AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia (Formerly Report of the AVMA Panel on Euthanasia) _________________________________ June 2007 Caution - The AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia (formerly the 2000 Report of the AVMA Panel on Euthanasia) have been widely misinterpreted. Please note the following: The guidelines are in no way intended to be used for human lethal injection. The application of a barbiturate, paralyzing agent, and potassium chloride delivered in separate syringes or stages (the common method used for human lethal injection) is not cited in the report. The report never mentions pancuronium bromide or Pavulon, the paralyzing agent used in human lethal injection. AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia (Formerly Report of the AVMA Panel on Euthanasia) Table of Contents PREFACE ....................................................................................................................................................................1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................................1 GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS ..............................................................................................................................3 ANIMAL BEHAVIORAL CONSIDERATIONS .....................................................................................................4 HUMAN BEHAVIORAL CONSIDERATIONS ......................................................................................................4 MODES OF ACTION OF EUTHANATIZING AGENTS ......................................................................................5 INHALANT AGENTS ................................................................................................................................................6 INHALANT ANESTHETICS ............................................................................................................................................6 CARBON DIOXIDE .......................................................................................................................................................7 NITROGEN, ARGON .....................................................................................................................................................9 CARBON MONOXIDE ...................................................................................................................................................9 NONINHALANT PHARMACEUTICAL AGENTS..............................................................................................11 BARBITURIC ACID DERIVATIVES ...............................................................................................................................11 PENTOBARBITAL COMBINATIONS .............................................................................................................................11 CHLORAL HYDRATE..................................................................................................................................................11 T-61 .........................................................................................................................................................................12 TRICAINE METHANE SULFONATE (MS 222, TMS) ....................................................................................................12 POTASSIUM CHLORIDE IN CONJUNCTION WITH PRIOR GENERAL ANESTHESIA ...........................................................12 UNACCEPTABLE INJECTABLE AGENTS ......................................................................................................................12 PHYSICAL METHODS ...........................................................................................................................................12 PENETRATING CAPTIVE BOLT ...................................................................................................................................13 EUTHANASIA BY A BLOW TO THE HEAD ....................................................................................................................13 GUNSHOT .................................................................................................................................................................13 CERVICAL DISLOCATION ..........................................................................................................................................14 DECAPITATION .........................................................................................................................................................14 ELECTROCUTION ......................................................................................................................................................15 MICROWAVE IRRADIATION.......................................................................................................................................15 THORACIC (CARDIOPULMONARY, CARDIAC) COMPRESSION .....................................................................................16 KILL TRAPS...............................................................................................................................................................16 MACERATION ...........................................................................................................................................................17 ADJUNCTIVE METHODS.............................................................................................................................................17 Exsanguination ....................................................................................................................................................17 Stunning...............................................................................................................................................................17 Pithing .................................................................................................................................................................17 SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS...............................................................................................................................18 EQUINE EUTHANASIA ...............................................................................................................................................18 ANIMALS INTENDED FOR HUMAN OR ANIMAL FOOD .................................................................................................18 EUTHANASIA OF NONCONVENTIONAL SPECIES: ZOO, WILD, AQUATIC, AND ECTOTHERMIC ANIMALS ..............18 Zoo Animals ........................................................................................................................................................18 Wildlife................................................................................................................................................................19 Diseased, Injured, or Live-Captured Wildlife or Feral Species...........................................................................19 Birds ....................................................................................................................................................................20 Amphibians, Fish, and Reptiles ...........................................................................................................................20 Marine Mammals.................................................................................................................................................21 EUTHANASIA OF ANIMALS RAISED FOR FUR PRODUCTION .......................................................................................21 PRENATAL AND NEONATAL EUTHANASIA .................................................................................................................22 MASS EUTHANASIA ..................................................................................................................................................22 AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia (Formerly Report of the AVMA Panel on Euthanasia) Table of Contents POSTFACE................................................................................................................................................................22 REFERENCES ..........................................................................................................................................................23 APPENDIX 1—AGENTS AND METHODS OF EUTHANASIA BY SPECIES ................................................28 APPENDIX 2—ACCEPTABLE AGENTS AND METHODS OF EUTHANASIA ............................................30 APPENDIX 3—CONDITIONALLY ACCEPTABLE AGENTS AND METHODS OF EUTHANASIA.........32 APPENDIX 4—SOME UNACCEPTABLE AGENTS AND METHODS OF EUTHANASIA..........................35 PREFACE At the request of the American Veterinary Medical be interpreted and understood by a broad segment of the Association’s (AVMA) Council on Research, the general population, a veterinarian should be consulted Executive Board of the AVMA convened a Panel on in the application of these recommendations. The practice Euthanasia in 1999 to review and make necessary revi- of veterinary medicine is complex and involves diverse sions to the fifth Panel Report, published in 1993.1 animal species. Whenever possible, a veterinarian The Report of the 2000 AVMA Panel on Euthanasia experienced with the species in question should be was published in the Journal of the