Post-Surgical Rat Care and Recovery

The rats were allowed to recover in a warmed cage with easy access to water and food. Gentamicin (5 mg/kg, intramuscular; Abbott Laboratories, North Chicago, IL, USA) was administered immediately post-surgery and then daily for seven days. The analgesic Buprenex (0.03 mg/kg, subcutaneous; Reckitt Benckiser, Richmond, VA, USA) was delivered post-surgery and then daily for two days. Lactated Ringers (5 cc, subcutaneous) was given twice a day for seven days or longer if needed. Bladders were manually expressed by gentle abdominopelvic compression twice daily (Crede method) until bladder function returned. Animals had access to food and water ad libitum [55 (link)]. They were caged in pairs with Alpha Dri^® bedding (changed three times a week, Fort Worth, TX, USA) and were provided water bottles with long curved sipper tubes for easy access.