Euthanasia
Acceptable Agents and Methods of Euthanasia
|
Agent
|
Classification
|
Mode of Action
|
Rapidity
|
Ease of Performance
|
Safety for Personnel
|
Species Suitability
|
Efficiency and Comments
|
|
Barbiturates |
Hypoxia attributable to depression of vital centers |
Direct depression of cerebral cortex, subcortical
structures, and vital centers; direct depression of
heart muscle |
Rapid onset of anesthesia |
Animal must be restrained; personnel must be skilled
to perform IV injection |
Safe except human abuse potential; DEA-controlled
substance |
Most species |
Highly effective
when appropriately administered; acceptable IP in
small animals and IV |
| Benzocaine
hydrochloride |
Hypoxia
attributable to depression of vital centers |
Depression of
CNS |
Very rapid,
depending on dose |
Easily used |
Safe |
Fish, amphibians |
Effective but expensive |
|
Carbon dioxide (bottled gas only) |
Hypoxia attributable to depression of vital centers |
Direct depression of cerebral cortex, subcortical
structures, and vital centers; direct depression of
heart muscle |
Moderately rapid |
Used in closed container |
Minimal hazard |
Small laboratory animals, birds, cats, small dogs,
rabbits, mink (high concentrations required), zoo
animals, amphibians, fish, some reptiles, swine |
Effective, but
time required may be prolonged in immature and
neonatal animals |
| Inhalant
anesthetics |
Hypoxia
attributable to depression of vital centers |
Direct
depression of cerebral cortex, subcortical
structures, and vital centers |
Moderately rapid
onset of anesthesia, excitation may develop during
induction |
Easily performed
with closed container; can be administered to large
animals by means of a mask |
Must be properly
scavenged or vented to minimize exposure to
personnel |
Some amphibians,
birds, cats, dogs, furbearing animals, rabbits, some
reptiles, rodents and other small mammals, zoo
animals, fish, free-ranging wildlife |
Highly effective provided that
subject is sufficiently exposed; either is
conditionally |
Conditionally Acceptable Agents and Methods of Euthanasia
|
Agent
|
Classification
|
Mode of Action
|
Rapidity
|
Ease of Performance
|
Safety for Personnel
|
Species Suitability
|
Efficiency and Comments
|
|
Carbon dioxide (bottled gas only) |
Hypoxia due to depression of vital centers |
Direct depression of cerebral cortex, subcortical
structures and vital centers; direct depression of
heart muscle |
Moderately rapid |
Used in closed container |
Minimal hazard |
Nonhuman primates, free-ranging wildlife |
Effective, but
time required may be prolonged in immature and
neonatal animals |
| Cervical
dislocation |
Hypoxia due to
disruption of vital centers |
Direct
depression of brain |
Moderately rapid |
Requires
training and skill |
Safe |
Poultry, birds,
laboratory mice, rats (< 200 g), rabbits (< 1 kg) |
Irreversible; violent muscle
contractions can occur after cervical dislocation |
|
Decapitation |
Hypoxia due to disruption of vital centers |
Direct depression of brain |
Rapid |
Requires training and skill |
Guillotine poses potential employee injury hazard |
Laboratory rodents; small rabbits; birds; some fish,
amphibians, and reptiles (latter 3 with pithing) |
Irreversible;
violent muscle contraction can occur after
decapitation |
| Pithing |
Hypoxia due to
disruption of vital centers, physical damage to
brain |
Trauma of brain
and spinal cord tissue |
Rapid |
Easily performed
but requires skill |
Safe |
Some ectotherms |
Effective, but death not immediate
unless brain and spinal cord are pithed |
Extracted From: AVMA Guidelines on
Euthanasia
Note: For specific dosing, duration of
administration and confirmation of euthanasia contact the
CCM
Veterinary staff.
|
