My Feeder Euthanizer (DIY CO2 chamber) ***UPDATE***

[littleindiangirl]

Have you ever drown? Neither one of us can say which is better. Ever hit an animal with your car? Did you get out and shot it afterwards? You'd be amazed if I told you how long an animal can live before it dies. The mice die pretty darn fast. On the other hand I nursed a racoon to health after it was hit by a car and left for dead. I'm not saying it right or wrong, thats just how I do it.

Yes, I have almost drown when I was young. Water in the lungs is an incredibly painful experience while you try to fight for your life. It is something I hope never to experience again, or inflict on anyone else.

Waterboarding is inhumane because it makes the brain think it's drowning, do you honestly think that actual drowning is any better to experience?

I can honestly say falling asleep is far better and more humane. Feeding live is nature taking it's course.

I don't hit animals with my car to feed my other animals. That is an accident, not an explicit choice.

There is a set of euthanasia guidelines set up by the ARAV. I suggest you read it and talk with Veterinary medical professionals about the ethics of drowning a living animal on purpose.

[azpythons]

Have you ever drown? Neither one of us can say which is better. Ever hit an animal with your car? Did you get out and shot it afterwards? You'd be amazed if I told you how long an animal can live before it dies. The mice die pretty darn fast. On the other hand I nursed a racoon to health after it was hit by a car and left for dead. I'm not saying it right or wrong, thats just how I do it.

i almost drowned!! crazy grandpa didnt know i couldnt swim...im sure lots of us have those kinds of experiences, and im 21 now and i was 10 then, and it scared me enough that i still remember every vivid detail. but im not a rat...but if i was, i wouldnt wanna drown..or be eaten, or gassed i guess either....

[southb]

Alright think about all the people killed by the black plague every time you feed your snake. Your doing the world a huge favor. The only reason they are still on this planet is to feed other animals. I really don't care what you think or what peta thinks. That's the joy of being an American, I can tell you I don't care and get back to drinking my beer and shooting guns and rescuing people from burning buildings for a living. I've got more important things on my mind than making sure I don't hurt a rats feelings, I have to think about what my family would do if I don't come back from work.

[Hyper Joe]

Alright think about all the people killed by the black plague every time you feed your snake. Your doing the world a huge favor. The only reason they are still on this planet is to feed other animals. I really don't care what you think or what peta thinks. That's the joy of being an American, I can tell you I don't care and get back to drinking my beer and shooting guns and rescuing people from burning buildings for a living. I've got more important things on my mind than making sure I don't hurt a rats feelings, I have to think about what my family would do if I don't come back from work.

Let us look at facts...

Fault:
Yes, there are many people that were killed by the plague and other things. Now the plague was carried by the rat not caused by the rat. The fleas/ticks are the ones that passed the plague onto the humans.
Go drown the fleas and ticks!

Intentional:
I am sure the rodents didn't do it intentionally either. However, we are intentionally raising and killing rodents to allow us to enjoy our reptiles at home. We should at least minimize the way the rodent is taken out.

Cures to cancer, diseases and "lab rat" studies:
The rodent has been used to help us understand genetics, find cures, help understand how our body works and more. All this at our expense. Imagine how many human lives they have saved!

My truth:
I am guilty of whacking a rat or mouse more than once to try to kill it "humanely". I am also guilty of trying to suffocate and drown them as well. But this was due to my learning curve when I was younger. There wasn't internet or published experience back then. And I did not intentionally want to cause trauma and suffering before it goes. I was just trying to figure out the quickest way to put the rodent down. Years later I too "gas" my rodents that need to be put down for feeding. This is the quickest, most effective and efficient way to kill a rodent humanely. This is also how labs do it.
Currently, there is information out there that can easily be accessed on how to do this. There shouldn't be a reason to drown a rodent. And there are cheap ways to do it to. My method only costs about $10 and lasts me about a month or more.

Don't get us wrong, we salute you for saving lives. I too have done my share of securing our country and your right to have your beer and so forth. However, this doesn't mean we should allow ourselves to be ignorant knowing we can do better and "be" that model reptile owner, enthusiast ...

Let's lead by example.

[littleindiangirl]

Alright think about all the people killed by the black plague every time you feed your snake. Your doing the world a huge favor. The only reason they are still on this planet is to feed other animals. I really don't care what you think or what peta thinks. That's the joy of being an American, I can tell you I don't care and get back to drinking my beer and shooting guns and rescuing people from burning buildings for a living. I've got more important things on my mind than making sure I don't hurt a rats feelings, I have to think about what my family would do if I don't come back from work.

