Research Article
Anesthesia in Laboratory Animals: A Practical Overview
Binglin Peng
,
Jing Zhang,
Huaqin Liu*
Issue:
Volume 2, Issue 3, September 2026
Pages:
75-81
Received:
2 June 2026
Accepted:
29 June 2026
Published:
17 July 2026
DOI:
10.11648/j.ijpr.20260203.11
Downloads:
Views:
Abstract: There is a strong demand for standardized, reliable anesthetic protocols to support scientific research involving laboratory animals. To date, no universally accepted unified anesthesia scheme has been established for any single laboratory animal species, and animal welfare protection is a mandatory requirement that must be fully considered throughout all experimental perioperative procedures. Given the widespread lack of systematic anesthesia guidance for novice technical staff, this review was compiled with the primary purpose of sorting out complete perioperative anesthesia management strategies for common laboratory animals. This review covers the classification, application characteristics and applicable scenarios of injectable anesthesia and inhalant anesthesia, and further elaborates detailed perioperative care specifications including preoperative preparation, intraoperative vital sign monitoring, postoperative recovery antagonism and standardized euthanasia procedures. Meanwhile, it also summarizes differentiated anesthetic schemes for special experimental scenarios such as surgical operations, fMRI, PET and endoscopic modeling, and analyzes the existing limitations of current animal anesthesia techniques. The overall content is expected to provide comprehensive operable reference for technicians with limited practical experience in laboratory animal anesthesia. In conclusion, laboratory animal anesthesiology needs to balance experimental accuracy, animal physiological tolerance and welfare ethics; future studies should focus on personalized species-specific anesthesia protocols and minimally invasive precise monitoring technologies to make up for the deficiency of current monitoring means and individual difference research.
Abstract: There is a strong demand for standardized, reliable anesthetic protocols to support scientific research involving laboratory animals. To date, no universally accepted unified anesthesia scheme has been established for any single laboratory animal species, and animal welfare protection is a mandatory requirement that must be fully considered through...
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