Newly developed anesthetic for amphibians could aid field researchers

A topical general anesthetic for amphibians developed by veterinary researchers at Illinois could be a low-cost, easy-to-administer tool for scientists conducting research in the field. Cane toads were used in the study. CHAMPAIGN, Ill. Veterinary researchers at the University of Illinois have developed a general anesthetic for amphibians that is administered through their skin. The anesthetic jelly could be a low-cost, easy-to-administer form of anesthesia for veterinary work conducted in the field. Amphibians such as the Cane toads used in the study breathe through simple saclike lungs or by taking in gases and moisture through their skin, a process called cutaneous gas exchange. "Because frogs and toads breathe through their skin, we're able to paint this on their backs, and it works very well as a general anesthetic," said Stuart C. Clark-Price, a specialist in anesthesiology and pain management at the U. of I. Veterinary Teaching Hospital.