Best way to kill mice humanly

[freetv-5]

Best way to kill mice humanly.
Sorry I lost my original thread! I had asked before about freezing pinkies and was told this was really cruel! So here I am again, I checked local Dry Ice supplier and must buy a minimum witch will be way to much for my needs and a total waste! With out having to do the hands on method is there another way to purchase C02 that I can use as needed and keep the remainder??
Really like this method and hoping I can find an answer! Are some fire extinguishers C02?
Any help would be great or if this was discussed in my previous thread could you please point me back to it!

 

[Nanci]

http://cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51834

 

[wade]

If you are just talking about pinkies, that is different that larger mice. Have you ever noticed how mice will all pile on each other in the corner and at the very bottom will be some little tiny pinky. Ever wonder why they don't suffocate? Pinkies have a very slow shallow rate of respiration and require comparatively little oxygen. It takes a long time to kill them with co2.

On the other hand they have a very small body mass and freeze very quickly. Freezing is the most humane way to kill pinkies and probably fuzzies as well.

 

[Fenderplayer108]

I agree with the above poster, freezing pinkies is the best way to go. Cool them in the fridge for a little while, then move them to the freezer.

 

[Nanci]

Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Rodent Feti and Neonates

http://oacu.od.nih.gov/ARAC/euthmous.pdf

 

[Nanci]

Sorry, I'm not trying to be argumentative...

From AVMA Panel on Euthanasia:

b. Mouse, Rat and Hamster Feti 15 days’ gestation to birth and Guinea Pig Feti 35 days’
gestation to birth: The neural development at this stage supports the likelihood that pain may be perceived (3, 6, 7). When feti are required for study, euthanasia of individual feti may be induced by the skillful injection of chemical anesthetics. Decapitations with surgical scissors or cervical dislocation are acceptable physical methods of euthanasia. Rapid freezing, without prior anesthesia, as a sole means of euthanasia is not considered to be humane (1). Animals should be anesthetized prior to freezing.

 

[Fenderplayer108]

Sorry, I'm not trying to be argumentative...

From AVMA Panel on Euthanasia:

b. Mouse, Rat and Hamster Feti 15 days’ gestation to birth and Guinea Pig Feti 35 days’
gestation to birth: The neural development at this stage supports the likelihood that pain may be perceived (3, 6, 7). When feti are required for study, euthanasia of individual feti may be induced by the skillful injection of chemical anesthetics. Decapitations with surgical scissors or cervical dislocation are acceptable physical methods of euthanasia. Rapid freezing, without prior anesthesia, as a sole means of euthanasia is not considered to be humane (1). Animals should be anesthetized prior to freezing.

Nanci, they are referring to the pinks still inside the mother, hence 15 days gestation to birth.

 

[Nanci]

Yeah, I know, but in the section discussing neonates zero to 10 days old it doesn't even mention freezing- I'm just pointing out that even before being fully developed (at birth) they are likely to feel pain and freezing without anesthesia is not considered humane. Although it _does_ say "Alternatively, when adequately justified, hypothermia may be used to induce anesthesia in pups six days of age or less" but what does adequately justified mean? That would seem to support your method of cooling, then freezing. I'd speculate that adequately justified means the animal must be physically unaltered such as by dislocating its vertebrae or decapitating it.

I wanted to buy some PK pinks at the snake store one time, and they told me there was no way, at their shop, to do that. However, according to AVMA, cervical dislocation _is_ acceptable.

 

[Fenderplayer108]

Yeah, I know, but in the section discussing neonates zero to 10 days old it doesn't even mention freezing- I'm just pointing out that even before being fully developed (at birth) they are likely to feel pain and freezing without anesthesia is not considered humane. Although it _does_ say "Alternatively, when adequately justified, hypothermia may be used to induce anesthesia in pups six days of age or less" but what does adequately justified mean? That would seem to support your method of cooling, then freezing. I'd speculate that adequately justified means the animal must be physically unaltered such as by dislocating its vertebrae or decapitating it.

I wanted to buy some PK pinks at the snake store one time, and they told me there was no way, at their shop, to do that. However, according to AVMA, cervical dislocation _is_ acceptable.

True, I would never freeze anything with fur, simply because it would take longer, and would allow the formation of ice crystals on the mouse, which would ensure a horrible death.

At the same time, I couldn't just decapitate them either. C02 is the most humane method by far, but from my experience, it just doesn't work as well with pink's.

 

[Nanci]

Good thing we're not discussing euthanasia for reptiles- that's even more difficult!

 

[Fenderplayer108]

Good thing we're not discussing euthanasia for reptiles- that's even more difficult!

I won't get into that, but like most breeders, I have had to do that as well. Horrible experience that I wouldn't wish upon anyone.

 

[tsst]

Not to argue but just wondering ... why so much careful thought is given to euthanasia regarding a pink but they are regularly fed live. Don't most snakes eat live pinks without constriction? (not sure on this but have read that before) Wouldn't death by digestion be a tough way to go? Just curious.

 

[Nanci]

Eeew, I was just reading a chapter in a book about snake anatomical evolution, about a type of snake with backwards pointing teeth that made it impossible for the live lizard to escape except by scuttling forward down into the snake's stomach...