The attached manual is intended to be a guideline for selecting the proper anesthesia, analgesic and antibiotic regimens used in common laboratory animals. It does not account for every possible anesthetic combination or for every available drug. Nor does it include every species that may be used in a laboratory setting. Therefore, further recommendations regarding the appropriate drug regimen in relation to the intended species to be used should be referred to your staff veterinarian or IACUC.

“The proper use of anesthetics and analgesics in research animals is an ethical imperative…The selection of the most appropriate analgesic or anesthetic should reflect professional judgment as to which best meets clinical and humane requirements without compromising the scientific aspects of the research protocol.”¹

¹Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, NRC, National Academy Press, 1996