Anesthesia & Analgesia

Surgical and other procedures that cause pain or discomfort in animals must be performed under general anesthesia. In certain procedures performed in livestock, local or regional anesthesia plus sedation may be used in place of general anesthesia. General anesthesia is also useful as a method of restraint for procedures (i.e., radiography, dental prophylaxis, certain blood collection procedures) that if performed without anesthesia would cause excessive stress for the animal and/or expose the human handler to potential hazards.

Pain adversely impacts the welfare of animals and if not controlled, is a variable that can confound the interpretation of experimental results. Analgesic medication must be provided for research animals subjected to procedures expected to induce more than slight discomfort. While adequate anesthesia provides analgesia during painful procedures, further analgesic medication must be provided to relieve post-procedural pain. Investigators are responsible for the assessment and management of pain in their research animals and must include a pain management plan in their research protocols.

Follow the links on the left to find information about specific types and dosages of anesthetics and analgesic medications for various species. Please contact an ARP veterinarian if you have questions or need additional information.