Euthanizing Geckos

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Originally Posted by DooLittle

Hey, look who's back.

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Honestly, he's not wrong. Like Mike said above, pithing or any sudden destruction of brain matter is probably the least painful way to go. Much faster, less painful and less stressful than freezing or CO2.

But I'm sense OP isn't one who would be okay with doing something like that, the vet is probably the best option. I hate situations like these because as people we want our little buddy to hang around longer but we shouldn't do that at the expense of our little friends suffering. I feel for you, it's not a nice place to be in.

Best of luck.

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Originally Posted by OctagonGecko729

Refridgerating animals is not a humane way of euthanasia at all. Its incredibly painful and slow for the animal.

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

Do not refrigerate or freeze them. Thats not humane. If you really don't want to pay for the vet euth then decapitation followed by pithing would be a humane home euth.

This is going off of what i've read about bps. I could be wrong, but i think it would be the same.

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I've been putting various species of colubrids in the refrigerator for years to brumate them..............about 44 to 45 degrees.

I realize we are talking about geckoes here, but.........

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Originally Posted by Skiploder

I've been putting various species of colubrids in the refrigerator for years to brumate them..............about 44 to 45 degrees.

I realize we are talking about geckoes here, but.........

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I meant freezing to kill them. What you do is different. I used the word "refrigerate" because someone before me said "refrigerate to cool, then freeze them".

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

I meant freezing to kill them. What you do is different. I used the word "refrigerate" because someone before me said "refrigerate to cool, then freeze them".

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Refrigerate to cool, then scramble the brain.

It's difficult to euthanize a snake, and even a well-trained herp vet will have a hell of a time. Euthanization is done via injection directly into the heart and it can take almost an hour on some animals to do with the snake sometimes thrashing and what not the whole time.

Likewise due to their low respiration rates, using CO2 is not an easy way to go either.

The science is sound on what Skip said (as usual). The actual refrigeration wouldn't make the nervous system go ballistic the way freezing would. The reason freezing is bad is due to the phase change of the water in the cells to ice. This doesn't happen with refrigeration. I guess the refrigeration would help make sure the animal sits still while you pith it, which makes the whole thing faster and more surefire.


I agree that based on the OPs post they might not have the stomach for this.

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Originally Posted by Skiploder

Likewise due to their low respiration rates, using CO2 is not an easy way to go either.

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Not to mention the panic of suffocation before passing out.


I am curious, with pythons, boids or other species that don't really have a period of dormancy would refrigeration then brain destruction still be viable? Or would it just cause more suffering.

Kudos to everyone for talking about something super sensitive, and doing it in a respectful and educational manner!!!!

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Originally Posted by Skiploder

Refrigerate to cool, then scramble the brain.

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I see. So how would you determine how long to refrigerate? I wouldn't think that a 60g hatchling bp wouldn't require as long as a 2kg adults.

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

I see. So how would you determine how long to refrigerate? I wouldn't think that a 60g hatchling bp wouldn't require as long as a 2kg adults.

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You are thinking too hard.

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Originally Posted by Skiploder

You are thinking too hard.

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Wouldn't a bigger body hold heat longer?