How to feed newborn mice? - briefly
Use a sterile, powdered mouse milk replacer reconstituted with warm distilled water and administered with a fine‑gauge pipette or feeding tube every 2–3 hours, keeping pups at 30–32 °C. Monitor weight gain daily and adjust volume (≈ 0.1 ml per pup per feeding) as they grow.
How to feed newborn mice? - in detail
Feeding neonatal rodents requires sterile milk replacer, precise temperature control, and a schedule that matches the pup’s developmental stage.
The first 24 hours after birth, pups rely exclusively on maternal milk; if the dam is unavailable, a commercially available mouse milk formula should be warmed to 37 °C (98.6 °F). Use a calibrated thermometer; liquid that is too cold slows digestion, while overheated liquid damages the gastrointestinal lining.
Administer the formula with a micro‑pipette or a specialized nursing bottle fitted with a 0.5 mm tip. Deliver 10–15 µL per pup every two hours, increasing to 30–40 µL as they approach day 5. Hold the pup in a supine position, support the abdomen, and gently place the tip at the corner of the mouth. Observe the swallow reflex; if the pup does not ingest, adjust the tip angle or pause to allow the animal to recover.
Maintain a clean environment: sterilize all feeding equipment by autoclaving or soaking in 70 % ethanol followed by rinsing with sterile water. Change the formula daily; discard any unused portion after 4 hours to prevent bacterial growth.
Monitor weight daily using an analytical balance with 0.01 g precision. A gain of 0.2–0.3 g per day indicates adequate nutrition; stagnation or loss signals possible under‑feeding, infection, or temperature stress.
From day 7 onward, introduce solid chow softened with warm water or formula. Offer a shallow dish; pups will begin nibbling voluntarily. Continue formula supplementation until day 14, then transition fully to solid diet.
Common issues and corrective actions:
- Aspiration: pause feeding, reposition the pup, and clear the airway with gentle suction.
- Dehydration: increase formula volume by 20 % and ensure ambient humidity of 50–60 %.
- Hypothermia: place the cage on a heating pad set to 30 °C, check pup temperature with a rectal probe.
Document each feeding event, temperature, and weight in a logbook. Consistent records enable early detection of anomalies and support reproducible outcomes in research settings.