Animal Care

Animal Care Program Analgesia Policy

Investigators performing major survival surgeries on birds or rodents are strongly encouraged to provide for analgesia post surgery unless the analgesics will interfere with research results or produce physiological complications in the animals.

It is recommended that the animals be given analgesics for a period up to 48 hours or longer post operative as necessary based on the pain/stress response of the animals. The animals should be re-assessed twice daily to see if they are showing signs of pain, such as anorexia, reluctance to move or guarding of the surgical site (e.g.hunched posture, limping), ataxia or head tilt, severe piloerection, obvious porphyrin staining around the eyes and/or nostrils, burrowing/hiding in the cage and unusually aggressive when touched. Analgesics should be given until these signs have resolved. Analgesics can be given pre or post operatively. When given post operatively by injection they should be given while the animal is recovering from anesthesia and is beginning to regain balance.

Surgery is defined as any procedure that exposes tissues normally covered by skin or mucosa. Major survival surgeries are those that enter a major body cavity (thorax, abdomen, calvarium) (excluding laparotomies in birds for sexing) or those that have the capacity for producing significant complications (orthopedic procedures and extensive cannulation procedures). Minor surgical procedures such as peripheral vessel cannulations and skin incisions would not require postoperative analgesia.

Common Analgesics for Rodents and Birds

Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs:

Acetaminophen-mild analgesic antipyretic, no effect on platelet function/bleeding time

Rodents, rabbits 1-2 mg/ml in drinking water (5-10ml pediatric elixir per 500 ml) (administration in the drinking water has not provided measurable analgesia and unless otherwise contraindicated, buprenorphine is recommended over acetaminophen)

Narcotic Agonist/Antagonists:

Buprenorphine is a narcotic agonist/antagonist with activity primarily at the mopiate receptor. This drug may cause mild anorexia and slight hyperactivity in rodents.

Recommended Doses:

• .05-.1mg/kg IM, SQ, or IP post operatively and every 12 hours for prolonged pain. Increasing the dose of this product does not increase its efficacy. The lower end of the dose is usually sufficient.

  To prepare a dilution for smaller rodents, one 1 ml vial of Buprenex (.3 mg) is drawn into a sterile syringe and added to 19 ml of sterile 5% dextrose in water or .9% NaCl and dispensed into a sterile vial. Label the vial Buprenorphine HCL, .015 mg/ml and the date prepared. Expiration date is either that from the original package or 6 months from the date prepared. Protect from light.

Following initial parenteral dose subsequent doses may be given enterally at .5mg/kg administered twice daily in Jello or jam or jelly.

• Oral Administration of Buprenorphine in Jello:

  Animals must be fed Jello (raspberry or strawberry flavors only) for several days before procedure to acclimate them to the food.

  To prepare, mix Jello according to the package directions to make “jigglers”. Add an amount of Buprenex to the corresponding volume of water, pour into ice cube trays for cooling with the corresponding volume per cube. Give 1/4 cube to each animal twice daily as needed.

  Mouse –1 ml vial (.3mg) Buprenex; 15 ml water; 1ml cube volume

  Rat - 1 ml vial (.3 mg ) Buprenex; 3 ml water; 4 ml cube volume

• Oral Administration of Buprenorphine in Jelly or Jam:

  A reasonable quantity of jelly (raspberry or strawberry flavor) for a rat to consume is 1 ml. A 200 g rat would need .01mg of buprenorphine at a dose of .05 mg/kg. Prepare a solution in jelly in which 1 ml of jelly contains .01 mg of buprenorphine. Do this by adding one ampule of buprenorphine (1 ml) to 29 ml of jelly and mix thoroughly. Give the rat 1 ml of the resultant gel twice daily as needed. The plastic lid of a 3 ml syringe makes a nice dish.

Butorphanol (Torbugesic) 3-4 mg/kg IM in birds. No detrimental respiratory or cardiovascular effects. Mild motor deficits may be observed.

Updated May 22, 2007 by SAK