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 |
75-100 IP |
As needed |
Deep sedation, but not surgical
anesthesia. Not often used alone. |
| Ketamine-Medetomidine |
75-100 + ~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
|
75-100 Ket + 5-10 IP (in same
syringe) |
As needed |
May not produce surgical-plane
anesthesia for major procedures, though more reliable
than in mice. If redosing, use ketamine alone. May
be partially reversed with Atipamezole or Yohimbine |
| Ketamine-Xylazine-Acepromazine |
75 - 100 + 2 - 6 + 1 – 2
(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 |
75-100 + 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. May
occasionally be appropriate for survival procedures |
Consider supplemental analgesia
(opioid or NSAID) for invasive procedures, especially
when used on a survival basis. |
| Tribromoethanol (avertin) |
Not generally used in rats |
|
|
| 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
|
0.01 - 0.05 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. High doses of buprenorphine
may lead to pica behavior in rats. |
| 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 |
05 – 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 |
