For information about ordering controlled substances, see the UC Davis Policy and Procedure Manual Section 290-70. Animals exhibiting pica may ingest large quantities of bedding after recovering from anesthesia which may occasionally cause gastric obstruction. It is recommended that analgesics be given prior to the animal's recovering from anesthesia. Animals painful enough to require an analgesic should not be gavaged. Rats may be induced to take oral buprenorphine by mixing it either in jam, jelly, or in a berry flavored jello.
Rats enjoy blackberry, raspberry, or strawberry flavors.
They dislike all citrus flavors and will often refuse them. For this example, we'll assume an average size of 200 gm. A reasonable quantity of jelly for a rat to consume is 1ml. Prepare a solution in jelly in which 1ml of jelly contains 0.01mg of buprenorphine. Provide each rat with 1 ml of the resultant gel twice daily.