Euthanasia

The COST Manual of Laboratory Animal Care and Use: Refinement, Reduction, and Research (1st Ed)

COST Action B-24 established four working groups to research and discuss issues relevant to laboratory animal science. These included the housing of animals, environmental needs, refinement of procedures, genetically modified animals, and cost-benefit analysis. Based on the groups' findings, The...

Year Published: 2010Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Euthanasia, Handling, Housing, Regulations & Ethical Review, Surgery & Post-OpAnimal Type: Mouse, Rabbit, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Howard, B., Nevalainen, T., Perretta, G. (ed). 2010. The COST Manual of Laboratory Animal Care and Use: Refinement, Reduction, and Research (1st Ed). CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.

Establishing ‘quality of life’ parameters using behavioural guidelines for humane euthanasia of captive non-human primates

Chronic pain and distress are universally accepted conditions that may adversely affect an animal's quality of life (QOL) and lead to the humane euthanasia of an animal. At most research institutions and zoological parks in the USA, a veterinarian, who...

Year Published: 2013Topics: Euthanasia, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Baboon, Capuchin, Chimpanzee, Lemur, Macaque, Marmoset, Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate, Owl Monkey, Squirrel Monkey, Vervet (African Green Monkey)

Citation: Lambeth, S. P., Schapiro, S. J., Bernacky, B. J. et al. 2013. Establishing 'quality of life' parameters using behavioural guidelines for humane euthanasia of captive non-human primates. Animal Welfare 22(4) 429-435.

Testing three measures of mouse insensibility following induction with isoflurane or carbon dioxide gas for a more humane euthanasia

Laboratory mice are commonly killed via exposure to gradually increasing concentrations of isoflurane and carbon dioxide (CO2) gas. Once rendered insensible using isoflurane or CO2, a high concentration of CO2 is used to decrease time to death. When the switch...

Year Published: 2015Topics: EuthanasiaAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Moody, C. M., Makowska, I. J., Weary, D. M. 2015. Testing three measures of mouse insensibility following induction with isoflurane or carbon dioxide gas for a more humane euthanasia. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 163, 183-87.

Rat aversion to sevoflurane and isoflurane

Virtually all rodents used in research are eventually euthanized. Best practice is to anaesthetize these animals before euthanasia using a halogenated anaesthetic such as isoflurane. Exposure to isoflurane is aversive, but less so than exposure to the commonly used carbon...

Year Published: 2015Topics: EuthanasiaAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Boulanger Bertolus, J., Nemeth, G., Makowska, I. J. et al. 2015. Rat aversion to sevoflurane and isoflurane. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 164, 73-80.