Mouse Anesthesia
(for printing)Note that all of these doses are approximations and must be titrated to the animal’s strain, age, weight, sex and individual responses. Significant departures from these doses should be discussed with a veterinarian. Doses will also vary depending on what other drugs are being administered concurrently.
All doses are listed as milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) unless otherwise noted. Dilution of injected drugs allows more precise dosing, but may shorten the shelf-life of the compound (diluted drugs should be labeled, then discarded after 1 month) source: UCSF
| Inhalation Anesthetics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Drug Name | Dose (mg/kg) & Route | Frequency | Notes |
| Recommended: Isoflurane |
1-3% inhalant to effect (up to 5% for induction). | Whenever general anesthesia is required | Survival surgery should have concurrent preemptive analgesia. Use precision vaporizer |
| Ketamine Combinations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Drug Name | Dose (mg/kg) & Route | Frequency | Notes |
| Ketamine-Medetomidine | 50-75 + 0.5 -1 IP (in same syringe) | As needed | May not produce surgical-plane anesthesia for major procedures. If redosing, use ketamine alone. May be partially reversed with Atipamezole |
| Recommended: Ketamine-Xylazine |
80-100 + 5-10 IP (in same syringe) | As needed | May not produce surgical-plane anesthesia for major procedures. If redosing, use ketamine alone. May be partially reversed with Atipamezole or Yohimbine |
| Ketamine-Xylazine-Acepromazine | 30-40 + ~6 + ~1 (in same syringe) | As needed | May not produce surgical-plane anesthesia for major procedures. If redosing, use ketamine alone. May be partially reversed with Atipamezole or Yohimbine |
| Reversal Agents | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Drug Name | Dose (mg/kg) & Route | Frequency | Notes |
| Atipamezole | 0.1 - 1.0 subcutaneous or IP | Any time Medetomidine or Xylazine has been used | More specific for medetomidine than for xylazine (as a general rule, Atipamezole is dosed at the same volume as Medetomidine, though they are manufactured at different concentrations). |
| Yohimbine | 1.0 – 2.0 SC or IP | For reversal of xylazine effects | |
| Other Injectable Anesthetics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Drug Name | Dose (mg/kg) & Route | Frequency | Notes |
| Sodium pentobarbital (Nembutal) | 40 – 50 IP | Best for terminal/acute procedures, with booster doses as needed | Consider supplemental analgesia (opioid or NSAID) for invasive procedures |
| Opioid Analgesia | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Drug Name | Dose (mg/kg) & Route | Frequency | Notes |
| Recommended: Buprenorphine |
0.05 - 0.1 SC or IP | Used pre-operatively for preemptive analgesia and post-operatively every 6-12 hour | For major procedures, may require more frequent dosing than 12 hour intervals. Consider multi-modal analgesia with a NSAID |
| Non-steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Analgesia (NSAID) Note that prolonged use my cause renal, gastrointestinal, or other problems |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Drug Name | Dose (mg/kg) & Route | Frequency | Notes |
| Recommended: Carprofen |
4-5 SC | Used pre-operatively for preemptive analgesia and post-operatively every 12-24 hour | Depending on the procedure, may be used as sole analgesic, or as multi-modal analgesia with buprenorphine. |
| Recommended: Meloxicam |
~ 0.2 PO , IM or SC | Used pre-operatively for preemptive analgesia and post-operatively every 12-24 hour | Depending on the procedure, may be used as sole analgesic, or as multi-modal analgesia with buprenorphine. |
| Recommended: Ketoprofen |
2 – 5 SC | Used pre-operatively for preemptive analgesia and post-operatively every 12-24 hour | Depending on the procedure, may be used as sole analgesic, or as multi-modal analgesia with buprenorphine. |
| Flunixin meglumine | ~ 2 SC | Used pre-operatively for preemptive analgesia and post-operatively every 12-24 hour | Depending on the procedure, may be used as sole analgesic, or as multi-modal analgesia with Buprenorphine. |
| Local Anesthetic/Analgesics (Lidocaine and Bupivicaine may be combined in one syringe for rapid onset and long duration analgesia) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Drug Name | Dose (mg/kg) & Route | Frequency | Notes |
| Lidocaine hydrochloride | Dilute to 0.5%, do not exceed 7 mg/kg total dose, SC or intra-incisional | Use locally before making surgical incision | Faster onset than bupivicaine but short (<1 hour) duration of action |
| Bupivicaine | Dilute to 0.25%, do not exceed 8 mg/kg total dose, SC or intra-incisional | Use locally before making surgical incision | Slower onset than Lidocaine but longer (~ 4-8 hour) duration of action |
Updated April 1, 2008 by SAK