Euthanizing with helium?

I am getting a whack of feeders in a trade, and the individual I am trading with is a clown by profession and euthanizes with Helium...

Safe right? I mean, people inhale it all the time.

Just want to check to be sure.

Thanks in advance,
Bruce

Death from above?

Well atleast they will be a light meal!

would there sweaky voices get any higher?

I wouldn't be so sure about that, the chemistry might be a little different... The effects of being poisoned from helium might be different from carbon dioxide suffocation. I am pretty sure when a rodent is euthanized with CO2, it pretty much falls asleep and dies...

The thing you got to ask is "why helium?" my first guess is that it might just be cheaper to purchase, or is more readily available... I'm really not sure though

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Originally Posted by ev477

The thing you got to ask is "why helium?" my first guess is that it might just be cheaper to purchase, or is more readily available... I'm really not sure though

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When I said the person was a clown... I was serious. I am getting feeders from a clown. They have helium on hand for blowing up balloons. :)

I'm actually not too sure about this in terms of it being a better or worse method of euthanasia. Helium is less narcotic than Nitrogen which makes it better for deeper diving than Nitrogen. However, as a result, helium does not induce narcosis which is unconsciousness from a narcotic. Nitrogen, on the other hand, can induce narcosis when divers dive too deep. It's similar to being drunk, really.

Essentially, there is little difference between CO2 and Helium in terms of suffocation as both create oxygen deprivation. The only difference would really be the process by which the gas asphyxiates (sp) the organism.

See, CO2 makes "stale" air in your lungs and it interrupts the breathing process because CO2 passes from the blood to the air so when you put back in what your body is trying to put out, you suffocate.

With Helium, Oxygen is actually removed from the blood stream during the breathing process. So, instead of just not being able to breath, it actually is taking Oxygen from your blood stream- something CO2 does not do. The usual result is an uncontrolled fall that can cause serious injury, even if normal breathing resumes before brain damage occurs due to lack of oxygen.

It's arguable as to which causes unconsciousness or death faster. I guess it all depends on how well your blood supply is oxygenated at the time of suffocation.

Little chemistry lesson for the day! :P It's the best way I can explain it without drawing out the actually isotopes and gas exchange rates. Lol. Sorry!

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Originally Posted by Clyde Frog

I'm actually not too sure about this in terms of it being a better or worse method of euthanasia. Helium is less narcotic than Nitrogen which makes it better for deeper diving than Nitrogen. However, as a result, helium does not induce narcosis which is unconsciousness from a narcotic. Nitrogen, on the other hand, can induce narcosis when divers dive too deep. It's similar to being drunk, really.

Essentially, there is little difference between CO2 and Helium in terms of suffocation as both create oxygen deprivation. The only difference would really be the process by which the gas asphyxiates (sp) the organism.

See, CO2 makes "stale" air in your lungs and it interrupts the breathing process because CO2 passes from the blood to the air so when you put back in what your body is trying to put out, you suffocate.

With Helium, Oxygen is actually removed from the blood stream during the breathing process. So, instead of just not being able to breath, it actually is taking Oxygen from your blood stream- something CO2 does not do. The usual result is an uncontrolled fall that can cause serious injury, even if normal breathing resumes before brain damage occurs due to lack of oxygen.

It's arguable as to which causes unconsciousness or death faster. I guess it all depends on how well your blood supply is oxygenated at the time of suffocation.

Little chemistry lesson for the day! :P It's the best way I can explain it without drawing out the actually isotopes and gas exchange rates. Lol. Sorry!

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that was just .... unexpected ... I kinda chuckled to myself while reading this. Took me back to Chem class ... *sigh*

Haha. Science is my forte. Someone asked about the chemistry so ask and you shall receive :P

Just to address the "falling asleep" issue: As for "falling asleep" and dying, that's them going unconscious and their brain shutting down from lack of oxygen.Hard to do anything but lie there when major organs are failing. Especially the brain. Your body systems work together. Especially respiratory and central nervous. So, generally when the body senses that its going to suffocate, the brain begins to shut down section by section as the cells die off. Helium has the same effect. You don't get poisoned. They both make you feel REALLY dizzy and organisms can't handle the spinning and topsy turvy feelings so they lie down to avoid injury or a predator sensing that they are incapable of escaping attack at which point the body accepts defeat, goes into unconsciousness to try to preserve all oxygen for the brain (muscles use a lot of oxygen) and once the brain senses death, it begins to shut down the other systems with the limited time it has while the cells are dying.

As I think about it more and more, helium might even be quicker. If quicker=better or safer then I'd say yes - Helium is better/safer.

As for "why helium"? Well, two reasons - 1. Helium is more readily available. It's a heavier gas and as a result is much easier to obtain from air via distillation.

2. This is going on a stretch, but assuming the average person knows the gas properties of Helium vs CO2, they know that it takes less Helium to kill a person than it does CO2 because CO2 molecule is 2 parts Oxygen, afterall.

helium will knock them out..... trust me... lol.. if it can knock a person out it can knock a mouse out