What is the easiest way to induce gas anesthesia for a mouse?

• A. Use an anesthetic induction chamber.
• B. Injectable anesthetic isoflurane.
• C. Mask anesthesia without chamber.
• D. Topical sedation.

Answer: (A)

Starting gas anesthesia in a mouse is easiest when you use an anesthetic induction chamber. The mouse sits in a small, sealed chamber where isoflurane (or another volatile anesthetic) in oxygen is delivered, so the animal inhales the gas until it becomes unconscious with minimal handling and stress. This setup provides a simple, controlled, and uniform way to initiate anesthesia, which is especially helpful when processing multiple animals. Once the mouse is unconscious, you can move it to a nose cone or stage for maintenance, with the depth of anesthesia being easy to monitor and adjust. Isoflurane is an inhaled agent, not injectable, so describing it as injectable isn’t accurate. A mask can be used for maintenance or brief induction, but induction without a chamber can be slower and less uniform. Topical sedation does not provide adequate depth of anesthesia for most procedures.