Note that all of these doses are approximations
and must be titrated to the animal’s strain, age,
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 (UCSF standard: diluted drugs should be
labeled, then discarded after 1 month)
| DRUG NAME |
DOSE (mg/kg) & ROUTE |
FREQUENCY |
NOTES |
| Inhalation
anesthetics |
Recommended:
Isoflurane or Halothane or Sevoflurane |
1-3% inhalant to effect (up
to 5% for induction). Up to 8% for Sevoflurane |
Whenever general anesthesia
is required |
Survival surgery requires concurrent
preemptive analgesia.
Must use precision vaporizer
|
| Methoxyflurane |
To effect (cannot determine
percentage) |
Whenever general anesthesia
is required |
Survival surgery requires concurrent
preemptive analgesia.
Not currently available in USA
|
| Nitrous oxide (N2O) |
Up to 60% with oxygen |
Whenever deep sedation or general
anesthesia is required |
Not acceptable for surgery as
sole agent – usually used with inhalant anesthetic
to potentiate effect and lower required dose |
| Ether |
To effect (cannot determine
percentage) |
Whenever general anesthesia
is required |
Strongly discouraged because
of flammability and distress to animals.
Survival surgery requires concurrent preemptive analgesia.
|
| Carbon dioxide |
To effect (cannot determine
percentage) |
Once, at time of euthanasia |
May be used for fast terminal
procedure followed by euthanasia |
| Ketamine combinations |
| Ketamine alone |
100-200 IP |
As needed |
Deep sedation, but not surgical
anesthesia. Not often used alone. |
| 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 |
| Ketamine-Midazolam |
80-100 + 4-5 IP (in same syringe) |
As needed |
May not produce surgical-plane
anesthesia for major procedures, but may be useful
for restraint. |
| Reversal agents |
| 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 |
| Sodium pentobarbital (Nembutal) |
40 – 50 IP |
Recommended for terminal/acute
procedures only, with booster doses as needed |
Consider supplemental analgesia
(opioid or NSAID) for invasive procedures |
| Tribromoethanol (avertin) |
250-500 IP |
May be used once for survival
procedure (boosted as necessary during procedure) and
once for terminal/acute procedure |
Use fresh solution (<1 week
of age). Lower concentration (1.25%) less likely to
cause peritonitis. See recipe below. |
| Propofol |
12-26 IV |
As needed |
Only useful IV, so therefore
limited usefulness in mice. Respiratory depression
upon induction is possible. |
| Opioid analgesia |
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, 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 |
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. |
| Ketorolac |
5 – 7.5 oral 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. |
| 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) |
| 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 |
| |
|
|
|
Avertin Recipe
AVERTIN
100% stock avertin
Mix: add tribromoethanol to tertiary amyl alcohol
and dissolve by heating and stirring. Add distilled
water and continue until the solution is well mixed.
Store wrapped in foil (light sensitive solution,
ok to use brown glass bottle), 4 C
Solution may have to be warmed to dissolve. Mixture
should be clear.
10g tribromoethyl alcohol (2, 2, 2 tribromoethanol),
Aldrich T4, 840-2
10ml tertiary amyl alcohol (2 methyl-2-butanol),
Aldrich 24, 048-6
Warning! Decomposition can result from improper
storage.
2.5% working stock avertin (this solution should
be prepared weekly)
For use in mice, dilute the 100% to 2.5% (1:40)
using diluent, water or isotonic saline.
Diluent recipe:
0.8% NaCl
1mM Tris (pH 7.4)
0.25mM EDTA
Check the pH. Adjust to pH 7.4.
To make 50 ml 2.5% avertin, add 1.25 ml 100%
to 48.75 ml liquid (diluent, water or saline)
Filter .22 micron
Store 4 C, foil wrapped or brown bottle
Dosage for mice may vary with different preparations
of avertin. Dosage should be redetermined each
time a 100% stock is made up. Test for best
effect in a few mice before choosing dose. Allow
5-10
min to take effect.
|
