Prevalence and management practices of ophthalmic lesions in laboratory mice

The regular inspection of the eye health is an essential part of the veterinary care task in an animal facility in order to achieve robust results during experimentation. The aim of the study was to find out, when and how ocular diseases are recorded in laboratory animal facilities and what measures are taken. An online questionnaire was sent to people who work in a research environment and are involved in monitoring of animal wellbeing. In addition, an evaluation of 142 veterinary clinical cases in mice were carried out under routine conditions with the help of ophthalmological tools. 128 participants from three European countries took part in the survey. 93% stated, that eye changes, if recognized, are recorded during cage changing but in 70% of the responses, there was no systematic analysis of the underlying causes. The population study showed that technical aids are indispensable for the detection of eye lesions in mice. The survey and the population study show that although recommended, routine checks of the eye are rarely carried out and usually without suitable technical aids. From the point of view of good veterinary practice, more attention should be paid to the ocular health in laboratory animal husbandry.