Extended oxygen supplementation after thoracotomy in rats may improve welfare.

A retrospective comparison of welfare indicators in male rats undergoing thoracotomy for intrapleural dosing is presented. The initial cohort ( = 7) breathed room air after recovery from anaesthesia, while later cohorts ( = 12) had oxygen supplementation for up to 48 h post-surgery. Rats breathing room air sustained a statistically significant average body-weight loss of -1.