Laboratory Animal Science Center (BUMC)
Laboratory Animal Euthanasia
The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) is obliged to adhere to the recommendations of the American Veterinary Medical Association Panel on Euthanasia in its approval of euthanasia methods to be used in research animals. Exceptions to the recommendations in this Panel's report must be specifically approved by the IACUC on a case-by-case basis. The Report of the AVMA Panel on Euthanasia (PDF) is available online or on request from the IACUC office. Please call the Committee office at 638-4086 to obtain a copy of the report or other information regarding animal euthanasia.
Please be informed that animals cannot be removed from LASC facilities (even for euthanasia) unless removal has been reviewed and approved by the IACUC as part of the investigator's protocol.
| Animal | Acceptable methods of euthanasia |
|---|---|
Fish Frog |
|
Mouse¹ Rat¹ Hamster¹ |
|
Rabbit |
|
Pertains to adult animals. Neonatal mice, rats, hamsters, and gerbils are quite resistant to the effects of carbon dioxide. Anesthesia and IP injection are also difficult in neonates. Rodent pups less than 7 days old may be made hypothermic prior to euthanasia by a physical method. The use of decapitation is permitted in neonatal mice, rats, hamsters, and gerbils due to their small size and incomplete neurologic development.
See additional information on appropriate use of CO2. This method of euthanasia may cause some postmortem artifacts, particularly in lung tissue. Call LASC office (638-4086) for more information.
Proposed methods of euthanasia that are not listed in the above table will be reviewed by the Committee on a case-by-case basis. Evaluation of a proposed method of euthanasia will include assessment of:
- the proposed method's ability to induce loss of consciousness and death without causing pain, distress, anxiety, or apprehension to the animal(s);
- the proposed method's appropriateness for animal species and age;
- the proposed method's reliability;
- the proposed method's level of safety for personnel;
- the proposed method's irreversibility;
- the proposed method's likely emotional effect on human observers &/or operators; and
- the proposed method's compatibility with research objectives.
Physical methods, including cervical dislocation and decapitation, are not allowed on unanesthetized adult rodents unless approved by the IACUC for a specific project based on scientific justification provided by the investigator.
