Appendix 3—Conditionally acceptable agents and methods of euthanasia

Appendix 3—Conditionally acceptable agents and methods of euthanasia

Conditionally acceptable agents and methods of euthanasia—characteristics and modes of action (refer to text for details)

Agent

Classification

Mode of action

Rapidity

Ease of

Safety for

Species suitability Efficacy and

Blow to the head Physical damage to

Must be properly brain

Direct concussion

Rapid

Requires skill,

Safe

Young pigs <3

of brain tissue

adequate restraint,

weeks old

applied to be

and appropriate

humane and

effective Carbon dioxide

force

Effective, but time (bottled gas only)

Hypoxia due to

Direct depression

Moderately rapid

Used in closed

Minimal hazard

Nonhuman

required may be centers

depression of vital

of cerebral cortex,

container

primates, free-

subcortical

ranging wildlife

prolonged in

structures and vital

immature and

centers; direct

neonatal animals

depression of heart muscle

Carbon monoxide Hypoxia

Effective; (bottled gas only)

Combines with

Moderate onset

time, but insidious

appropriately

hazardous, toxic,

primates, free-

acceptable only

preventing its

so animal is

maintained

and difficult to

ranging wildlife

when equipment is

combination with

unaware of onset

equipment

detect

properly designed

and operated Cervical dislocation Hypoxia due to

oxygen

Irreversible; violent disruption of vital

Direct depression

Moderately rapid

Requires training

Safe

Poultry, birds,

muscle contractions centers

of brain

and skill

laboratory mice,

rats (< 200 g),

can occur after

cervical dislocation Chloral hydrate

rabbits (< 1 kg)

Horses, ruminants, Animals should be depression of

Hypoxia from

Direct depression

Rapid

Personnel must be

Safe

sedated prior to respiratory center

of brain

skilled to perform

swine

IV injection

administration Continued on next page

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia 32 ( Formerly the Report of the AVMA Panel on Euthanasia)

Agent

Classification

Mode of action

Rapidity

Ease of

Safety for

Species suitability Efficacy and

Decapitation Hypoxia due to

Laboratory rodents; Irreversible; violent disruption of vital

Direct depression

Rapid

Requires training

Guillotine poses

small rabbits; birds; muscle contraction centers

of brain

and skill

potential employee

injury hazard

some fish,

can occur after

amphibians, and

decapitation

reptiles (latter 3 with pithing)

Electrocution Hypoxia

Direct depression

Can be rapid

Not easily

Hazardous to

Used primarily in

Violent muscle

of brain and cardiac

performed in all

personnel

sheep, swine, foxes, contractions occur

fibrillation

instances

mink (with cervical at same time as loss

dislocation),

of consciousness ruminants, animals > 5 kg

Gunshot Hypoxia due to

Large domestic and Instant loss of disruption of vital

Direct concussion

Rapid

Requires skill and

May be dangerous

consciousness, but centers

of brain tissue

appropriate firearm

zoo animals,

reptiles,

motor activity may

amphibians,

continue wildlife, cetaceans (< 4 meters long)

Inhalant anesthetics Hypoxia due to

Highly effective disruption of vital

Direct depression

Moderately rapid

Easily performed

Must be properly

Nonhuman

provided that centers

of cerebral cortex,

onset of anesthesia;

with closed

scavenged or

primates, swine;

subcortical

excitation may

container; can be

vented to minimize

ether is

subject is

structures, and vital

develop during

administered to

exposure to

large animals by

personnel; ether has acceptable for

exposed

means of a mask

explosive potential

rodents and small

and exposure to

mammals;

ether may be

methoxyflurane is

stressful

conditionally acceptable for rodents and small mammals

Continued on next page

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia

33 ( Formerly the Report of the AVMA Panel on Euthanasia)

Agent

Classification

Mode of action

Rapidity

Ease of

Safety for

Species suitability Efficacy and

Nitrogen, argon Hypoxia

Reduces partial

Rapid

Used in closed

Safe if used with

Cats, small dogs,

Effective except in

pressure of oxygen

chamber with rapid

ventilation

birds, rodents,

young and

available to blood

filling

rabbits, other small neonates; an species, mink, zoo

effective agent, but animals, nonhuman

other methods are

primates, free-

preferable

ranging wildlife

Dogs, rabbits, zoo Instant loss of bolt

Penetrating captive Physical damage to

Direct concussion

Rapid

Requires skill,

Safe

brain

of brain tissue

adequate restraint

animals, reptiles,

consciousness but

and proper

amphibians, free- motor activity may

placement of

ranging wildlife

continue

captive bolt

Pithing Hypoxia due to

Some ectotherms Effective, but death disruption of vital

Trauma of brain

Rapid

Easily performed

Safe

not immediate centers, physical

and spinal cord

but requires skill

unless brain and damage to brain

tissue

spinal cord are pithed

Thoracic Hypoxia and

Small- to medium- Apparently compression

Physical

Moderately rapid

Requires training

Safe

cardiac arrest

interference with

sized free-ranging effective

cardiac and

birds

respiratory function

Maceration Physical damage to

Effective when brain

Direct concussion

Rapid

Easily performed

Safe

Newly hatched

of brain tissue

with properly

chicks and poults, equipment is

designed,

and pipped eggs

properly designed

commercially

only

and operated

available equipment

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia 34 ( Formerly the Report of the AVMA Panel on Euthanasia)