[Backliteyes]

I'm curious how vets handle putting down animals too small to inject (rats, mice, gerbils, hamsters, chinchillas, etc.). What's the most common method (or methods)? What is the most humane method?

[foxywench]

theres no such thing as "too small" remember rabbits and yes, even RATS can be neutered/spayed...they simply use a smaller guage needle.
i have heard of some vets also doing an OD on the gas.

[las vegas drunk]

Maybe this can help:

Small Animal Euthanasia at Home

[Backliteyes]

Originally Posted by foxywench

theres no such thing as "too small" remember rabbits and yes, even RATS can be neutered/spayed...they simply use a smaller guage needle.
i have heard of some vets also doing an OD on the gas.

I'm impressed, it has to take skill to inject a small squirmy animal, though I'm sure it's easier with practice. I've seen larger animals (dogs) put down by injection and from what I've seen (can't really tell what they're feeling on the inside), it seems better than gassing.

[Backliteyes]

Originally Posted by las vegas drunk

Maybe this can help:

Small Animal Euthanasia at Home

I've done that before, it worked but the animal appeared distressed. A bit of stumbling, twitching, and a few pitiful vocalizations before the end. Maybe the gas release was too slow (or too fast), or maybe it simply works on some rodents better than others. I don't blame people who choose that option (especially if they've had it work better for them), but I wouldn't choose to do it again.

If a vet can inject it or if the animal is large enough that someone practiced could arrange it such that it was a sure shot to the head, I'd prefer either option. Having a small animal gassed at the vet might not be any better, though, I'm sure it depends on what they use and how exactly they do it.

[foxywench]

generally any 'discomfort" from gasing is because the content is too high too quickly, you realy have to increase very slowly on gas, when done by someone whos had the practice and has the right equiptment and can properly control the air flow (home made is very difficult to control the percentage) its quite a peacefull way to go...

but injection is definatly the easiest way.

most of the vets ive known do a combination realy, they use a gas chamber to lightly anethatize the animal then lethal injection once the animal is already quite sleepy. it aparently works a little more expensive than a straight up gassing, BUT is generally less stressfull on the animal and its owner.

my personal choice of euthanasia at home is a neck snap, plain and simple, theres no fussing with co2, no ussing with getting the levels right its imediate.
it SOUNDS brutal but for me personally (i used to keep and raise and breed fancy rats) snapping the neck is more humane in my experience than gassing.

[Backliteyes]

Originally Posted by foxywench

it SOUNDS brutal but for me personally (i used to keep and raise and breed fancy rats) snapping the neck is more humane in my experience than gassing.

Doesn't sound brutal at all, anything instant is as good as it gets. And once you're practiced it's dependably instant. I'd do that too if I had any practice, but I don't have the stomach to learn on a pet.

[foxywench]

i learnt "on the farm" btchering chicken and rabbit. we always did instant via a neck snap...nicknamed the broomstick method.

it translated pretty easily from larger "game" to small animal.

[gizmo980]

I had to put a guinea pig to sleep once, as she was suffering from inoperable cancer... she was about 5 years old by then, so at least she had a pretty long life (for a cavy). I simply handed her over to the vet, said my goodbyes, and never saw her again - it was done by injection, just like a dog or cat, but I can't give more details than that. It was sad, regardless.

P.S. If memory serves the euthanasia cost around $50, so there might be less expensive methods for small animals. But she was a sweet little piggie, and I felt it was the most humane/kind option for both of us.

[gizmo980]

Oh, I just re-read your OP, and saw that you're asking about non-injection.

I actually feed live rodents to my snakes, and no I'm not going to suggest that as a method... but my fellow herpers who feed pre-killed use neck-snapping or "bashing" techniques. Both are too brutal for my taste, which might sound funny considering I watch my snakes kill them. But that's nature, whereas putting a rat/mouse in a sock & smashing it against the wall is NOT. To each their own, I just couldn't personally do such a thing. The more humane method they use, IMO, is something called cervical dislocation. I've never done it myself, but I think it consists of pulling the neck from the spine. Yikes.