Pathogen-free female Hartley guinea pigs were divided into four diet groups to determine optimal nitrogen requirements for growth, pregnancy and lactation. Three chemically defined test diets varying in total nitrogen were compared with commercial guinea pig feed. Within 13 days, 24 of 78 animals from the three test diet groups died or required euthanasia. Affected guinea pigs were depressed, lost weight and had distended abdomens. Distension, impaction and, in most cases, rupture of the spiral of the ascending colon and subsequent peritonitis were observed at necropsy. Husbandry changes which resulted in a decreased incidence of impactions included increased acclimatization time on commercial feed post-shipping, decreased animal density per cage and cessation of water medication with oxytetracycline.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.