The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) General Postoperative Analgesia Guidelines

‘Procedures that may cause more than momentary or slight pain or distress to the animals will be performed with appropriate sedatives, analgesics, or anesthetics, unless withholding such agents is justified for scientific reasons... ’ 1 ‘Successful surgical outcomes require appropriate attention to … appropriate use of analgesics, and animal physiologic status during all phases of a protocol involving surgery and postoperative care. ’ 2 In order to alleviate pain and / or distress post-operatively, the IACUC requires the administration of analgesics for all survival surgeries. Selection of the appropriate analgesic agent(s) should be based on the type of surgical procedure, be provided for a minimum of 24 hours (minor surgery) to 48 hours (major surgery), and continued longer if the animal is displaying any symptoms associated with pain. A major surgery may require the administration of a narcotic agent such as Buprenorphine (Buprenex®), Morphine, or Fentanyl patch for adequate pain control and/or relief. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, carprofen, and ketorolac may be suitable for minor surgeries. Depending on the procedure, administration of a local anesthetic may aid in pain reduction (eg: Marcaine® (local anesthetic agent able to reduce pain), Lidocaine ® (local anesthetic agent for relief of itching, burning and pain due to skin inflammation)). Note: Sedatives (able to reduce irritability / excitement) and anxiolytics (able to prevent or reduce anxiety) do not relieve pain. However, they may be used in conjunction with appropriate analgesics. For specific agents, dosages, and routes please refer to the Division of Laborator