Australia's Science Forum

Hi everyone

hope someone can help me locate a supplier of frozen rats for dissections preferably in the illawarra region
love this site

Hello m,
it is years since our school has done rat dissections, however they may still be available from the Blood Bank in Sydney CBD.
Good luck,
Robyn

Hi m,
Have you tried Southern Biology? They supply frozen rats for about $12.00 each.
I have been here 5 years and in that time we have never dissected rats, and I'm not about to suggest it!
We do, however, dissect brains, eyes, hearts and kidneys.

Carol

Hi m,
you could try your local Uni, Wollongong being a large uni may have a supply of rats, hope this helps.
regards Lisa

Hello M,
Do the rats have to be frozen?

We use preserved rats and they seem to work very well.
Also, if you don't use them all you can simply store them till you need them again.

We get our supplies from:

Southern Biological Pty. Ltd.
PO box 57
Nunawading

Phone (03) 9877 4597

Cheers Kath

Hi m

We purchased preserved rats (males and females) in May of this year from Science Supply, they were supplied within a week or so.

Vicki

We do rat dissections every year. Southern Biological in Melbourne supply frozen ones - I prefer them to the ones in formalin. They air freight them and only take orders for delivery at the beginning of the week so they are not sitting around for days, defrosting. Any that aren't used keep well in the freezer for next year.

We get our frozen rats from Gore Hill Research Laboratories, Building 44, Carpark 8, Royal North Shore Hospital, Pacific Highway, St Leonards. (North Sydney area) Phone 02.9514.4377. You need to ring them in the morning as they finish early afternoon.

I understand the Blood Bank in Sydney closed down their rat section some years ago.

If all else fails perhaps you have someone who could go up and get them.

Robbie

thanks everyone for your tips
will try the uni first and go from there
maria

Here in QLD we now have to be registered as a user of animals for scientific purposes with the DPI (blanket approval for State and Catholic Ed schools but Independent schools have to have their own $256.00) and also have approval from an ethics committee to dissect any animal for scientific. There is one ethics committee that covers all education facilities, the paper work for this is rather lengthy.
We then have to keep a register and report each year on what we have done how many animals we used etc etc. This even thought the rats etc are dead when we get them and from a reptable company (Sthern Biol or the Uni). As the DPI is Australia wide not just QLD this may be in the wind for other states as well. It is a pain

We get them from newcastle uni and they are very fresh - still warm Yuk

Good morning all,
Yes, here in WA we have a School Animal Ethics Committee (SAEC) for any work involving animals. Paper work is lengthy and a pain but apparently necessary!

Serrata have a plastic rat with removable bits & pieces.

We have ordered our rats from Southern Bio. They deliver overnight and we have ordered male, female and pregnant ones. Just don't tell the office ladies what is in the package.
Carol

Hi

I have just been asked to get some rats for dissection. I am wondering if NSW has ethics requirments as Qld does? Does anyone know what paperwork, if any is required before dissections can be carried out??

Kathryn

As long as they are dead when they arrive, theres no problem.
We just make sure that the students treat the bodies witrh respect(similar to if they were in medical school and working on cadavers). Otherwise no paperwork... apart from your internal accts etc.
Disposal... need to be wrapped well in newspaper etc

Yes I believe we do. We can not buy Rats from pet shops etc. They must be from a company, that has cleared them of diseases, we can not cut into animals that have not been passed for handling. Health etc. Southern Biology is the company we use. Never had a problem with any thing from them. No extra paperwork that I know of.

Regards

We dissect cane toads and, funnily enough, no-one seems to object. We also have an absolutely terrific "simulated frog dissection" in realistic "gooey" plastic for the faint-hearted. Got it for way less than the plastic rat dissection. from Haines.

Cheers, Kristin