| dc.description.abstract | Fancy rats (Rattus norvegicus domestica) are becoming increasingly frequent patients of
veterinarians in Europe. Indeed, because of their gentle and intelligent nature, they make
very good pets. Rats have been used in research for decades and literature provides a large
choice of publications about the main laboratory rat strains. However, due to the highly
selective breeding and unique husbandry conditions, their genetic background and their
environment differ greatly from those of pet rats. Thus, it seems relevant to suppose that pet
rats’ ailments might differ from those of laboratory rats. Currently, veterinary literature on
pet rats is still scarce, with exotic small mammals medicine books focusing more on rabbits,
guinea pigs, ferrets, and hamsters. | en_US |
