Table 10:

Neonatal infections with MNV

Problem	Possible Cause	Solution
The neonatal mice do not defecate when abdomen is palpated.	The neonatal mice are not eating as they are too ill to eat.	Check the weights of the mice. If the weights are decreasing, virus dose likely needs to be decreased.
The neonatal mice do not defecate when abdomen is palpated.	The neonatal mouse has defecated recently, and colon is empty or the stool is too proximal in the colon.	Each mouse can be palpated up to 3 times in order to induce defecation. After 3 attempts, the mouse needs to be returned to the dam, and palpation can be repeated in 1–2 hours.