WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee Appendix B: Sample Representative Body Condition Scoring (BCS) Charts for Rodents () MICE RATS BC 1 BC 1 Mouse is emaciated Rat is emaciated Skeletal structure extremely Segmentation of vertebral column prominent, little or no prominent if not visible cover Little or no flesh cover over dorsal pelvis, Vertebrae distinctly segmented pins prominent if not visible Segmentation of caudal vertebrae prominent BC 2 BC 2 Mouse is under-conditioned Rat is under-conditioned Segmentation of vertebral Segmentation of vertebral column column evident prominent Dorsal pelvic bones are readily Thin flesh cover over dorsal pelvis, palpable little subcutaneous fat, pins easily palpable Thin flesh cover over caudal vertebrae, segmentation palpable with slight pressure BC 3 BC 3 Mouse is well-conditioned Rat is well-conditioned Vertebrae and dorsal pelvis not Segmentation of vertebral column prominent, palpable with slight easily palpable pressure Moderate subcutaneous fat store over pelvis, pins easily palpable with slight pressure Moderate fat store around tail base, caudal vertebrae may be palpable but not segmented BC 4 BC 4 is over-conditioned Rat is over-conditioned is a continuous column Segmentation of vertebral column Vertebrae palpable only with palpable with slight pressure firm pressure Thick subcutaneous fat store over dorsal pelvis, pins of pelvis palpable with firm pressure Thick fat store over tail base, caudal vertebrae not palpable BC 5 BC 5 Mouse is obese Rat is Mouse is smooth and bulky Segmentation of vertebral column Bone structure disappears palpable with firm pressure, may be a flesh and subcutaneous fat continuous column Thick subcutaneous fat store over dorsal pelvis, pins of pelvis not palpable with firm pressure Thick fat store over tail base, caudal vertebrae not palpable
WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee Appendix B: Sample Representative Body Condition Scoring (BCS) Charts for Rodents () MICE RATS BC 1 Mouse is emaciated Skeletal structure extremely prominent, little or no cover Vertebrae distinctly segmented BC 1 Rat is emaciated Segmentation of vertebral column prominent if not visible Little or no flesh cover over dorsal pelvis, pins prominent if not visible Segmentation of caudal vertebrae prominent BC 2 Mouse is under-conditioned Segmentation of vertebral column evident Dorsal pelvic bones are readily palpable BC 2 Rat is under-conditioned Segmentation of vertebral column prominent Thin flesh cover over dorsal pelvis, little subcutaneous fat, pins easily palpable Thin flesh cover over caudal vertebrae, segmentation palpable with slight pressure BC 3 Mouse is well-conditioned Vertebrae and dorsal pelvis not prominent, palpable with slight pressure BC 3 Rat is well-conditioned Segmentation of vertebral column easily palpable Moderate subcutaneous fat store over pelvis, pins easily palpable with slight pressure Moderate fat store around tail base, caudal vertebrae may be palpable but not segmented BC 4 is over-conditioned is a continuous column Vertebrae palpable only with firm pressure BC 4 Rat is over-conditioned Segmentation of vertebral column palpable with slight pressure Thick subcutaneous fat store over dorsal pelvis, pins of pelvis palpable with firm pressure Thick fat store over tail base, caudal vertebrae not palpable BC 5 Mouse is obese Mouse is smooth and bulky Bone structure disappears flesh and subcutaneous fat BC 5 Rat is Segmentation of vertebral column palpable with firm pressure, may be a continuous column Thick subcutaneous fat store over dorsal pelvis, pins of pelvis not palpable with firm pressure Thick fat store over tail base, caudal vertebrae not palpable
body-condition-scoring.docx