ABSTRACT
The characterization of animal models is becoming increasingly sophisticated. Animal species that reliably mimic human disease provide critical insights so that causative mechanisms can be understood and lead to the development of novel drugs, diagnostic procedures, and therapies. In the ardent hope to advance the clinical practice of contemporary rodent medicine, in housing facilities largely free of infectious diseases, individualized patient care is often prioritized over traditional herd (colony) health diagnostic approaches. As a subsequent benefit, improvements in individual animal health will augment overall colony health measures. Within these colonies, breeding success, production of offspring, and prolonged good health are invaluable. The continued commitment to financing biomedical research and maintaining vast colonies of laboratory rodent models is due to the sheer variety and prevalence of those with unique and irreplaceable genetic backgrounds.
