Research tool
Rodent Restraint Tube
Holding rodents still for procedures
What it is
A clear tube or adjustable holder confines a mouse or rat so it cannot move. Openings give the handler access for injections, blood collection, imaging, dosing or tail procedures.
Where it sits in the system
A restrained animal cannot twist, bite or flee, so the handler is protected and the procedure is precise. It is used where the work cannot be done on a freely moving animal.
Welfare concern
An animal forced into a tube cannot turn, retreat or hide. Poor fit, heat, prolonged confinement and repeated use produce marked stress and injury.
Worth being precise about
The tube is not abusive in itself: a well-fitted tube, used briefly on a habituated animal, is a different experience from forced entry and repeated restraint. Refinement means training, gentle handling, correct sizing, the shortest feasible duration, monitoring, and anaesthesia or another technique where one exists.
