Rodent health monitoring sheet - Tumor Studies
Document all observations on the experimental health monitoring sheet. Alert the Attending Veterinarian of any ill or injured animals.
With ANY abnormal findings – please give specifics.
PI:
IACUC protocol:
Experimental Procedure:
Date of Experimental Procedure:
Date Animal or
Group ID
Body Condition &
Weight
(1-5 BCS scale)
Posture
(hunched, other vs normal)
Mobility &
Responsiveness
Hair coat
(norm-shiny, smooth vs. dull, rough)
Breathing
(norm vs. incr, decr, or with effort)
Eyes and Nose
(clear & open vs. discharge or closed)
Tumor
Diameter
( mm)
Ulceratio n
(Y/N)
Comments
Immediate Euthanasia Criteria:
●
Lethargy or non-responsiveness
●
●
●
Ataxia or circling
Labored breathing
Tumor that is ulcerated, bleeding, necrotic, or greater than 10% body weight
(see formula below)
Initials
●
Emaciation or significant loss of body condition (≤ BCS 2 or greater than 20% of body weight loss)
●
Significant pain or pain that does not respond to appropriate treatment
●
Mean tumor diameter exceeding 20mm in adult mice or 40mm in adult rats where Mean = (d+D)/2
Drafted March 2010; Revised July, 2012

Rodent health monitoring sheet - Tumor Studies
Document all observations on the experimental health monitoring sheet. Alert the Attending Veterinarian of any ill or injured animals.
With ANY abnormal findings – please give specifics.
Guidelines for monitoring parameters:
Body Condition:
To assess body condition the animal should be observed for the prominence of the vertebrae and the hip bones. Animals in normal body condition have barely visible vertebrae and hip bones. Animals that are thin or emaciated have very prominent vertebrae and hip bones. Animals should be weighed at the beginning of a tumor study to accurately evaluate tumor growth. However, during the study it may be more appropriate to use body condition to assess the health of the animal because with tumor growth, the weight of the animal may not change despite the loss of body fat and muscle tissue (emaciation).
BCS1: If a rat or mouse is found in this condition, euthanasia must be performed.
BCS2: At this stage, as the animal progresses from BCS3 to BCS2, more careful observation is warranted.
Supportive care (moistened food on the cage floor, plus a water source, plus other calorie sources – such as sunflower seeds or cereal) should be initiated, if it would not interfere with the outcome of the experiment. If data can be obtained once the rodent has reached this point, euthanasia is required.
BCS3: This is optimal rodent body condition.
BCS4: The animal is beginning to gain weight.
BCS5: The animal is obese. The feeding of a lower-fat, lower-protein chow may be considered at this point for optimal health.
Posture:
Rodents normally have a slight curvature to the back when standing on all four feet. Hunched posture indicates discomfort or illness.
Mobility:
Rodents should be able to move freely, bearing weight equally on all four legs and changing directions with ease. Limping, stumbling, or walking in circles in only one direction (usually accompanied by tilting of the head in the direction of movement) are indicators of pain or illness.
Responsiveness:
Healthy rodents are easily roused if sleeping and will respond immediately to noises or touching during observation. Minimal responsiveness or exaggerated responsiveness to stimuli are indicators of illness and usually require immediate euthanasia.
Drafted March 2010; Revised July, 2012

Rodent health monitoring sheet - Tumor Studies
Document all observations on the experimental health monitoring sheet. Alert the Attending Veterinarian of any ill or injured animals.
With ANY abnormal findings – please give specifics.
Hair coat:
Normal grooming behavior keeps the animals’ hair coats smooth and free of debris. The hair coat should uniformly cover the body, with no skin showing over the back and flanks.
Rough hair coats, ruffled fur, and mats are indicators of illness. Patchy hair loss and thinning of the hair coat can indicate disease. It is important to note that aged animals tend to have rougher hair coats with no apparent illness. Also, older rats, particularly males, tend to develop color changes on white areas of their coats, i.e. yellow or reddish/brown tinge.
Breathing:
Breathing should be smooth and effortless, with the mouth closed and no discharge from the nose. Labored breathing with exaggerated abdominal movement, open mouth breathing, and discharge from the nose are indicators of respiratory distress and must be addressed immediately.
Eyes and Nose:
The eyes and nose should be clear with no discharge or staining on the surrounding fur. In a healthy, awake animal the eyelids are completely retracted and the eyes protrude slightly from the orbits. Any discharge, bleeding, staining, or crusting around the eyes and nose indicate illness. Pronounced protrusion of one or both eyes, or drooping of one or both eyelids are indicators of illness or injury. It is important to note that rats have harderian glands behind their eyes that produce a reddish pigment, which can be seen staining the eyes, nose, and paws during times of illness. It can appear to be dried blood, but there is no blood in the secretions.
Injection/Incision site:
Injection and incision sites should be monitored for bleeding, discharge, swelling, and redness. Incisions from surgical procedures should be monitored daily for at least 1 week after the procedure to ensure adequate closure and healing.
Pain:
Rodents that are experiencing pain will typically guard the painful site and avoid having the area touched. Frequently animals will struggle and/or vocalize when the painful area is touched. Animals may also become aggressive and try to bite when in pain. Animals experiencing moderate pain or mild pain of prolonged duration should be treated with analgesics and other supportive therapies in consultation with the Attending Veterinarian. Animals in severe pain, or pain that is not responsive to therapy, should be euthanized immediately.
Tumors:
Solid tumors that are growing must be monitored a minimum of 3 times per week by the PI or designee. Rapidly growing tumors must be checked daily. Tumors should be assessed for size, ulceration, bleeding or drainage, and interference with normal animal functions, i.e. mobility, eating and drinking.
Endpoints for tumor studies:
1.
Tumor burden (combined burden if more than one mass present) greater than 10% body weight. a.
The weight reference is the weight of the animal on the day of tumor implantation b.
The mass of the tumor is calculated from the following formula- Mass (mg) = Tumor volume (mm 3 ) =d 2 x D/2 where d and D are the shortest and longest diameter in mm, respectively.
2.
Mean tumor diameter exceeding 20mm in adult mice or 40mm in adult rats where Mean = (d+D)/2
3.
Ulceration, infection, or necrosis of tumor
Drafted March 2010; Revised July, 2012