[Lizzle]

I can't remember if I've posted about this before, but I've been thinking about it for quite awhile.

As far as I'm aware, it's the CO2 gas itself that initiates the automatic breathing in mammals, while oxygen does not, and this is why when animals suffocate from CO2, they may gasp or their eyes pop out and whatnot.

So here is my question:

Is it possible to make an O2 only chamber so that the mice could be 'gassed' with O2, which would cause them to 'forget' to breathe, resulting in passing out with no distress at all? I'm positive that at least some of you know more about this than I do. xD It's just that.. the one time I gassed with CO2, it went just absolutely horribly. One of the mice had repeated seizures (disturbing), another kept hallucinating that he was eating or chewing on something in his hands when there was nothing there, and two out of the three of them ended up gasping for breath. I did those over perhaps a longer period of time than I should, but the reason I went slow was because the mice gasped and looked to be in horrible discomfort and were gasping and seizing, so I took this to mean I was gassing them too fast. I know that if it's done right, this isn't the case.. but does anyone know if there's a way to O2 overdose mice instead? And would it be more humane?

Also, for those of you who do the CO2 method, what's the average length of time needed to humanely euthanize?

EDIT: I have another possible 'idea,' if you will. What about gassing by allowing denatured alcohol to sit and evaporate inside and enclosed space (it evaporates incredibly fast D: , which will then travel through the tube (just like with CO2 gassing) and cause the mouse to pass out? Would this work or am I nuts?

 

[WillowDragon]

I never use gas... I tried CO2 once, and it was not pleasent, it takes too long for them to die anyway you look at it as far as i'm concerned.
Back and neck trauma is the method i use everytime, and it works, it works in seconds... people may think its brutal, but as far as i'm concerned, the quicker they die the kinder it is.

 

[Lizzle]

I've thought about that before and I think it's probably the least cruel method there is if done correctly, but I'm frankly terrified of trying it for fear that I'll mess up and the mouse won't die and that it will turn into a disaster. How and where did you learn how to do that?

 

[Rhasputin]

It's really best that you have someone show you. Here's a photo though, that might help at least a little:

Basically however hard you think you have to pull, pull a little harder. You're not going to pull it's head off, but you do really need to pull, otherwise you'll just hurt the mouse, without killing it.
I doubt you've ever done it with rabbits (like hunting) but it's the same way, just pull. After you do your first one right, you'll feel better about it.

If you get the chance, have someone that knows what they're doing, show you in person.

 

[Kallan]

Dubiosu about O2 saturation - we get it in anaesthetics sometimes if they go too deep. With O2 they stop rbeathing because the saturation is high, after a while they start taking silly breaths as the CO2 starts to rise in the blood. It's CO2 produced by metabolism and circulating in the blood that triggers respiration, not the inspired fraction.

 

[Lizzle]

Rhas - thank you for that picture. Hmmm, I think I really do need to see it in person before I could ever feel remotely comfortable trying it.

Kallan - Thank you for much for that clarification, that makes sense actually.

 

[minibears]

cd is the way i go everytime, i couldn't walk away from my frightened mousies in a chamber or watch them, i'd rather them think they're getting a cuddle an then its over

 

[sarahsnake]

i couldnt hold their necks like that, i have to put a pencil across their necks