ABSTRACT
For the one-person towel method of subcutaneous (SQ) injection, use a sturdy cloth towel opened on a table. Place the rat at the center of the towel and fold the towel over the rat, leaving the tail area exposed. Restrain the front two-thirds of the rat with the palm of your nondominant hand while tenting the skin over the hindquarters with your thumb and index finger. Insert the needle at the base of the tented folds of skin. Pull back on the plunger of the syringe to verify that a vacuum is created and inject the solution. In general, no greater than 5 ml should be injected per subcutaneous injection site (300-g adult rat). Use several sites on the back of the animal if larger volumes must be administered. Experience performing one-handed injections is necessary for this technique.
