HAMES Laboratory Method:
Wet Mount Preparation of Skin for Microscopy

Materials and Equipment

1. Clean glass slides
2. Cover slips: 22x30 mm
3. Paper towels
4. Forceps
5. Dissecting scissors
6. Surgical or single edge razor blade
7. 0.95 saline solution
8. Pipettes
9. Compound microscope
10. Paper and pencil to record observations

Procedure

SKIN AND SCALES

Remove a glass slide and cover slip and wipe clean with a towel if moist or dirty. With a pipette add a drop or two of saline onto the center of the glass slide. Use the surgical blade or a clean, single edge razor blade to scrape off some mucus and the upper layer of the skin, remove and place in the drop of saline on the slide. Cover with a cover slip and gently press down on the cover slip to spread the mucus and remove air bubbles. Add more saline if need and wipe excess saline from around the borders of the coverslip. Place side on the stage of the microscope and examined under low, medium and high dry power for ectoparasites and/or obvious structural abnormalities.

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