Postoperative Policy for Mammals and Birds

Post Operative Policy for Mammals and Birds.pdf version, Adobe Acrobat required (for printing)

Postoperative Care

  1. Move the animal to a warm, dry area and monitor it during recovery. Prevent hypothermia by placing the animals in a warm room or cage. Supplemental heat can be provided beneath the animal's cage or by a heat bulb above the cage. The cage should be warmed to no greater than 25° C (85° F). To prevent hyperthermia, animals must be provided a means to migrate away from the heat source once they are awake.
  2. Warmed (25-27° C) fluids administered during or after the surgical procedure can hasten recovery and reduce the risk of anesthesia induced hypothermia and dehydration. Warmed saline or balanced electrolyte solution given intraperitoneally or subcutaneously will speed recovery. Give .25-.5 ml to mice and 3-5ml to rats.
  3. Return the animal to its routine housing only after it has fully recovered from anesthesia. They should be sternal and clearly beginning to wake up. To prevent cannibalism or suffocation, house rodents individually until they are ambulatory. Birds should also be housed individually to prevent injuries.
  4. Provide analgesics as appropriate. The analgesic should be given when the animal is "light" or in sternal recumbancy after surgery. Analgesics should be repeated as necessary twice daily as long as the animal is likely to show post-operative pain which is usually at least 48 hours.
  5. Generally, remove skin closures 10 to 14 days post-operatively.
  6. Members of the investigator's staff or other individuals to whom postoperative care has been delegated should oversee the animal daily until all sutures, wound clips or other implanted devices have been removed.

Records

  1. Maintain a surgical and post-operative record. List the procedure and date either on the cage card or in a file maintained in the animal's room or a nearby accessible location. The records should include all drugs or supplemental food/water given, doses or amounts and routes of administration. If weight measurements are taken, these should also be recorded.

Updated May 22, 2007 by SAK