Bio-Serv's 'special needs' diets provide solutions to special challenges in research

Nutritionally balanced standard diets are suitable for many lab animals at various developmental stages. But certain animal and protocol conditions—including genetic alteration; breeding difficulty; digestive upset; post-operative intervention and dehydration; and diabetes and obesity—create a requirement for 'special needs' products to ensure animal survival and encourage reliable research outcomes. With input from technicians and scientists from numerous research facilities, Bio-Serv has worked diligently to create a line of diets, enrichment treats and supplements for research animals with special needs. Here we provide an overview of what we have learned about some of these conditions and the recommended solutions we have developed to address them.