The Laboratory Rat

The third edition of The Laboratory Rat features updated information on a variety of topics, including rats as research models for basic and translational research in areas such as genomics, alcoholism, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, obesity, neuroscience, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, regenerative medicine, and infectious disease. New information related to the husbandry and veterinary care of rats is provided including topics related to nutrition, reproduction, anesthesia and surgery, infectious and noninfectious disease, and the care of surgical and other fragile models. It is a premier source of information on the laboratory rat, this book will be of interest to veterinary and medical students, senior graduate students, postdocs and researchers who utilize animals in biomedical research.

• New chapters on the care of surgical and fragile models and on the use of rats in research areas such as alcoholism, regenerative medicine, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, and others are included.
• All chapters were written by scientific and veterinary experts.
• This book condenses information from many sources on topics related to the care and use of rats in research.
• It is the premier source of information on the laboratory rat.

Mark A. Suckow is a private consultant in laboratory animal medicine and Professor (Emeritus) in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Kentucky where he previously served as Attending Veterinarian and Associate Vice President for Research. He received his DVM from the University of Wisconsin and subsequently completed a post-doctoral residency in laboratory animal medicine at the University of Michigan. Dr. Suckow has 35 years of experience in laboratory animal medicine, regulatory compliance, and animal facility management. With an interest in the use of animal models for cancer research, vaccinology, and biomaterials development, Dr. Suckow has published greater than 115 papers in refereed journals and has seven issued patents related to vaccine adjuvants and cancer vaccines. He has written or edited over 20 books on topics related to research and laboratory animal medicine. Further, he served as the 2006 President of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science and the 2011 President of the American Society of Laboratory Animal Practitioners; and he currently serves as an emeritus member of the Council on Accreditation of AAALAC, International and as Editor in Chief for the Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science.

F. Claire Hankenson, DVM, MS, is the Director of MSU Campus Animal Resources and Attending Veterinarian at the Michigan State University. Research interests are refinements in the case and use of animals involved in research studies, particularly rodent clinical medicine, tail biopsy evaluations and humane endpoints.

Ronald P. Wilson, VMA, MS, DACLAM, is the Professor and Chair of Comparative Medicine at Pennsylvania State University. Research interests are related to experimental surgery, pain, analgesia and anesthesia of laboratory animals.

Patricia L. Foley, DVM, DCLAM, is the Director, Division of Comparative Medicine at Georgetown University.