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Reported analgesic administration to rabbits undergoing experimental surgical procedures
Claire A Coulter1, Paul A Flecknell, Matthew C Leach
1Comparative Biology Centre, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
BMC Veterinary Research
|February 23, 2011
Summary
Systemic analgesia for rabbits in scientific research is increasing, but not always administered during experimental surgery. Buprenorphine is common, but multimodal approaches and NSAIDs could improve pain management.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Medicine
- Animal Research Ethics
Background:
- The 3Rs principle (replacement, reduction, refinement) guides animal use in science.
- Analgesic administration is a refinement to minimize animal pain during procedures.
- This review examines trends in analgesic use for rabbits in experimental surgery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current trends in analgesic administration to rabbits undergoing experimental surgical procedures.
- To assess changes in analgesic use over time and factors influencing administration.
Main Methods:
- A structured literature review was conducted.
- 128 papers from 51 peer-reviewed journals were analyzed.
- Data on systemic analgesic administration in rabbits were extracted and analyzed.
Main Results:
- Systemic analgesia reporting increased significantly from 16% (1995-1997) to 50% (2005-2007).
- Papers reporting ethical approval were more likely to report analgesic use.
- Buprenorphine was the most frequent opioid, while NSAIDs were used less frequently.
Conclusions:
- While analgesic use is increasing, rabbits still do not always receive pain relief during experimental surgery.
- Improvements needed include pre/perioperative administration, multimodal analgesia, and increased NSAID/epidural use.
- Optimizing perioperative care is crucial for rabbit welfare in research settings.
