Anesthesia and Analgesia in Laboratory Animals Flashcards

What is the most common cause of hypothermia in anesthetized small laboratory animals?

Answer: Impaired thermoregulation combined with heat loss from the body surface

Anesthetic agents impair thermoregulatory mechanisms, and small animals lose body heat rapidly due to their high surface-area-to-volume ratio, making hypothermia a major anesthetic risk.

What is the recommended environmental temperature for recovering post-anesthetic rodents?

Answer: Warm environment (28–32°C)

A warm recovery environment of 28–32°C helps prevent hypothermia in post-anesthetic rodents that temporarily cannot regulate their own body temperature.

Atipamezole is a reversal agent used to antagonize which class of drugs?

Answer: Alpha-2 adrenergic agonists such as xylazine

Atipamezole is a specific alpha-2 adrenergic antagonist that rapidly reverses the sedation, muscle relaxation, and cardiovascular effects of alpha-2 agonists like xylazine and medetomidine.

Which of the following best describes the purpose of an anesthetic record in laboratory animal procedures?

Answer: Documentation of drugs, doses, monitoring parameters, and observations during the procedure

Anesthetic records provide a complete medical and procedural account including agents used, doses, monitoring data, and any complications, supporting animal welfare and scientific reproducibility.

What is the primary risk of recovering an anesthetized animal without continuous monitoring?

Answer: Life-threatening complications such as respiratory depression, aspiration, or hypothermia may go undetected

Without monitoring, serious life-threatening events including respiratory arrest, aspiration pneumonia, and severe hypothermia can develop and go undetected, resulting in animal death.

Which method is recommended for maintaining body temperature in a small rodent during surgery?

Answer: Placing the animal on a warm water-circulating pad or forced-air warming blanket

Warm water-circulating pads and forced-air warming blankets provide safe, consistent heat transfer to maintain body temperature without the burn risk associated with direct heat sources.

What is the correct immediate response if an anesthetized animal vomits during a procedure?

Answer: Turn the animal's head to the side, clear the airway immediately, and notify the veterinarian

Vomiting during anesthesia creates an immediate aspiration risk; positioning the head downward and clearing the airway is critical to prevent aspiration pneumonia.