Anesthesia and analgesia of small mammals. Part 1: Preparation,premedication and general anesthesia

In today's society small rodents and rabbits are increasingly kept as pets. Anaesthesia is necessary for numerous reasons and proves to be a challenge for many veterinarians. Following surgical intervention analgesia is frequently neglected. This article reviews the preparation of small mammals for anaesthesia, the choice of anaesthetics and the possibilities of perioperative care including monitoring, complications, fluid therapy and analgesia.