How do you sterilize a rat? - briefly
Perform a surgical vasectomy or orchiectomy under appropriate anesthesia, maintaining strict aseptic technique and providing post‑operative analgesia and monitoring. Follow established veterinary protocols for dosage, wound care, and recovery.
How do you sterilize a rat? - in detail
Sterilizing a laboratory or pet rat requires a controlled surgical protocol that minimizes stress, infection risk, and postoperative complications.
The procedure begins with health assessment. Verify that the animal is at least 8 weeks old, weighs 150–300 g, and shows no signs of illness. Perform a physical exam, record baseline weight, and obtain a brief veterinary history.
Anesthesia and preparation
- Induce general anesthesia with isoflurane (3–4 % for induction, 1.5–2 % for maintenance) delivered via a calibrated vaporizer and a nose cone.
- Confirm depth of anesthesia by checking lack of pedal reflex and stable breathing.
- Apply ophthalmic ointment to prevent corneal drying.
- Shave the ventral abdomen from the xiphoid process to the inguinal region, then disinfect the skin with alternating swabs of 70 % isopropanol and povidone‑iodine, repeating three times.
- Drape the area with sterile gauze to maintain a clean field.
Surgical technique
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Males (vasectomy):
a. Make a midline incision of 1 cm using a sterile scalpel.
b. Expose the spermatic cords by gently retracting the abdominal wall with sterile forceps.
c. Isolate each vas deferens, ligate twice with 5‑0 absorbable sutures, and cut between the ligatures.
d. Inspect for bleeding, irrigate with warm sterile saline, and close the muscle layer with a simple continuous 5‑0 absorbable suture. -
Females (ovariectomy):
a. Perform a dorsal midline incision of 1 cm, extending from the lumbar region to the caudal abdomen.
b. Locate the ovaries within the peritoneal cavity, exteriorize each ovary with its associated oviduct.
c. Clamp the ovarian pedicle with a sterile hemostat, excise the ovary, and secure the stump with a double ligature of 5‑0 absorbable suture.
d. Return the remaining tissue to the abdominal cavity, irrigate, and close the muscle and skin layers as described for males.
Postoperative care
- Administer analgesia (e.g., buprenorphine 0.05 mg/kg subcutaneously) immediately after surgery and repeat every 12 hours for 48 hours.
- Provide a single dose of a broad‑spectrum antibiotic (e.g., enrofloxacin 10 mg/kg subcutaneously) to reduce infection risk.
- Place the rat in a warm recovery cage (30 °C) with soft bedding, monitor respiration and temperature until the animal regains consciousness.
- Return the subject to its home cage after 2 hours, ensuring access to food, water, and enrichment. Observe daily for signs of wound dehiscence, swelling, or abnormal behavior for at least 7 days.
Record‑keeping
Document anesthesia duration, surgical steps, suture material, analgesic and antibiotic doses, and postoperative observations in the animal’s health log. This information supports compliance with institutional animal care guidelines and facilitates future reproductive management.