Animal warming pads are widely used by pet owners for heat therapy and to improve the general wellbeing of cats, dogs, and small animals at home. These same benefits of using warming pads for animals apply to clinical settings too. Far infrared animal warming pads are particularly beneficial for rodent research, especially in surgical contexts and for post-surgical recovery.
So, what are the benefits of using far infrared animal warming pads in animal research?
Maintaining Consistent Body Temperatures in Rodent Surgery
Vital sign monitoring is a key component of any surgical procedure involving general anesthetic. It provides the real-time insights researchers need to be intra-operatively proactive, helping to maintain optimal conditions for the best possible surgical outcomes. Chief among the primary vital signs is body temperature. The relationship between body temperature and both intra- and post–operative animal wellbeing has been studied at length. Maintaining an adequate body temperature throughout surgery and during recovery not only enhances animal comfort, but mitigates several risks associated with anesthesia (1).
Heating pads are the ideal platform for keeping small animals warm during surgery. But there are various methods of generating heat for the purposes of animal warming. Recirculating warm water is one example, where heated water is pumped directly through pad, but this typically offers a superficial depth of warming and low heat absorption.
High-Efficiency, Deeply Penetrative Warming
A far infrared animal warming pad differs from a recirculating water heater in that the source of heat is provided by an FIR light source. The far infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum covers a range of around 15 micrometres (μm) to a single millimetre (mm). These relatively broad wavelengths can noninvasively penetrate subcutaneous tissue without irritating or overheating the surface. This not only translated to high efficiency warming (<90% total absorption), but also a more significant depth.
Faster Recovery Rates
Maintaining optimal body temperatures throughout surgery has been associated with a host of beneficial effects, including faster recovery rates following surgery. Far infrared warming compounds that effect through “resonant absorption”, which increases metabolism and allows the animal to excrete anesthetics at faster rates.
Looking for Small Laboratory Animal Warming Systems?
Kent Scientific specialises in animal warming systems for clinical settings, providing a suite of solutions designed to help you monitor and maintain your animal’s vital signs during and after surgery.
Refer to our animal warming products page for more information about our options for integrated and standalone rodent warming systems. These include a far infrared warming pad with an integrated controller, and water recirculators for conventional animal warming pads.
If you aren’t sure which laboratory animal warming solution is right for you, get in touch with a member of the Kent Scientific team today.
Sources:
Shui S, Wang X, Chiang JY, Zheng L. Far-infrared therapy for cardiovascular, autoimmune, and other chronic health problems: A systematic review [retracted in: Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2020 Aug;245(14):NP1]. Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2015;240(10):1257-1265. doi:10.1177/1535370215573391
Dárdai E, Heavner JE. Comparison of respiratory and cardiovascular effects of halothane, isoflurane, and enflurane delivered via the Jackson-Rees breathing system in rats. New anaesthesia model for small animal surgery. Z Exp Chir Transplant Kunstliche Organe. 1989;22(1):50-4. PMID: 2711720.
