient Diet	P	58M1
5831	Folic Acid Deficient Diet (<0.14 ppm)	P	5T0F
5831-2 or 58C3	Folic Acid Deficient Diet (<0.05 ppm) with 1% succinylsulfathiozole added	P	5T2L
5833	Thiamin Deficient Diet (0.06 ppm)	P	5A8H
5835	Vitamin B12 Deficient Diet	P	5835
5836	Biotin Deficient Diet	P	5836
5837	Pantothenic Acid Deficient Diet	P	5837
5838	Riboflavin Deficient Diet	P	5A8P
5839	Pyridoxine Deficient Diet (0.5 ppm)	P	5839
5850	Low Potassium Diet (0.01%)	P	58TE
5855	Low Calcium Diet (0.02%)	P	5855
5857	Low Phosphate Diet (0 .2%)	P	5857
5857-2	Low Phosphate Diet with Blood Fibrin (0.07%)	P	5857-2
5859	Low Iron Diet (20-25 ppm)	P	5859
5861	Low Fluoride Diet (< 2 ppm)	P	5861
5863	Low Manganese Diet	P	5863
5865	Low Magnesium Diet (80 ppm)	P	5865
5880	Low Chloride Diet	P	5880
5881	Low Sodium Diet (0.03% Na)	P	5881
5881	Low Sodium (0.03% Na)	P	5881
5882-5	Low Sodium/Low Chloride (0.03% Na; 0.05% Cl)	P	5882-5
5882-5	Low Sodium/Low Chloride Diet (0.03% Na; 0.055% Cl)	P	5882-5
5883	High Sodium Diet (3.15% Na)	P	5883
5883	High Sodium (3.15% Na)	P	5883
5884	Low Selenium Diet (< 0.035 ppm)	P	5884
5886	Low Zinc Diet (8-10 ppm)--Casein Base	P	5886
5887	Zinc Control Diet (20 ppm)--Egg White Base	P	5887
5888	Low Zinc Diet (1-2 ppm)--Egg White Base	P	5888
5890	Low Copper Diet (< 2 ppm)	P	5890
58G6	Ultra-high fat purified diet in a "cookie dough" consistency. 70& kcal fat.	P	58G6
58G7	TestDiet^® DIO diet - 12% kcal fat - control - pellet or powder	P	58G7
58G8	TestDiet^® DIO diet - 45% kcal fat - high-fat - pellet or powder	P	58G8
58G9	TestDiet^® DIO diet - 60% kcal fat - very-high-fat - pellet or powder	P	58G9
58H0	TestDiet^® DIO diet - 70% kcal fat - ultra-high fat - "cookie dough" consistency.	P	58H0
58V8	Purified, high-fat diet for obesity research. 45% kcal fat.	P	58V8
58Y1	Very-high-fat purified diet in an easy to use pellet form. 60% kcal Fat	P	58Y1
58Y2	Purified, low-fat control diet. 10% kcal fat	P	58Y2
5K92	Pico-Vac Rodent Soft Mix	G	5K92
5K96	Casein Based Diet	G	5K96
9267	TestDiet Purified Reward Tablet, Primate & Rodent, 45 mg	P	9267
9268	TestDiet Purified Reward Tablet, Primate & Rodent, 120 mg	P	9268
9269	TestDiet Purified Reward Tablet, Primate & Rodent, 190 mg	P	9269
AIN-76	Am. Inst. of Nutrition Rodent Diet (1976)	P	57I2
AIN-76A	Am. Inst. of Nutrition Rodent Diet (1977 revision)	P	58B0
AIN-93G	Am. Inst. of Nutrition Rodent Diet-Growth & Gestation (1993)	P	57W5
AIN-93M	Am. Inst. of Nutrition Rodent Diet-Mature & Maintenance (1993)	P	58M1
C11024	Non-Purified Sweetened Condensed Milk diet.	G	Please Inquire
C13002	Paigen's Atherogenic, Semi-Purified Rodent Diet.	G	Please Inquire
D10001	Am. Inst. of Nutrition Rodent Diet-Mature & Maintenance (1993)	P	58B0
D10012G	Am. Inst. of Nutrition Rodent Diet-Growth & Gestation (1993)	P	57W5
D10012M	Am. Inst. of Nutrition Rodent Diet-Mature & Maintenance (1993)	P	58M1
D11724	Purified, low fat diet with corn starch.	P