{"topic_id":"exotic_tox_rat_mouse_caging","category":"exotic-pet-toxicology","context":"---\ntopic_id: exotic_tox_rat_mouse_caging\ncategory: exotic-pet-toxicology\ntitle: \"Rat/mouse caging hazards — wire-mesh floors cause limb fractures; softwood bedding induces liver enzymes\"\nlang: en\nsource: \"Merck Veterinary Manual (merckvetmanual.com) — non-Open-Access; paraphrased derived fact summary per COPYRIGHT_POLICY §3.\"\nsource_file: [pdf-raw/exotic-health/mvm_mice_rats_pets_2026.txt, pdf-raw/exotic-toxicology/rat-mouse.txt]\ndate_parsed: 2026-08-27\ntokens_estimated: 170\nverification:\n  method: paraphrase\n  claims: 3\n  passed: 3\n  date: 2026-08-27\nrecovered: false\npath: exotic-pet-toxicology/exotic_tox_rat_mouse_caging/01_exotic_tox_rat_mouse_caging.md\nsource_document: \"Merck Veterinary Manual (professional veterinary reference)\"\ncitation:\n  authority: \"Merck Veterinary Manual\"\n  title: \"Rat/mouse caging hazards — wire-mesh floors cause limb fractures; softwood bedding induces liver enzymes\"\n  url: \"https://www.merckvetmanual.com/exotic-and-laboratory-animals/rodents/mice-and-rats-as-pets\"\n  retrieved: \"2026-07-28\"\n  ref: \"\"\n  doc_type: \"professional veterinary reference\"\n  needs_review: false\nlicense: paraphrase\ncopyright_note: \"Source Merck Veterinary Manual (merckvetmanual.com) is © Merck & Co., Inc. and not openly licensed; per COPYRIGHT_POLICY §3 all claims are paraphrased derived fact summaries (numbers and proper nouns preserved, sentences rewritten), not verbatim quotations.\"\nauthority_tier: T3\nauthority_tier_basis: \"T3:vet-ref\"\nauthority_tier_date: 2026-08-27\n---\n\n# Rat/mouse caging hazards — wire-mesh floors cause limb fractures; softwood bedding induces liver enzymes\n\nSource: Merck Veterinary Manual (merckvetmanual.com), a copyrighted veterinary reference. Per COPYRIGHT_POLICY §3, the points below are paraphrased derived fact summaries: numerical values and proper nouns are preserved from the source, but sentences are rewritten and not quoted verbatim.\n\n## Claims\n\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* For pet mice and rats, choose a cage built from material the animals cannot destroy by chewing or digging at the corners and that cleans and deodorizes readily; a solid floor is acceptable provided it is waterproof and easy to clean.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Avoid wire-mesh floors: feet — the hindlimbs in particular — can catch in the openings, causing fractures and other injuries.\n- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Softwood bedding was shown to induce drug-metabolizing enzymes in liver microsomes of mice and rats (Vesell ES, Science 1967;157(3792):1057-1058).\n\n---\n## License & attribution\n\nSource: Merck Veterinary Manual (merckvetmanual.com) is © Merck & Co., Inc. and not openly licensed. Per COPYRIGHT_POLICY §3, every claim above is a paraphrased derived fact summary (numbers and proper nouns preserved, sentences rewritten), not a verbatim quotation.\n\n- https://www.merckvetmanual.com/exotic-and-laboratory-animals/rodents/mice-and-rats-as-pets\n","sources":["exotic-pet-toxicology — Rat/mouse caging hazards — wire-mesh floors cause limb fractures; softwood bedding induces liver enzymes (retrieved 2026-08-27)"],"source":{"authority":"exotic-pet-toxicology","title":"Rat/mouse caging hazards — wire-mesh floors cause limb fractures; softwood bedding induces liver enzymes","url":"https://www.merckvetmanual.com/exotic-and-laboratory-animals/rodents/mice-and-rats-as-pets","retrieved":"2026-08-27","ref":"","doc_type":"official PDF","source_document":"Merck Veterinary Manual (professional veterinary reference)","verification_file":"[pdf-raw/exotic-health/mvm_mice_rats_pets_2026.txt, pdf-raw/exotic-toxicology/rat-mouse.txt]"},"source_document":"Merck Veterinary Manual (professional veterinary reference)","source_file":"[pdf-raw/exotic-health/mvm_mice_rats_pets_2026.txt, pdf-raw/exotic-toxicology/rat-mouse.txt]","trust":{"authority_tier":"T3","fidelity":"paraphrase","license":"paraphrase","display_grade":"B"},"tokens_estimated":180,"generated_at":null,"tip":"Use /api/v1/topics to discover more topics. /api/v1/nutrient for precise single-point queries. /api/v1/cross_compare for 2-3 standard comparisons."}