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Guide for Investigators: Blood Collection in Rabbits
Standard Operating Procedure, Veterinary Clinical Services
Section of Comparative Medicine, Yale University

Purpose:

To collect blood from rabbits.

Materials:

	21 or 23 gauge butterly cannula
	Acepromazine
	Isopropyl rubbing alcohol or 70% ethanol wipes
	2x2 gauze
	3 cc syringe
	10 cc syringe
	23 gauge needle
	Cloth restraint bag or towel
	Blood collection tube(s) and rack
	Sharps container
	"This Animal Underwent Anesthesia" cage card

Procedure:

1. Remove the rabbit from its cage. Proper technique in grabbing and carrying a rabbit is important to prevent vertebral fractures. Grab the rabbit's skin in the shoulder region and place its head underneath your arm. Support the rabbit's legs with the hand of the arm that the head is tucked under. Alternatively, grab the rabbit's skin with both hands (over both the shoulder and the rump region).
2. Sedate. Use a 3cc syringe with a 23 gauge needle to administer acepromazine 2mg/kg IM in the quadricep muscle of a hind leg. Before injecting pull back on the plunger, if blood is present select a different injection site. Inserting the needle quickly into the muscle minimizes pain and massaging the muscle after injection aids in dispersal of acepromazine. The animal may be returned to its cage or kept comfortable by wrapping it in a towel for approximately 5 minutes until the medication takes affect. It is important to keep the rabbit calm during this interval to avoid constriction of peripheral blood vessels that will make blood collection more difficult.
3. Disinfect the skin on the dorsal surface of the ear with 70% alcohol.
4. Using an appropriate sized cannula (23 gauge needle for small blood samples and 21 gauge for large samples) insert the butterfly needle, bevel up into the central artery of the ear.
5. Allow the blood to fill the tubing of the butterfly cannula. Then attach a 10 cc syringe to the cannula hub.
6. Gently pull back on the plunger until desired volume is obtained. If more than 10 cc is desired remove tops from blood collection tubes prior to starting blood withdrawal. Once the syringe is full remove it from hub and empty the blood into the collection tube. Allow residual blood in the cannula to drip into an empty tube while emptying the syringe. Reattach the syringe and continue blood withdrawal as above.
7. When the desired amount is collected, (Important: See blood volume information in box below) gently hold gauze over needle entry point, remove the needle and dispose of cannula and syringe into a sharps container.
8. Apply digital pressure until hemostasis is obtained.
9. Once bleeding has stopped return the animal to its cage.
10. Fill out an "anesthesia" cage card, which are available in rabbit rooms, and place it on cage.
11. The rabbit must be monitored continuously until it is able to sit in sternal recumbency.

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Last Modified: February 2, 2004

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