Intravenous catheter placement in the marginal ear vein of rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is achievable by final-year veterinary students, with clinical exposure improving confidence.

OBJECTIVE: To identify if rabbit IV catheter placement (ICP) in the marginal ear vein was readily achievable for veterinary students and whether student confidence improved with ICP experience. We hypothesized that students would achieve successful ICP placement on their first attempt and that student confidence would increase after ICP. METHODS: Final-year undergraduate veterinary students on clinical rotations at the University of Edinburgh Hospital for Small Animals participated over a 1-year period. The prospective observational study involved completion of an anonymized questionnaire with 2 parts, completed before ICP and after ICP. The time taken for successful placement and the number of attempts were recorded. RESULTS: 70 students participated in this study. Intravenous catheter placement was successful on the first attempt in 78.5% of students; the mean time for successful ICP was 4 minutes and 10 seconds. After ICP placement, students had a statistically significant increase in confidence in rabbit ICP, scoring a median of 2.5 points higher in confidence on a 10-point scale. There was no significant correlation between previous ICP experience or preprocedure confidence score and speed of ICP. CONCLUSIONS: ICP of the rabbit marginal ear vein is highly achievable for veterinary students, with most students achieving ICP on their first attempt. Following successful ICP, student confidence in this procedure in rabbits increased. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Rabbit ICP is readily achievable by veterinary students and should be included as a core clinical skill in undergraduate veterinary education, promoting confidence in students interacting with this species.