Diarrhea in Neonatal Rats
Gades, N.M..; Mandrell, T.D..; Rogers, W.P..
Contemporary Topics in Laboratory Animal Science 38(6): 44-46
1999
ISSN/ISBN: 1060-0558 PMID: 12086449 Document Number: 504406
A litter of eight 10- to 12-day-old SPF Sprague-Dawley rat pups (Rattus norvegicus) was observed as runted, with rough, yellow-discolored hair coats and perineal scalding and soiling. The dam also had soft stool and perineal soiling. Both the dam and pups were active despite their unthrifty appearance. The clinical signs were consistent with diarrhea. Differential diagnoses for diarrhea in neonatal rats were considered, including bacterial, viral, and parasitic etiologies. The dam and pups were sacrificed, and the following diagnostic tests were performed: complete blood count, serology, necropsy, bacterial culture, and histopathology. Histopathology and culture results were consistent with a diagnosis of streptococcal enteropathy.