I think you have a responsibility along with the rest of us to follow the law. I really don't give a crap if you are a fireman. Both of my parents are city police officers, and they are also expected to follow the law. They don't get to skate or have blame let go because they work in a dangerous environment everyday. (Nice way trying to pull that hero crap, it don't fly)

Yes, it is against the law to kill the rats in the manner you are. Drowning is not approved by the ARAV. By the way they are not PETA, they are veterinarians that have meetings to discuss approved methods of humane euthanasia. Cervical dislocation and killing with a pin to the head is considered more humane than what you do every week.

Drowning is a barbaric and completely inhumane way to kill an animal, whether feeder rat or cute fuzzy puppy or panda cub. If you drop a box of kittens off a bridge into a river, you will be arrested. Same applies in this situation. (And yes, people do try to kill kittens this way everyday in the city I grew up in.)

It is still animal cruelty and against the law, whether you acknowledge it, or continue to refuse to see it for what it is, I know that it will someday come back to bite you in the ass.

[Freakie_frog]

I'm sorry but I have to throw my two cents into this.

As reptile keepers we already walk a fine line of public acceptance. We fight a hard fight to keep our pets and the non educated public appeased. This fight has been carried out for many many years now by people that are far more invested in this market than me, not mention they have a great degree of experience than I could hope to gain.

Feeding rodents to our pets is a way of life. IT SUCKS!!!
Whether you feed live or P/K it sucks!

However your reasoning behind your lack of remorse for your chosen form of euthanasia is at best weak! The Black Plague my ass. Nazis killed 60 million people lets drowned all the Germans. Catholics killed millions of Protestants Lets drown all of them.

You mentioned that you have to worry about coming home safe to your family.

How would that play out if people found out that your drowning animals by the dozens in your home. What would happen, Job loss, fine, jail time, kids get to see daddy in a nice orange jumper, all your snakes taken away, no more family dog or cat?

You would become the poster boy for the ban reptiles movement.

I can see the headline now.

City employee arrested today after it was reported that he was drowning rats in his home to feed his pet pythons.
City officials say that this type of behavior is unexceptionable and appalling. The man was fired from the _____________ city fire department and is currently awaiting trial

if your going to Prekill the rats do it right and stop half assing it.

[JohnNJ]

AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia

http://www.avma.org/issues/animal_we...euthanasia.pdf

"Drowning is not a means of euthanasia and is inhumane."
____________________________________

Species: Rodents and other small mammals

Acceptable: Barbiturates, inhalant anesthetics, CO2, CO, potassium chloride in conjunction with general anesthesia, microwave irradiation

Conditionally acceptable: Methoxyflurane, ether, N2, Ar, cervical dislocation (rats < 200 g), decapitation
____________________________________

Species: Reptiles

Acceptable: Barbiturates, inhalant anesthetics (in appropriate species), CO2 (in appropriate species)

Conditionally acceptable: Penetrating captive bolt, gunshot, decapitation and pithing, stunning and decapitation

"Rapid freezing as a sole means of euthanasia is not considered to be humane. If used, animals should be anesthetized prior to freezing."

[littleindiangirl]

There is a set of euthanasia guidelines set up by the ARAV.

Drowning is not approved by the ARAV.

I just wanted to correct myself, I keep typing ARAV, when I did mean AVMA as in American Veterinary Medical Association.

Don't know where ARAV came from.... Call it the heat of the moment.

[frankykeno]

I've got more important things on my mind than making sure I don't hurt a rats feelings, I have to think about what my family would do if I don't come back from work.

Look I was a dispatcher in fire/police for years so please do NOT disrespect your brothers by using the job as an excuse to be inhumane to animals - that's not going to play with me one bit. Of everything you said here, that one bugs me the very most.

[Peter Williams]

wooooooooow are you really trying to put you mice/rats/etc in to comma. I'm a welder by trade and ill till you this argon is not a gas to be playing around with it can really put you to sleep-comma not joking. there have been cases where people never woke back up. Argon wont kill you it just makes you in to a vegetable

Obviously you guys have destroyed my thread, by to this guy, did you even read the post? Yes, there is an ARGON/CO2 regulator used, and in this case, it is being used for CARBON DIOXIDE, aka CO2. So ya sure argon may be damaging or whatever, but there is none in use here.