Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician (ALAT) Practice Exam

What type of diet, when fed to rodents, does not wear down their teeth and may allow their teeth to overgrow?

1. Pelleted feed

2. Ground feed

3. Fresh fruits and vegetables

4. Hay and grass

The correct answer is: Ground feed

The correct choice regarding the type of diet that does not wear down the teeth of rodents and may lead to overgrowth is ground feed. Rodents have continuously growing teeth, and their natural behaviors involve gnawing to help keep their teeth at a manageable length. Ground feed is formulated in a way that lacks the necessary abrasiveness that is typically found in whole pellets or fibrous materials. As a result, rodents consuming ground feed have less opportunity to chew and gnaw, which can prevent the natural wearing down of their incisors. This reduction in abrasive chewing can lead to issues such as malocclusion, where the teeth overgrow and misalign, creating potential health problems. In contrast, pelleted feed provides a certain degree of texture that encourages chewing, while fresh fruits and vegetables contain moisture but often lack the coarse texture required for adequate dental wear. Similarly, hay and grass are high in fiber and abrasive content, making them ideal for assisting in the natural wear of the teeth. Therefore, the ground feed option is the one most associated with the risk of tooth overgrowth in rodents.