What procedures are best for testing a mouse colony for parasites and pathogens. I thought about taking a colony fecal to the vets. Treating the whole colony if anything shows up. What do others do?
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Testing mice for pathogens
pinky
Nov 11, 2004 10:09 AM
Replies (3)
DeMak
Nov 13, 2004 06:07 PM
If your colony is producing reasonably, testing is just an added expense. If production is low, it is probably cheaper to bleach everything and start over. I have always culled any animal that is ill. I never take any feeders to the vet.
DeMak
Kelly_Haller
Nov 13, 2004 06:19 PM
Collect fecal material randomly throughout the colony until you have a mass about the size of a small marble. Have it checked by a vet altogether as one fecal analysis. If you do have a parasite problem, all the mice will probably be infected. I check my colony as a routine once per year but have never found anything. Do you suspect a problem, or are you just checking?
Kelly
pinky
Nov 15, 2004 01:10 PM
Since the colony has never been checked, I thought to be on the safe side I should have a fecal done. I know I should test the whole colony and treat it if anything shows up. Once a year seems reasonable. Feral mice could enter without one's knowledge I presume, but if there are not any new introductions to the colony it should be clean.
