Administering substances to animals, for whatever reason, can have a significant impact on their welfare. If carried out incorrectly, not only can animal welfare be compromised, but the scientific goals of the study can be affected. If the administration is for a therapeutic purpose, then incorrect administration can lead to a failure of the treatment.
As mentioned above, if a study requires repeated injection of substances, the use of Osmotic mini-pumps may represent a significant refinement.
If you have not carried out an injection or sampling procedure before, you should first ensure you are familiar with the relevant anatomy of the species (by consulting an anatomy textbook or dissection guide, and then by examining an animal euthanised for another purpose), and also develop basic skills in handling a hypodermic syringe correctly. It is usually helpful to first practice injection on an inanimate object (e.g. an orange or a specially designed simulator). Before carrying out an injection technique yourself, you should observe and assist more experienced colleagues, then practice the technique on a dead animal (euthanised for another purpose). Only then should you carry out the procedure on a live animal. You should be supervised throughout this training, and your competence in the technique will need to be confirmed. You should consult your Institute’s Named Training and Competency Officer regarding local arrangements for this process.
Administration of some substances could result in adverse effects on the animal, so it is important you know how to recognise these. You should also be able to assess that your animals are in good health before starting any procedures. Further guidance is provided in the articles covering Recognition of Pain, Suffering and Distress. Pain and discomfort associated with administration should be transient, provided that the substance is non-irritant and the volume administered is small.
Remember that in the UK your personal licence must include the species in which you are carrying out the technique, and the Project licence must authorize both the procedure and the purpose for which you are undertaking it. Remember that in the UK it is not permissible to practice procedures on living animals.
As with any other procedure, it is always advisable to check relevant the Project licence plan of work and protocol, your Personal licence and training records, and the specific study protocol. Check the cage or pen label of the animals to be sampled, and the identity of each individual animal is multiple animals in a cage are to undergo the procedure. After completing the procedure, make sure to record that it has been undertaken on the cage label and in your laboratory notebook. If blood has been collected, ensure that effective haemostasis has been achieved before returning the animal to its cage. The animal should be observed after replacing it in its cage or pen to ensure no unexpected adverse effects occur. If the substance could have a delayed effect on the animal’s welfare, these observations must be repeated at appropriate intervals.