EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES (cont)
The oral administration of compounds or medications in the rabbit is best done with a gastric tube. A speculum is made using a 5 inch length of ¾ inch diameter doweling with a hole drilled in the middle. The hole must be large enough to pass a number 8 French infant feeding tube.
The speculum is placed in the mouth behind the incisors. The central hole is aligned with the midline of the mouth and the lubricated tube is passed through the hole into the mouth, nasopharynx, esophagus and finally into the stomach. The technician should be trained to determine the proper placement of the tube. The compound is then administered from a syringe through the tube into the stomach. Careful attention must be paid to the dead space requirements for the tubing and the volume should be adjusted accordingly. Withdraw the tube with the syringe still attached to prevent aspiration of residual material which may drain from the tube.
