Deformed ball python

[I-KandyReptiles]

Co2 won't work on reptiles.

Pithing or an injection from the bet are basically you're only options AS FAR AS I KNOW.

[AlexiTLO]

Thanks for the fast replies everyone. Hopefully they e-mail me back. Sorry if its too much for some of you but....


if it were to have its head smashed, would I need to worry about any brain activity? It seems like a silly question but I've read stories about snakes having brain activity for an hour or so after being decapitated. I would obviously want it to be as quick as possible.

[sho220]

Thanks for the fast replies everyone. Hopefully they e-mail me back. Sorry if its too much for some of you but....


if it were to have its head smashed, would I need to worry about any brain activity? It seems like a silly question but I've read stories about snakes having brain activity for an hour or so after being decapitated. I would obviously want it to be as quick as possible.

Smashing the head would be instantaneous, I would think. As far as decapitation, I don't know. You're not destroying the brain, just cutting it off from the rest of the body. I suppose there would be a chance of suffering??? Not sure.

[BrandiR]

Yup.





Instantaneous brain destruction would be the most humane at home euthanasia method. So smashing or crushing the head....

Vets will use anesthesia overdose or cardiac puncture.

Co2 is considered cruel due reptiles going through periods of apnea. They don't need much oxygen to survive and can go long periods without it. It could take hours to put down a reptile via co2, which could be agonizing. And a reptile could potentially survive a co2 chamber.

Decapitation is also not humane. The head can still be alive and feel pain up to 30+ minutes after its been cut off.

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[wolfy-hound]

While I agree with everyone on here that the snake would probably be best off if it were put down....

Is it morally okay to take an animal, promising to give it a good home when you fully intend to kill it?

Although we think we know what's best for the animal, it's not our call to make right now. It's someone else's pet and they(supposedly) have been caring for it for some time and are making an effort to find someone else to care for it. They are not looking for someone to kill it.

Not that it's not "the right thing to do" to euthanize any animal for quality of life issues... but really, we could extend that to some of the PETA folks who would happily "adopt" free pets from any of us and put them down because "wild animals cannot be happy in captivity".

Just my $0.02.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

As a breeder euthanizing an animal is never easy and it´s always a personal call which often depends on the quality of life that the animal will have.

An animal that is deformed brought that he cannot eat on his own, has no quality of life in my opinion and it should be put down.

I am gonna assume this person is just not capable of dealing with this kind of thing which is inevitable when breeding

[satomi325]

While I agree with everyone on here that the snake would probably be best off if it were put down....

Is it morally okay to take an animal, promising to give it a good home when you fully intend to kill it?

Although we think we know what's best for the animal, it's not our call to make right now. It's someone else's pet and they(supposedly) have been caring for it for some time and are making an effort to find someone else to care for it. They are not looking for someone to kill it.

Not that it's not "the right thing to do" to euthanize any animal for quality of life issues... but really, we could extend that to some of the PETA folks who would happily "adopt" free pets from any of us and put them down because "wild animals cannot be happy in captivity".

Just my $0.02.

In this situation, I personally think its morally fine to take in this animal with full intention of euthanasia. The snake cannot eat or thrive on its own without aide due to the deformity. The owner has no intention of euthanizing the animal himself and is deluded that it is humane to let this snake live with a poor quality of life. Being syringed food is no life. Being able to only eat very undersized prey at best means it will either be stunted or vastly underweight.

Comparing this to PETA is ridiculous. PETA takes in HEALTHY animals with NO issues, then puts them down. Those animals are not handicapped so much where they need to be spoon fed their meals to survive. If they were, then I don't see a problem. But unfortunately, they are not. They are generally healthy animals with no issues.

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[S.I.R.]

I agree with most of the above statements. I would put the BP down if it cannot feed on its own. I hate to ever think of putting an animal down, but sometimes it is for the best. Good luck!

[dr del]

I'm going to partially disagree.

I would not promise to give the snake a good home then have it put down.

I would recommend putting it down - but I would have to be 100% honest with the person who has it about that and explain to them exactly why.

If they decided not to give it to me at that point fair enough.

The very fact PETA lie about it should make it abundantly clear we should not.

I'm not convinced that you can ever have a moral outcome based on an immoral act.

[bcr229]

Is it morally okay to take an animal, promising to give it a good home when you fully intend to kill it?

Humane euthanasia is not the worst fate that can befall an animal. That said, I wouldn't lie to the current owner.

Although we think we know what's best for the animal, it's not our call to make right now. It's someone else's pet and they(supposedly) have been caring for it for some time and are making an effort to find someone else to care for it. They are not looking for someone to kill it.

Actually we don't know that it's been a pet. The breeder could have put up the CL post, and if that's the case IMO he is shirking his responsiblity.

Not that it's not "the right thing to do" to euthanize any animal for quality of life issues... but really, we could extend that to some of the PETA folks who would happily "adopt" free pets from any of us and put them down because "wild animals cannot be happy in captivity".

There's a big difference between culling an animal because it is in constant pain, sick with a debilitating disease, or has other quality of life issues that will never improve, versus taking one that is healthy and could live a long life just to put it down. PETA also didn't limit its activities to wild animals, they got thousands of dogs and cats from shelters and other rescues over the years just so the animals could be euthed and the bodies tossed in a dumpster.