Table 2.

Factors to consider when choosing an animal model of critical illness

Small animals (mice, rats, guinea pigs) vs. large animals (dogs, pigs, sheep, monkeys)

Costs, staffing, and facilities

Sample (e.g. blood, tissue) sizes

Ease of procedures/transport/care

Physiological/genetic similarities to humans

Availability of transgenic models

Ethical considerations

Availability of reagents

Interanimal variation

Need for functional/behavioral outcome measures

Healthy vs. comorbid conditions

Modified and updated from Tsukamoto and Pape (16)