We recently started working in a rat model and perform decapitations as well as perfusions for IHC. We normally do our work with mice and therefore our scissors are designed for smaller animals. Any suggestions on the best scissors to get through the skull and rib cages without completely ruining surgical scissors (and without ruining the brain)? I've been consulting Fine Science Tools, but I'm not willing to shell out >$200 for something I'm not sure will even work.
TIA!
Hi Melinda,
We always have used a guillotine for decapitation and rongeurs for the skull, especially for the adult rats. I personally take completely different approach than for the mice: whereas for the mice I usually try to get the skull out in 2-4 pieces, for the rats it ends up being faster and safer to just chip away rongeur-bite-sized skull pieces 1 at a time.
Edit: for the ribcage before perfusion, I use very crude clipper or wire snipper like tools rather that my delicate scissors
Hi,
I highly recommend these scissors for opening rat skull - curved, short, so you can avoid to sting/prick the rat brain, if you put scissors like you can see on the image (sharp side up). Cut the sides of the skull and then break open it.
I hope, image will help you, because I have no idea about right terminology for these kind of scissors.
Regards,
Alex
That is great, Alexandra! I think these scissors are similar to yours?
https://www.finescience.com/en-US/Products/Bone-Instruments/Bone-Cutters/Beebee-Bone-Scissors
So, you clip at the base of the brain and cut up to around the ears on both sides? That is what I currently do but of course, I almost break my hand with the pressure of my mouse scissors.
Thank you!
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