Rat/mouse caging hazards — wire-mesh floors cause limb fractures; softwood bedding induces liver enzymes
Source: 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.
Claims
- *[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.
- *[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.
- *[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).
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License & attribution
Source: 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.
- https://www.merckvetmanual.com/exotic-and-laboratory-animals/rodents/mice-and-rats-as-pets