IACUC / LARC GUIDELINES FOR ANESTHETIZING
ANIMALS FOR RESEARCH PROCEDURES
- Animals should receive a pre-anesthesia
checkup to be sure they are healthy. This involves analyzing
their general appearance, respiration, and activity, and where indicated, their body weight, heart rate and temperature.
- A 2-day or greater acclimation period is
generally recommended before major survival surgery or general
survival anesthesia.
- Rodents and rabbits are generally not fasted
before anesthesia. Recommended fast durations are 8-12 hours
for adult dogs, cats, pigs and non-human primates, and 24-48
hours for ruminants. These times must be adjusted for neonatal
animals, debilitated animals, for special procedures and in
special circumstances.
- Anesthetized animals of all species must
be attended continuously from onset of anesthesia until completion
of procedure.
- An adequate, even depth of anesthesia is
maintained by administering supplemental doses of the anesthetic
or readjusting the vaporizer as necessary.
- Anesthetic monitoring always includes responsiveness
to painful stimuli, character and rate of respiration, and skin
or mucous membrane color. Depending on the species and the procedure,
other monitoring may be indicated, such as heart rate, blood
pressure, body temperature, tissue oxygenation, blood gas levels
and expiratory capnography.
- Individual anesthesia records are maintained
for large animals (including rabbits) documenting monitoring
at approximately 15-30 minute intervals. More frequent recording
is necessary in some instances, while use of continuous monitoring
equipment (such as ECG, pulse oximetry, etc.) may require less
frequent written charting. Records should extend through the
period of anesthetic recovery, and should document post-operative
care and analgesia provided. For rodents, group records are
often acceptable and may be less extensive, especially when
all animals in a cage are treated similarly. The surgical team for major survival surgery in large animals should include at least one non-sterile person whose duties include monitoring and documenting anesthesia.
- Hypothermia should be prevented, such as
by careful use of a heat lamp, warm water blanket or gel pack,
as indicated. Monitoring body temperature during and following
anesthesia is generally recommended for larger animals, though
not always possible for small rodents.
- Dehydration and volume depletion should be
prevented during longer procedures by subcutaneous or intravenous
administration of isotonic fluids.
- Animals should be monitored with care during
recovery from anesthesia. This monitoring should be documented
at 15-30 minute intervals until the animals can right themselves
and thereafter as indicated by the species, the anesthetic,
and the procedure. Endotracheal tubes, when used, must remain
in place until the animal has regained swallowing reflex. Food
and water are not offered until the animal is fully recovered
from anesthesia.
- For information on specific anesthetics
and analgesics for experimental animals, including recommended
doses,
routes of administration and conditions for use, contact LARC
at 476-2204
- Consult with the veterinary staff of the
Laboratory Animal Resource Center for advice about the suitability
of anesthetic agents.
- Modifications of these guidelines should
be explained in the IACUC protocol application for approval.
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