Animal euthanasia

Reasons for euthanasia include incurable (and especially painful) conditions or diseases,[1] lack of resources to continue supporting the animal, or laboratory test procedures.

Acceptable pharmacological methods include injected drugs and gases that first depress the central nervous system and then cardiovascular activity.

It also greatly mitigates any tendency toward spasm and other involuntary movement which tends to increase the emotional upset that the pet's owner experiences.

[citation needed] For large animals, the volumes of barbiturates required are considered by some to be impractical, although this is standard practice in the United States.

Some specially formulated combination products are available, such as Somulose (secobarbital/cinchocaine) and Tributame (embutramide/chloroquine/lidocaine), which cause deep unconsciousness and cardiac arrest independently with a lower volume of injection, thus making the process faster, safer, and more effective.

[10] In 2013, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) issued new guidelines for carbon dioxide induction, stating that a flow rate of 10% to 30% volume/min is optimal for the humane euthanasia of small rodents.

[citation needed] The use of gas chambers is not the most humane form of euthanasia as it can take up to 20 minutes to fully euthanize the animal.

[16] Cervical dislocation, or displacement (breaking or fracturing) of the neck, is an older and less common method of killing small animals such as mice.

It is unknown how long an animal remains conscious, or the level of suffering it goes through after a correct snapping of the neck, which is why it has become less common and often substituted with inhalants.

[citation needed] With regard to state and federal laws, one of the most humane forms of euthanizing animals is through the injection Sodium Pentobarbital.

In March 2007, he was sued by former State Representative Chesley V. Morton, who wrote the law, and subsequently ordered by the court to enforce all provisions of the Act.

[32] In the Philippines, the treatment and handling of stray dogs are governed by specific laws that emphasize animal welfare.

This law outlines the responsibilities of local government units (LGUs) and veterinarians in dealing with stray animals.