Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
5. Ulusal Laboratuvar Hayvanları Bilimi Kongresi , İstanbul, Türkiye, 14 - 16 Eylül 2023, cilt.1, sa.1, ss.120-121
Objective: To report mammary gland irritations during lactation in Wistar Albino female rats.
Case: Laboratory rats are one of the most preferred species in experimental animal research
due to their many advantages such as being mammals, having multiple offspring, short
gestation period, ease of transportation, defined genetic structure and easy adaptation to
laboratory conditions. After 21 days of pregnancy, female rats are born premature, hairless,
with their eyes and ears closed, and they are in need of mother's care and feeding. The
lactation period in the rat is completed in twenty-one days. Rats have twelve mammary
glands. In the experimental animal laboratory of Dokuz Eylül University, irritations and
inflammations were noted in the nipples of the mother rats towards the end of the lactation
period in the Wistar Albino female rat colony. Especially since mother rats with many
offspring have to breastfeed for a very long time to feed a large number of offspring, it
causes irritation on the nipples of the mother rats due to the eruption of the incisors of the
offspring. It has been observed that mother rats with many cubs move away from the pups,
lean their udders against the cage wall, and hide the mothers under the cage litter material.
However, as the offspring grow, it has been observed that there is serious competition
between siblings for breastfeeding.
Conclusion: Lactation period should be carefully followed in laboratory mouse and rat
colonies, animal caretakers and veterinarians should be more sensitive about managing the
breastfeeding period.
Keywords: Lactation period, irritations, mammary glands, Wistar albino, female rat