Abstract

Safe anaesthesia guidance is well established for humans and for rodents, but until recently there was no equivalent guidance for laboratory pigs, sheep, goats and cattle. The new FELASA working group guidelines address this gap by setting out recommended standards for behavioural preparation and restraint, general anaesthetic principles, intraoperative monitoring, and pain assessment in these four species.

This webinar brings those guidelines into practice. Built entirely around questions submitted by the audience in advance, the session will explore the real challenges of anaesthetising large animals in research: what best practice looks like, where evidence is still limited, and how high standards can be achieved even when resources are constrained.

Reference list: 

1. Bischoff SJ, Musk GC, Seliškar A, Casoni D, De Vleeschauwer S, Clutton RE. Anaesthesia for pigs, sheep, goats and cattle involved in biomedical research: FELASA working group guidelines, Parts I–IV. Laboratory Animals. 2026 (E-pub ahead of print). DOI: 10.1177/00236772261442027

2. Clutton RE. A review of factors affecting analgesic selection in large animals undergoing translational research. The Veterinary Journal. 2018;236:12–22.

Learning outcomes

• Use behavioural preparation and humane restraint to reduce stress

• Select appropriate anaesthetic and analgesic protocols for pigs, sheep, goats and cattle

• Interpret monitoring data and pain signs in these species

• Manage recovery and post-procedural care to protect welfare and data quality 

• Apply FELASA tiered standards when resources are limited