Veterinary Guidelines for Anesthetics: Mice
Anesthesia, injectable
- Ketamine 80-100 mg/kg + xylazine 5-10 mg/kg IP, SC
- Ketamine 100 mg/kg + xylazine 2.5 mg/kg + acepromazine 2.5 mg/kg IM
- Ketamine 100 mg/kg + diazepam 5 mg/kg IP
Anesthesia, gas
- Isoflurane 1-3% (MAC 1.3%)
Local anesthetics
- 1-2% Lidocaine 2-4 mg/kg local infiltration; onset 5-10 min; duration 1-2 hr
- 0.25-0.5% Bupivacaine 1-2 mg/kg local infiltration; onset 15-30 min; duration 4-6 hr
Analgesia
- Opioids
- Buprenorphine 0.1 mg/kg SC q 6-12 hr
- NSAIDs
- Carprofen 5-10 mg/kg SC q 24 hr
- Meloxicam 5 mg/kg SC q 24hr
| Species | Drug | Drug amount | Volume water | Cube volume |
| Mouse | Carprofen (Rimadyl) | 25 mg tablet | 100 ml | 1 ml |
| Rat | Carprofen (Rimadyl) | 25 mg tablet | 24 ml | 4 ml |
Example of potentially painful procedures
| Minimal to Mild Pain | Mild to Moderate Pain | Moderate to Severe Pain |
Catheter implantation |
Minor laparotomy incision |
Major laparotomy/organ incision |
Drug selection for alleviating pain in rodents
Minimal to Mild Pain |
Mild to Moderate Pain | Moderate to Severe Pain4 |
| Local anesthesia Lidocaine/Bupivacaine |
Lidocaine/Bupivacaine (adjunct to systemic analgesic) |
Lidocaine/Bupivacaine (adjunct to systemic analgesic) |
| Butorphanol 5 mg/kg SQ |
Buprenorphine 0.05-0.1 mg/kg SQ, q 6-12 hrs |
Buprenorphine 0.05-0.1 mg/kg SQ, q 6-12 hrs |
| Carporfen 2.5-5 mg/kg SQ |
Carprofen 5 mg/kg SQ, q 24 hr |
Carprofen 1-5 mg/kg SQ, q 24 hr |
| Buprenorphine 0.05-0.1 mg/kg SQ |
Morphine 10 mg/kg SQ, q 2-4 hr |
Updated October 2010
