address the need for proper use of tranquilizers, analgesics, or
anesthetics during procedures in laboratory animals. Similarly,
for animals covered by the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act, the USDA
says you must provide appropriate sedatives, analgesics, and
anesthetics if a procedure causes more than momentary or slight
pain or distress.
The veterinarian must be involved in the planning stages of
your experiments. She can help you choose the drugs, dosages, and
routes of administration that are the most appropriate for the
species and size animal that you are using. She can also help
choose the drug that is least likely to affect you experimental
results. 