engleski

Safe and simple procedure to restrain rats for blood sampling from tail vein

Everyday laboratory practice and teaching procedures include handling laboratory rats in order to collect blood samples from the tail vein. For that purpose, a restraining device is needed. It is generally accepted to restrain the rat either by wrapping it into the towel or by using one plastic cylinder that can be adapted to animal size. Exposing the rat to such a procedure is potentially stressful and detrimental to obtaining a proper sample. Also, while trying to place the rat in the restraining device, the animal might resist the procedure. Here we propose a simple, effective and harmless way to restrain the rat. Two plastic cylinders are needed. Their diameter is such that the smaller cylinder can be placed within the bigger one. As smaller cylinder we used plastic bottle. The cover and the bottom of the bottle were removed, leaving a cylinder that is narrow on one end. The cylinder with bigger diameter has a cover on each end. On one end of a bigger cylinder, the cover has only one hole, which is suitable to place the rat's tail. On the other end of the same cylinder, the cover has several smaller holes to enable a free flow of air for breathing. Both covers are firmly attached to the outer cylinder. Once the rat is placed within the cylinders, it cannot move and stays immobile within a cylinder of smaller diameter. This way, the tail is freely accessible, making blood sampling from the tail vein fast and easy. Using two such cylinders can make blood sampling from the tail vein safe and simple. The need for touching the rat is minimal, since both cylinders can be placed into the cage so that the rat can freely enter the smaller cylinder while moving around the cage. Advantage of such a device is low cost, ease of use and minimal physical contact with the rat when the animal is already inside the smaller cylinder. Using such a device reduces potential stress in the laboratory rat caused by blood sampling and eliminates need for anaesthesia.

restraint device ; tail vein blood collection in rat

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