Appearance & Care for B6 DIO & B6 DIO Control

JAX® Mice Strain C57BL/6J DIO & C57BL/6J DIO Control

Stock Number 380050 & 380056

Appearance

Because they're eating extra high-fat chow and often rubbing against their food and/or hydration source during shipping, DIO mice fed a 60 kcal% fat diet often appear "greasy." In contrast, control mice fed a 10 kcal% fat diet have normal looking fur.

Strain Characteristics

In addition to normal strain characteristics seen in C57BL/6J certain characteristics are allowed in our DIO colony, including:

• Barbering: The type of alopecia resulting from social interaction of the mice. As a result, mice may be shipped with hair loss or thinning hair/whiskers. However, inflammation or dermatitis is not allowed in our colonies.

Shipment and Acclimation

DIO mice are expected to lose weight during shipment. When they arrive, acclimate them to your vivarium and provide an appropriate high fat diet. A minimum of two weeks may be required to regain the weight lost during transit. Shipping studies using DIO mice aged 17-21 weeks on 3-day truck deliveries showed:

• 10-15% average weight loss (4-6 g) during transit
• Mice regained 2 average grams of weight per week when provided 60 kcal% high fat diet and bottled water ad lib, and subjected only to weekly weighing and routine husbandry
• Average weights surpassed pre-shipping weights 3 weeks after arrival, and were within 2% of pre-shipping weights 2 weeks after arrival

Housing and Stress Reduction

Reducing stress can help DIO mice perform and gain/maintain the proper weight.

• Reduce the possibility of fighting by keeping mice from different shipping containers separate.
• Minimize excess noise, vibrations, and other disturbances by placing cages away from areas of heavy traffic and maintaining some space between them and walls.
• Prevent food spoilage by completely replacing the food with each cage change.
• Handle mice gently, slowly, quietly, and as little as possible.
• Use nesting material, cardboard tubes, or other enrichment to minimize aggression and barbering.

Quality Assurance

Before being shipped, DIO mice 12 weeks old or older must meet minimum weight requirements. Some weight loss is expected during shipment. The table below defines the minimum acceptable weight at shipment.

Macro-Nutrient Composition of Lard-Based DIO Diets from Research Diets, Inc.

Order Notes

Orders cannot be placed by weight or for animals without whisker picking or hair loss.