Growth Studies with Rats Kept Under Conditions Which Prevent Coprophagy

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Abstract
Two types of coprophagy preventing cages have been constructed and found to allow fair growth of rats over a 6-week period. In the circular cage described, animals fed no liver concentrate grew poorly; whereas, those receiving such a supplement grew almost as well as control rats kept in ordinary dormitory cages. The imperfections in such a cage are discussed. Rats confined in the tubular cages grew poorly without a liver supplement, but even when the latter was furnished, growth did not approach as closely to that of control animals as was found in circular cage experiments. The animals showed a marked tendency to lick everything within reach; some of them had watery eyes and occasionally an eye condition resembling the spectacled eye of biotin deficiency. In all cases, the animals confined to the tubular cages grew better on rations containing butter fat than on comparable rations containing corn oil.