Surgery & Post-Op

A surgical recovery matrix to evaluate post-surgical recovery in mice using sham and myocardial infarction models of cardiac surgery as prototypes (2025)

Examinations of biomarkers are useful in measuring overall health. Endpoints are critical to assess the threshold where the scientific aim of the study does not prevail over the wellbeing of experimental laboratory animal. However, parameters able to assess health and...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Surgery & Post-Op, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Pal, E., Shokoples, B., Naik, S. et al. 2025. A surgical recovery matrix to evaluate post-surgical recovery in mice using sham and myocardial infarction models of cardiac surgery as prototypes. PLOS ONE 20(5), e0323317.

Analgesia administration practices to support minimal handling (2024)

An adequate analgesic strategy is important to improve the postoperative recovery and welfare of laboratoy animals. It is desirable that the method for administering the drug is non-invasive and stress-free. Below are a few methods that we use to minimise...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Analgesia, Drug/Substance Administration, Surgery & Post-OpAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Keenan, R., Lynch, A., Murphy, S. et al. 2024. Analgesia administration practices to support minimal handling. Animal Technology and Welfare 23(3), 239–240.

Testing perioperative meloxicam analgesia to enhance welfare while preserving model validity in an inflammation-induced seizure model

Despite the international effort to improve laboratory animal welfare through the 3R principles (Reduce, Refine, Replace), many scientists still fail to implement and report their assessment of pain and well-being, likely due to concerns regarding the potential effects of analgesics...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Analgesia, Disease/Experimental Model, Surgery & Post-OpAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Weiß, E., Pauletti, A., Egilmez, A. et al. 2024. Testing perioperative meloxicam analgesia to enhance welfare while preserving model validity in an inflammation-induced seizure model. Scientific Reports 14(1), 30563.

Does perioperative electroacupuncture reduce postoperative pain in dogs undergoing ovariohysterectomy?

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the analgesic efficacy of perioperative electroacupuncture in fifty-six healthy female dogs undergoing ovariohysterectomy as part of a catch-neuter-release project. Materials and methods: Ten minutes after sedation with 20 μg/kg medetomidine combined with 0.3 mg/kg butorphanol intramuscularly,...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Analgesia, Surgery & Post-OpAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Iwe, C., Schiele, A., Passenegg, V. et al. 2025. Does perioperative electroacupuncture reduce postoperative pain in dogs undergoing ovariohysterectomy? Frontiers in Veterinary Science 11.

Sleep quality in cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) varies by housing type and following surgery

Sleep is an important contributor to good physical and mental health and an important component of post-surgical recovery. The assessment of dark phase (‘nighttime') behavior can provide insight into the efficacy of analgesic treatments and should be considered when assessing...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Housing, Social Housing & Companionship, Surgery & Post-OpAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Paterson, E. A., O'Malley, C. I., Turner, P. V. 2024. Sleep quality in cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) varies by housing type and following surgery. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 272, 106188.

Application accuracy of a frameless optical neuronavigation system as a guide for craniotomies in dogs

Optical neuronavigation systems using infrared light to create a virtual reality image of the brain allow the surgeon to track instruments in real time. Due to the high vulnerability of the brain, neurosurgical interventions must be performed with a high...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Surgery & Post-OpAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Gutmann, S., Heiderhoff, M., Möbius, R. et al. 2023. Application accuracy of a frameless optical neuronavigation system as a guide for craniotomies in dogs. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 65(1), 54.

Comparison of systemic extended-release buprenorphine and local extended-release bupivacaine-meloxicam as analgesics for laparotomy in mice

Extended-release (ER) local anesthetics can be used in multi-modal analgesia or in situations in which systemic analgesics may alter animal physiology and thus introduce interpretational confounds. In this study, we compared the analgesic efficacy of an ER buprenorphine formulation with...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Analgesia, Surgery & Post-OpAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Yang, P., Hish, G., Lester, P. A. 2023. Comparison of systemic extended-release buprenorphine and local extended-release bupivacaine-meloxicam as analgesics for laparotomy in mice. JAALAS 62(5), 416–422.

Effects of depilatory cream formulation and contact time on mouse skin

Depilatory creams are widely used in research to remove hair in preparation for surgery, imaging, and other procedures. However, few studies have evaluated the effects of these creams on mouse skin. We sought to determine the cutaneous effects of 2...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Surgery & Post-OpAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Reichert, M. N., Koewler, N. J., Hargis, A. M. et al. 2023. Effects of depilatory cream formulation and contact time on mouse skin. JAALAS 62(2), 153–162.

Evaluation of cage mate–induced postsurgical trauma in mice

Although mice are social animals, individual housing is sometimes requested after surgery. We questioned whether pair-housing mice after surgery resulted in greater trauma to the surgical site as compared with single housing. We further evaluated the effect of individual housing...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Social Housing & Companionship, Surgery & Post-OpAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Tirado-Muñiz, N., Spangler, T. L., Van Rooyen, H. et al. 2023. Evaluation of cage mate–induced postsurgical trauma in mice. JAALAS 62(2), 170–178.

Efficacy of supplemental diet gels for preventing postoperative weight loss in mice (Mus musculus)

This study investigated whether the use of commercially available diet gels prevented the postoperative weight loss associated with major survival surgery in mice. C57BL/6 mice were divided into 3 groups (n = 9 per group) that received moistened chow pellets...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Husbandry & Management, Surgery & Post-OpAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Gates, K. V., Alamaw, E., Jampachaisri, K. et al. 2023. Efficacy of supplemental diet gels for preventing postoperative weight loss in mice (Mus musculus). JAALAS 62(1), 87–91.