Anesthesia and analgesia are essential for ethical and humane use of mice and rats in research. These rodents, genetically similar to humans, are crucial for studying diseases and testing treatments. Proper anesthesia and analgesia ensure animal welfare and experimental validity by minimizing stress-induced physiological responses. Recent advancements have shifted from a one-size-fits-all approach to tailored protocols, considering factors like age, strain, and experimental procedures. Inhalation agents like isoflurane and sevoflurane are preferred for their rapid induction and recovery, while injectable agents offer flexibility. Analgesic techniques include NSAIDs, opioids, and local anesthetics, with continuous monitoring to ensure optimal pain relief without compromising experimental outcomes. Basic protocols include injectable anesthesia, inhalant anesthesia with isoflurane, and analgesia. Injectable anesthetics are useful for multiple animals, requiring careful dosing based on weight. Inhalant anesthesia uses isoflurane in a vaporizer, with a face mask or nosecone for delivery. Analgesia involves pre-operative and post-operative pain management, using multimodal approaches to reduce side effects and enhance recovery. Key considerations include maintaining body temperature, using appropriate monitoring devices, and ensuring sterile techniques. Preoperative medications like sedatives and analgesics help reduce anesthetic requirements and post-operative pain. Opioids, α2 agonists, and local anesthetics are used for pain management, with careful dosing to avoid complications. NSAIDs are effective for post-operative pain, but require caution to prevent gastrointestinal damage. Oral analgesics may be used with careful consideration of palatability and dosing. Anesthesia must be tailored to the animal and procedure, with careful monitoring to prevent hypothermia, hypoxia, and hypercapnia. Species variation and metabolic rates require precise dosing and careful selection of anesthetic agents. The choice of anesthetic should minimize physiological stress and ensure humane treatment, with attention to both the animal's welfare and the integrity of the research.Anesthesia and analgesia are essential for ethical and humane use of mice and rats in research. These rodents, genetically similar to humans, are crucial for studying diseases and testing treatments. Proper anesthesia and analgesia ensure animal welfare and experimental validity by minimizing stress-induced physiological responses. Recent advancements have shifted from a one-size-fits-all approach to tailored protocols, considering factors like age, strain, and experimental procedures. Inhalation agents like isoflurane and sevoflurane are preferred for their rapid induction and recovery, while injectable agents offer flexibility. Analgesic techniques include NSAIDs, opioids, and local anesthetics, with continuous monitoring to ensure optimal pain relief without compromising experimental outcomes. Basic protocols include injectable anesthesia, inhalant anesthesia with isoflurane, and analgesia. Injectable anesthetics are useful for multiple animals, requiring careful dosing based on weight. Inhalant anesthesia uses isoflurane in a vaporizer, with a face mask or nosecone for delivery. Analgesia involves pre-operative and post-operative pain management, using multimodal approaches to reduce side effects and enhance recovery. Key considerations include maintaining body temperature, using appropriate monitoring devices, and ensuring sterile techniques. Preoperative medications like sedatives and analgesics help reduce anesthetic requirements and post-operative pain. Opioids, α2 agonists, and local anesthetics are used for pain management, with careful dosing to avoid complications. NSAIDs are effective for post-operative pain, but require caution to prevent gastrointestinal damage. Oral analgesics may be used with careful consideration of palatability and dosing. Anesthesia must be tailored to the animal and procedure, with careful monitoring to prevent hypothermia, hypoxia, and hypercapnia. Species variation and metabolic rates require precise dosing and careful selection of anesthetic agents. The choice of anesthetic should minimize physiological stress and ensure humane treatment, with attention to both the animal's welfare and the integrity of the research.