Injection Routes, Needle Sizes, Volumes

Last Date Updated: September 3, 2020

INJECTION ROUTES, MAXIMUM NEEDLE SIZES, AND VOLUMES

Animal Species	Intradermal Injection	Intramuscular Injection	Intraperitoneal Injection
Mouse	volume: <0.05 ml Needle size: <25 Ga	vol: <0.05 ml Needle size: <23 Ga	vol: <2-3 ml Needle size: <21 Ga
Degu	volume: <0.05 ml Needle size: <25 Ga	vol: <0.3 ml Needle size: <23 Ga	vol: <5-10 ml Needle size: <21 Ga
Rat	volume: <0.05 ml Needle size: <25 Ga	vol: <0.3 ml Needle size: <23 Ga	vol: <5-10 ml Needle size: <21 Ga
Hamster	volume: <0.05 ml Needle size: <25 Ga	vol: <0.1 ml Needle size: <21 Ga	vol: <5-10 ml Needle size: <21 Ga
Guinea Pig	volume: <0.05 ml Needle size: <25 Ga	vol:<0.3 ml Needle size: <21 Ga	vol: <5-15 ml Needle size: <21 Ga
Snowshoe Hare	volume: <0.05 ml Needle size: <25 Ga	vol:<0.3 ml Needle size:<21 Ga	vol: <5-15 ml Needle size: <21 Ga
Rabbit	volume: <0.05 ml Needle size:<25 Ga	vol: <0.5 ml Needle size: <23 Ga	vol: <50-100 ml Needle size: <21 Ga

Animal Species	Intravenous Injection	Subcutaneous Injection	Retro-orbital Injection
Mouse	vol: <0.2 ml Needle size: <25 Ga	vol: <2-3 ml Needle size: <20 Ga	vol: <0.2 ml Needle size: <27 Ga
Degu	vol: <0.3 ml Needle size: <25 Ga	vol: <5-10 ml Needle size,: <20 Ga	not available
Rat	vol: <0.5 ml Needle size: <23 Ga	vol: <5-10 ml Needle size: <20 G	vol: <0.3 ml Needle size: <25 G
Hamster	vol: <0.3 ml Needle size: <25 Ga	vol: <3-4 ml Needle size: <20 Ga	not available
Guinea Pig	vol: <0.5 ml Needle size: <23 Ga	vol: <5-10 ml Needle size: <20 Ga	not available
Snowshoe Hare	vol: <1 - 5 ml Needle size: <25 Ga	vol: <5-10 ml Needle size: <20 Ga	not available
Rabbit	vol: <1 - 5 ml Needle size: <21 Ga	vol: <30-50 ml Needle size: <20 Ga	not available

GAVAGE NEEDLES - APPROPRIATE SIZE AND VOLUME BY MOUSE WEIGHT

Mouse Wt (g)	Gauge	Length (Inches)	Ball Diameter (mm)	Recommended Volume ~ 1% BW
Up to 14g	24	1	1.25	0.14 ml for 14 g
15-20g	22	1 or 1.5	1.25	0.15-2.0 ml
20-25g	20	1, 1.5 or 3	2.25	0.20-0.25 ml
25-30g	18	1, 1.5 or 2	2.25	0.25-0.30 ml
30-35g	18	2 or 3	2.25	0.30-0.35 ml

Source for recommended volume: The Mouse in Biomedical Research: Normative Biology, Husbandry, and Models (2006). Source for recommended sizing: Braintree Scientific.