The use of a butcher's boning glove for handling small laboratory animals.

Abstract

The handling of laboratory animals involves an area of major concern to caretakers and investigators alike, and that is the fear of being bitten. This problem is age-old and methods used for solving it may be ideal in spme situations but cumbersome or unsuitable in others (Davis & Grice, 1962; Emlen, 1944; Evans, Smart & Stoddart, 1968; Redfern, 1971). Whenever possible handling of small animals is probably best done with bare hands, as this allows the animals to become aquainted with human odour and to become more docile. It also affords more manual dexterity than with a glove, thereby lessening the danger of injury and stress to the animal. However, this is not always the prudent course of action when handling wild species, or with aggressive or potentially infective creatures. Small animals, particularly rats, when housed singly or when they escape, become more excitable and tend to bite with little provocation: the hand and fingers of the handler are the most frequent target. In such cases a glove is a necessary evil, and we have found the butcher's boning glove the best for the job. Boning gloves, obtained from a butcher's supply house, were first tried in our facility several years ago. Since that time they have gained wide acceptance in our laboratory and have practically eliminated bite wounds. They are constructed of small interwoven stainless-steel rings that form a steel mesh which is a very flexible but impenetrable barrier. The gloves are avail· able with a thumb and index finger only, or up to a full hand-the latter being used by our people with the most success. The gloves must fit properly,