Lab Bites">Lab Bites

Don't snip tail ends to withdraw blood - it hurts the animals and increases the risk of infection.

 

 

Use a bent needle (a normal needle which has been bent by pressing it onto a  hard surface is less likely to cause a puncture) to withdraw blood from the tail.

But don't try this too close to the tail base.  A mistake can lead the tail swelling and you won't be able to withdraw blood further up the tail.

So instead try withdrawing blood 1/3 from the tail-end and if you make a mistake there you can try again closer to the tail base.

 

 

Before drawing blood from the tail, warm the tail either under a heating lamp or dip it into a tube of warm water (50 ml tube is good for a rat, 15 ml tube for a mouse).

This will dilate the vein and increase circulation, making it easier to target and draw blood.