CELASC 2026 presentation: Impact of topical lidocaine-prilocaine analgesia on pain-induced grooming after ear notching of mice
Finnish animal welfare legislation (Government Decree 1165/2023) effective as of January 1, 2024, requires establishments to apply “appropriate pain relief” in association with ear notching identification method of laboratory rodents(1). However, there is a lack of scientific evidence whether the benefits of applying analgesia outweigh the additional stress related to handling and drug administration. Our study aimed to determine if acute pain potentially linked to ear notching increases self-grooming behavior of the affected body area and if topical application of lidocaine-prilocaine ointment has the potential to mitigate such pain.
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