What is the best tether for rats?
Instech offers 3 primary types of tethers for rats: button tethers, head block tethers, and harness tethers. Head block tethers are mostly used for microdialysis while button and harness tethers are used for standard infusion or sampling. Within button tethers, Instech offers 2 standard types: a reusable plastic button and a single-use Dacron mesh button. Dacron mesh works well for longer-term studies (more than 1 week), as the tissue will grow into it and form a strong connection. Our plastic button is typically used in short- to medium-term studies. The big difference between button and the harness tethers is that buttons usually need to be surgically implanted, whereas harnesses do not.
