Euthanasia

  • AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia (Formerly Report of the AVMA Panel on Euthanasia), June 2007 .pdf version, Adobe Acrobat required

    AVMA guidelines for euthanasia must be followed unless a scientific justification is provided and approved by the IACUC.

Agents and Methods of Euthanasia by Species

Species

Acceptable*

(refer to Appendix 2 and text for details)

Conditionally acceptable†

(refer to Appendix 3 and text for details)
Amphibians Barbiturates, inhalant anesthetics (in appropriate species), CO2, CO, tricaine methane sulfonate (TMS, MS 222), benzocaine hydrochloride, double pithing Penetrating captive bolt, gunshot, stunning and decapitation, decapitation and pithing
Birds Barbiturates, inhalant anesthetics, CO2, CO, gunshot (free-ranging only) N2, Ar, cervical dislocation, decapitation, thoracic compression (small, free-ranging only), maceration (chicks, poults, and pipped eggs only)
Fish Barbiturates, inhalant anesthetics, CO2, tricaine methane sulfonate (TMS, MS 222), benzocaine hydrochloride, 2-phenoxyethanol Decapitation and pithing, stunning and decapitation/pithing
Rabbits Barbiturates, inhalant anesthetics, CO2, CO, potassium chloride in conjunction with general anesthesia N2, Ar, cervical dislocation (< 1 kg), decapitation, penetrating captive bolt
Reptiles Barbiturates, inhalant anesthetics (in appropriate species), CO2 (in appropriate species) Penetrating captive bolt, gunshot, decapitation and pithing, stunning and decapitation
Rodents and other small mammals Barbiturates, inhalant anesthetics, CO2, CO, potassium chloride in conjunction with general anesthesia, microwave irradiation Methoxyflurane, ether, N2, Ar, cervical dislocation (rats < 200 g), decapitation
Free-ranging wildlife Barbiturates IV or IP, inhalant anesthetics, potassium chloride in conjunction with general anesthesia CO2, CO, N2, Ar, penetrating captive bolt, gunshot, kill traps (scientifically tested)
* Acceptable methods are those that consistently produce a humane death when used as the sole means of euthanasia.

†Conditionally acceptable methods are those that by the nature of the technique or because of greater potential for operator error or safety hazards might not consistently produce humane death or are methods not well documented in the scientific literature.

Updated April 1, 2008 by SAK