In article <Pine.SUN.3.91.950313150005.9831A-100000 at meded.com.uci.edu>,
Neal Prakash <nprakash at meded.com.uci.edu> wrote:
> does anyone know good doses and methods of keeping mice stable under
> nembutal anesthesia? i currently use a loading dose of .01cc of 50mg/mL
> Nembutal per 10g of mouse. followed by .01cc supplements every 15
> minutes. after the mouse is stable i put him on an intraperitoneal
> syringe pump. i am having trouble: 1) getting the mouse calm enough for the
> initial injections and 2) getting the right dosage rate for the pump--it
> either becomes too light and kicks the pump out, or too deep.
>> any input would be appreciated.
>
Have you considered an alternative anesthetic? We gave up on Nembutal. We
now use a mixture of ketamine and xylazine recommended by our vet's office
(tradenames Ketaset and Rompun). 80 mg/kg ketamine:16 mg/kg xylazine given
IP puts them down within 3-5 minutes and keeps them down for about 30-40
minutes. 10-20% of the initial dose given every 30 mins or so therafter
keeps them well anesthetized. Beware however that mice are very poor
thermo-regulators when under anesthesia.
--
Donald Wigston
Atlanta, GA
