The appropriate use of anesthetics, analgesics and tranquilizers is not only an important facet of the provision of humane care, but is also important to the collection of valid research data. Animals that are in pain or are severely distressed cannot be expected to demonstrate “normal” physiologic responses. The attending veterinarian should serve as an institutional resource for information concerning the choice and use of these medications.
Attention should be given to the selection of agents that are appropriate to the species and for effective dosage regimens. For example, doses of morphine that are analgesic in dogs produce extreme agitation in cats, and acetaminophen is extremely toxic to cats. Many analgesic drugs have relatively short durations of action, and frequent dosing is necessary to provide analgesia of sufficient duration. Analgesic medication must be administered at appropriate intervals to provide continuous pain relief and must be provided as long as the painful condition persists.
If painful procedures must be conducted without the use of analgesic medications, the procedure must be carried out under the direct supervision of the responsible investigator. Muscle relaxants and paralytic drugs do not relieve pain but simply prevent the animal from responding behaviorally to pain by moving. The use of these agents is strongly discouraged even if pain is not anticipated of if anesthesia is used, and requires specific justification.
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