Euthanization Methods - Which do YOU think is right?

[Moofins07]

After hearing many opinions and several pros and cons regarding each method of euthanasia, which method do you believe is BEST to euthanize any snake? Whether you believe the "best" to be the most humane, quick, or the easiest, let's hear why.

I decided to open this thread after reading about the poor BP that had been so severely injured by a live feeder left alone with the snake within the enclosure, it had virtually no chance for survival.

Please do not make this a bash or flame-fest for the user who had to euthanize the snake (remember, it couldn't have been easy for him), but his method was to make one swift, hard hit on the snake's head with a heavy object, thereby causing immediate fatal damage to the brain. I, personally, believe this to be one of the best methods. It ensures immediate death and ends the pain the quickest.

Let's hear it, folks!

[RR - Mackenzie]

I DO NOT MEAN TO OFFEND ANYONE!

I think cutting off the head is the fastest and least painful way. Once you cut off the brain, you basically feel nothing, it is only nerves still twitching.

[wolfy-hound]

But if the head is still living, then it's feeling pain, the body wouldn't, it's just meat(no offense) but the head would be the part feeling the pain. Not saying it IS still alive for an hour or not, but if it is possible, then the brain is still intact.

I chose pithing, because if it's done correctly, it destroys the brain. However, if you aren't sure you can hit the brain itself(unfamiliar with the exact location in the skull) then bludgeoning with blunt force to destroy the brain would be the second choice.

[Samsa]

It's not something I ever want to do, but you never know.

I'm not sure how well typical euthanasia injections work on snakes. Maybe someone can shed some light on that? If it is one of the painless and less messy ways, that would most likely be my first choice.

I'm uncertain of the other methods though, and would rather get it over with quickly, with a method I know will kill them instantly. In this case, blunt force or pithing. As long as the brain is destroyed, they no longer feel anything. With everything I've heard about chopping the head off, I wouldn't, couldn't ever risk it. The very thought of the snake possibly still feeling everything is just...

[RR - Mackenzie]

But if the head is still living, then it's feeling pain, the body wouldn't, it's just meat(no offense) but the head would be the part feeling the pain. Not saying it IS still alive for an hour or not, but if it is possible, then the brain is still intact.

I chose pithing, because if it's done correctly, it destroys the brain. However, if you aren't sure you can hit the brain itself(unfamiliar with the exact location in the skull) then bludgeoning with blunt force to destroy the brain would be the second choice.

How can the snake still feel it if the head is completely shut off?

[bsash]

I choose euthanasia. For those who do not know how it works, it is the same for any other animal. It is injected into the animal's blood stream, and basically shuts down the animal's body, painlessly. The animals are asleep/ unconscious way before all of the organs begin to fail.

[wolfy-hound]

How can the snake still feel it if the head is completely shut off?

The theory is that the head is still alive because reptiles aren't as susceptable to the blood pressure loss as mammals are. Therefor when you chop off the head, the brain is still functioning and therefor could possibly experiance pain. Similiar to if your hand was cut off, you feel pain from the severed nerves on the stump? The head/brain would feel pain from the severed nerves of the "stump" of it's neck.

The BODY doesn't feel anything at any time. The BRAIN feels things. Therefor, if the brain is intact and functioning for any length of time, the brain could still be feeling pain. I'm not certain I buy the "one hour" length of time, but I wouldn't want my pet to feel pain for any amount of time if I could help it. I have seen snakes beheaded before, and the heads did still move around. Not for an hour.. but for some time. Was it just spasms? Or was it conscious movements? I don't know, I wasn't checking that sort of detail. (I wasn't the one beheading snakes either, it was the 'kill the snake' mentality of my area)

I hope that explained it a little better.

Euthanasia drugs can take a long time to work on reptiles. The vet techs next to where I work have told me about numerous times they were supposed to euthanize a tortoise, turtle or snake and having it still breathing an hour later. One even said they eventually just put them into the freezer. Plus, you'd be taking the chance that the vet in question knows both what drugs to use, what amount for that reptile and how to administer it correctly. Assuming you can take it TO a vet, or have a vet willing to see the reptile in your area.

[Vypyrz]

I picked "other"... gunshot to the head...

[stevepoppers]

Bludgening.

If the head is removed, the brain dies from lack of oxygen/bloodflow. Even a human is still conscious for several seconds. I've read a report by a scientist who closely watched the head of a man on the guillotine. He called the man's name and the man looked towards him, then his face grew lifeless. You have nerves that branch from the spinal cord above the neck and which go directly from the brain to the face. This does not rely on the anecdotal evidence, it is merely a fact that it will take the (human) brain/head several seconds to bleed out and lose consciousness. As snakes do everything slower, it may be longer.

I mean, look at this thing! YouTube - Rattlesnake Head Attacks THIS IS FAMOUS! Doesn't look like random twitching to me.

Just imagine going through these things yourself. Imagine freezing to death. Slowly OR quickly. Imagine having something shoved into your skull before it stirs your brain into oblivion. Imagine being placed into a room with no oxygen. Drugs that put you to sleep before you die don't sound so bad, if they do indeed work that way. Who can tell if a snake is sleeping or just lost the ability to move or breathe?

A good way has to be quick, just to be sure. Smashing the head with a rock or shooting it, may not always be the quickest, though. What if you miss? What if you don't hit hard enough? If the head could be secured and a machine crush it hydraulically or something, I'd say that would be the absolute best of the dismal options for the poor snake.

[Adam Chandler]

I picked "other"... gunshot to the head...

Agreed