Rabbit Lab 3:  Tranquilization and Blood Collection

Practice the procedures that you learned last week after you have completed this lab's assignments.

Materials needed per group:

(1)  rabbit
(2)  1 ml syringes
(2)  3 ml syringes
(3)  22G x 3/4" hypodermic needles
(6)  25G x 5/8" hypodermic needles

1. Assess the physical condition of your rabbit
   1. Evaluate the rabbit's health:
      • What is its attitude-  friendly, frightened, alert...?
      • What is its general appearance-  well-cared for, unkempt...?
      • Are there any abnormalities-  fight wounds, torn pinna...?
      • Weigh your rabbit-  has its weight changed?  how much?

2. Record the results of your assessment and weight on the...

• Cage card
• Procedure Assessment Form 

3. If your rabbit is anything other than not remarkable, notify your supervisor.

 

2. Blood collection from the marginal ear vein and auricular artery
   
   1. Administration of tranquilizer  (read Tranquilization, Anesthesia and Analgesia)

      Tranquilizer	acepromazine maleate
      Dosage	0.75 mg/kg  IM semiM/T
      Concentration:	10 mg/ml

Calculation of the dose:

Weight the rodent and convert its weight to kilograms
Calculate the dose using the values above

Dose  =  weight  x  dosage  x             1          
                                               concentration

Example:  

Rabbit weighs 2.35 kg 2.35 kg   x  0.75 mg  x   1 ml     =  ?                     1 kg       10 mg The calculated volume dose of tranquilizer is 0.176 ml.  However, this must be rounded to 0.18 ml, because a 1.00 ml syringe can only measure accurately to the nearest 0.01 ml and this will be the actual volume dose. The dose weight must now be corrected for rounding: 0.18 ml x 10 mg   =  1.8 mg                  1 ml and the dose information should be written on the record as: 1.8 mg (0.18 ml) acepromazine IM (L) semiM/T

Calculation of acepromazine for my rabbit:

I am tranquilizing rabbit _____ from cage _____

Calculation:

 

 

Properly complete this "cage card" and have an instructor approve it and the Procedure Assessment Form before drawing up the tranquilizer:

Date	Procedures	Name

AN INSTRUCTOR MUST APPROVE THE DOSE AND PROCEDURE ASSESSMENT FORM BEFORE YOU DRAW UP THE TRANQUILIZER!

Administration of tranquilizer:

• Draw up the dose of acepromazine using sterile technique and a 25G x 5/8" needle on a sterile 1.00 ml syringe
• Accurately measure the volume of drug needed and withdraw only the required amount.  DO NOT draw out excess drug and squirt the extra down the drain.    Ensure that air bubbles are removed prior to withdrawing the needle from the tranquilizer.
• After you have removed your needle from the vial, DO NOT re-insert your needle to return excess to the bottle!
• Record the volume withdrawn in the drug log and accurately subtract from the remaining volume.
• Administer the tranquilizer using proper technique.

•  Apply ophthalmic lubricant to the eyes
  • Gently pull down the lower eyelid
  • Hold the tube of ointment 0.5 cm above the eye
  • Dispense a 1 cm long ribbon into the lower conjunctiva
  • DO NOT TOUCH THE EYE WITH THE TUBE!!

DO NOT LEAVE YOUR RABBIT UNSUPERVISED!!!

2. Collection of blood:
   • Prepare syringe by breaking the seal of the plunger
   • Prepare the rabbit by clipping the fur from the surface of the pinna (clipping against the direction the fur lays) and apply Lidocaine gel topical anesthetic

• The partner restrains the rabbit-
  • Hold the rabbit's body against your body
  • Present the head to the collector
  • Place the fingers of one hand over the rabbit's face
  • Place the thumb of the same hand behind the skull to minimize movement
  • If blood is to be collected from the marginal ear vein, use thumb of the other at the base of the ear to hold the vein off (engorges the vessel with blood)
  • If collection is from the auricular artery, DO NOT hold off

• Blood collection:

• Wrap the pinna between the index finger and thumb of your nondominant hand

• Stretch pinna to flatten it & straighten the blood vessel

• Swab the ear with alcohol & set aside a dry cotton ball for hemostasis (clotting of blood at insertion site)

• Hold the syringe with the thumb, bevel and measurement lines up

• Insert the needle into the vessel at a 5 degree angle

• Gently aspirate to collect blood  (too much pressure may collapse the blood vessel)

• Try to collect 0.2 ml blood.

• If no blood appears, carefully rotate the needle or back out of the pinna slightly and redirect the needle

• When you are ready to pull out of the vessel, have your partner release hold of the vein, place the dry cotton ball over the injection site, and then remove the needle

• Apply firm pressure for at least one minute (longer for the artery)

• After hemostasis occurs, clean the pinna with hydrogen peroxide

• Record the procedures on the cage card and have the instructor approve it:

  PE:  BAR, NR.  Weight 2.35 kg.  1.8 (0.18 ml) acepromazine IM (L) semiM/T.  Applied 1 cm ophthalmic lube OU.  Collected 0.3 ml blood from  (R) auricular artery.
  
  

• Complete Procedure Assessment Form and leave it on the clipboard in the lab.
  
• PostProcedure Assessment:   return the next class day to-
  • Assess the rabbit's condition  (and report any problems)
  • Complete the PostProcedure Assessment Form