ABSTRACT
Good, adequate veterinary care for laboratory animals is a moral, legal, and scientific responsibility. For laboratory rodents, the veterinary care program can be directed to an individual animal or to the entire colony. It not only involves the diagnostic assessment of a sick animal, being composed of multiple components (e.g., quarantine and sentinel programs) serving the general and ultimate purpose of maintaining the entire colony’s health and well-being. When a single animal is sick, it is best to identify other colony animals manifesting similar clinical findings and establish a prevalence rate for the diagnosed disease. More often than not, a factor common to the sick animals in a group can be established. This can help identify the cause of the problem and prevent additional morbidity and mortality.
