title: Regarding the inadvisability of administering postoperative analgesics in the drinking water of rats (Rattus norvegicus).
abstract: The feasibility of administering the pain reliever acetaminophen to rats via their water bottles was examined in this study. Two different preparations of acetaminophen were used, a cherry-flavored suspension and an alcohol-containing solution. Both preparations of acetaminophen were diluted to 6 mg/ml by using normal drinking water. When healthy unmanipulated rats were exposed to either of the acetaminophen preparations for the first time, the animals showed a dramatic reduction in fluid intake. A marked reduction in food intake also was associated with the cherry-flavored preparation. These reductions appear to be an expression of the well-characterized neophobic response that can be demonstrated by rodents when they encounter a novel taste. This neophobic behavior suggests that administering pain relievers to rats via their drinking water is counterproductive as a means of providing pain relief.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neuroscience, Oregon Regional Primate Research Center, Oregon Health Sciences University, Beaverton, Oregon 97006, USA.
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Speth
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Brogan
mesh_terms: D000082:Acetaminophen / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000698:Analgesia / Q000662:veterinary*; D000827:Animal Welfare; D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004327:Drinking Behavior; D005106:Exploratory Behavior; D005260:Female; D011182:Postoperative Care; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013652:Taste Threshold; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D014867:Water; D000082:Acetaminophen