Content
Laboratory Animal Procedures
Skill: Safely and effectively handle common laboratory animals used in animal research.
Mice, Rats, and Rabbits
- Recognize and restrain
- Determine sex and understand reproduction
- Perform and/or supervise basic care procedures:
- Handling
- Nutritional needs/diet
- Provide food, water, and enrichment in a species-appropriate manner
- Trim nails
- Identification
- Perform methods of injection:
- Subcutaneous*
- Intramuscular (rabbit)
- Intradermal (rabbit)
- Intraperitoneal (mice)* [GROUP]
- Intravenous
- Collect blood samples:
- Retro-orbital (mice, rats) [GROUP]
- Intravenous (rats* [GROUP], rabbits*)
- Perform oral dosing* [GROUP]
- Have working knowledge of anesthetic and recovery procedures*
- Identify and describe clinical signs of common diseases*
- Perform necropsy and collect specimens
- Clean and medicate ears (rabbit)
- Anesthetize mice, rats, and rabbits
Non-human Primates
- Understand restraint of non-human primates
- Demonstrate knowledge of zoonotic diseases and modes of transmission
Decision-making abilities: The veterinary technician will be familiar with the basic principles of animal research and understand the utilization of laboratory animals in animal research. The veterinary technician will also have knowledge of federal, state, and local animal welfare regulations.