I’ve always thought that CO2 is the humane way to euthanize, assuming it’s done correctly? At least that’s what I found when looking for humane ways how to kill mice for our snake, when I was looking into feasability of raising our own mice.
We didn’t do it, because we found a good shop with frozen mice nearby, but CO2 with properly controlled delivery was the only humane way recommended by some kind of veterinarian authority I found. Is that wrong?
Or maybe it’s just different for pigs (due to size differences or something), but from what I remember, it should not trigger pain and panic, and cause the animal to first drift to sleep, anesthetize and then calmly die. Honest question, I’d like to get my facts strait.
This isn’t true, CO2 is what triggers the feelings of choking and suffocation, it’s why we panic when holding our breath as it builds up in the blood. Maybe you mean carbon monoxide (CO), which does act in the way you describe?
But, I wouldn’t put it past me to confuse CO2 with CO, so I don’t know. I wouldn’t be surprised that the guidelines for anyone who has to kill mice will ethical-wash it so the people who have to follow it don’t feel too bad.
I’ve always thought that CO2 is the humane way to euthanize, assuming it’s done correctly? At least that’s what I found when looking for humane ways how to kill mice for our snake, when I was looking into feasability of raising our own mice.
We didn’t do it, because we found a good shop with frozen mice nearby, but CO2 with properly controlled delivery was the only humane way recommended by some kind of veterinarian authority I found. Is that wrong?
Or maybe it’s just different for pigs (due to size differences or something), but from what I remember, it should not trigger pain and panic, and cause the animal to first drift to sleep, anesthetize and then calmly die. Honest question, I’d like to get my facts strait.
This isn’t true, CO2 is what triggers the feelings of choking and suffocation, it’s why we panic when holding our breath as it builds up in the blood. Maybe you mean carbon monoxide (CO), which does act in the way you describe?
Carbon monoxide isn’t that pain free either. In fact, some studies have shown that CO is actually a much worse method than CO2, at least for rodents.
I don’t think anyone would recommend CO even if it was more humane, as it’d be much too dangerous for a layman to handle.
I guess it’s the simple fact that there really is no humane way to kill other living creatures…
I think it was CO2, at least when I tried googling it again (for recommended humane rodent/mice euthanasia), most results (of PDFs from associations or academia labs) seem to mention CO2, i.e https://www.bu.edu/research/ethics-compliance/animal-subjects/animal-care/euthanasia/carbon-dioxide-euthanasia-for-rats-and-mice/
But, I wouldn’t put it past me to confuse CO2 with CO, so I don’t know. I wouldn’t be surprised that the guidelines for anyone who has to kill mice will ethical-wash it so the people who have to follow it don’t feel too bad.