Intravenous injection to mice - (Feb/13/2009 )

Dear all,

I would like know if there is some other good sites for intravenous injection to mice (< 20 g) other than the tail vein (cos I still find it difficult)? Alternatively, Is there any tricks for i.v. injection via tail vein? Many thanks!

Kallichroma

.v. injection through PERIORBITAL VENOUS SINUS is another possible route. Thats is not anyway easier than tail vein, though.


You just need some practice. Get like 10-20 CD-1 mice, be sure to warm up mice with a 250 W infrared lamp at about 1 ft distance until their tail vein are real dilated. When you do injection, put mouse inside a mouse restrainer, pull the tail so the mouse will not move, use a 27 g needle and real small angle ( near parallel) for the entry to prevent a punch through for the vein. You should feel real easy to push the syringe if you have a success.

practice with nudes, if you can get some. nude mice have tail veins like 4-lane freeways

-use younger mice if you can - nothing's harder to inject than a C57black 6 about 2 years old...also try to use white or albino mice if possible, at least to practice.

and, practice! and then practice some more! if it's hard to see the vein, rub the tail down with an etoh swab or something similar to make it damp (this seems to make the vein more readily apparent). then, practice more! you'll get better, it just takes time.

Every one can be 100% successful. There are just some details to take in consideration
watch my video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wowjgOS8_VU

I use retroorbital sinus injection on anesthetized mice (isofluorane) and think it is MUCH easier than tail vein and it works great.

All mouse injection need practice, once you learn the ropes, it becomes second nature.

For tail vein injection, you need mouse restrainer if the mouse is not under anesthesia. A magnifying lamp and heating lamp are of great help.