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| Score | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
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| Appearance | Coat is smooth | Patches of hair piloerected | Majority of back is piloerected | Piloerection may or may not be present; mouse appears “puffy” | Piloerection may or may not be present; mouse appears emaciated |
| Level of consciousness | Mouse is active | Mouse is active but avoids standing upright | Mouse activity is noticeably slowed. The mouse is still ambulant | Activity is impaired. Mouse only moves when provoked; movements have a tremor | Activity severely impaired. Remains stationary when provoked, with possible tremor |
| Activity | Normal amount of activity. Mouse is any of eating, drinking, climbing, running, and fighting | Slightly suppressed activity. Mouse is moving around bottom of cage | Suppressed activity. Mouse is stationary with occasional investigative movements | No activity | No activity. Mouse experiencing tremors, particularly in the hind legs |
| Response to stimulus | Mouse responds immediately to auditory stimulus or touch | Slow or no response to auditory stimulus; strong response to touch (moves to escape) | No response to auditory stimulus; moderate response to touch (moves a few steps) | No response to auditory stimulus; mild response to touch (no locomotion) | No response to auditory stimulus. Little or no response to touch. Cannot right itself if pushed over |
| Eyes | Open | Eyes not fully open, possibly with secretions | Eyes at least half closed, possibly with secretions | Eyes half closed or more, possibly with secretions | Eyes closed or milky |
| Respiration rate | Normal, rapid mouse respiration | Slightly decreased respiration (rate not quantifiable by the eye) | Moderately reduced respiration (rate at the upper range of quantifying by the eye) | Severely reduced respiration (rate easily countable by the eye, 0.5 s between breaths) | Extremely reduced respiration (>1 s between breaths) |
| Respiration quality | Normal | Brief periods of laboured breathing | Laboured, no gasping | Laboured with intermittent gasps | Gasping |
| Rectal temperature (°C) | 36-38 | > 38 | < 36- ≥ 35 | < 35- ≥ 34 | < 34 |
| Glycemia (mg/dL) | ≥148 | ≤148-≥122 | <122-≥58 | <58->40 | ≤ 40 |
| Relative body weight loss (%) | 0-5 | 5-10 | 10-15 | 15-20 | > 20 |
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