A Brief Interpretation of AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia of Animals: 2020 Edition

doi:10.12300/j.issn.1674-5817.2021.086

Abstract

Abstract: Overdose of injectable barbiturates or barbituric acid derivatives is the most preferred euthanasia method for the majority of animal species. However, these controlled drugs have limited access, and in this case or in any other scientific concerns, veterinarians may choose alternative, conditional acceptable methods as recommended by American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals. In the newest 2020 Edition, existing euthanasia methods, techniques and agents of euthanasia are updated according to recently released articles. This article summarized the updated content of the new version of the AVMA Guidelines and on this basis, enumerated the most preferred methods of euthanasia, methods acceptable with conditions and unacceptable methods to euthanize different animal species. In addition, principles and precautions related to animal euthanasia were also briefly described.

Key words: Laboratory animal, Euthanasia, Acceptable euthanasia methods, Euthanasia methods acceptable with conditions, Precautions

CLC Number:

Q95-33
R-332

LU Jin, ZHANG Ying, PAN Xueying, WANG Jian, YAN Guofeng, ZHOU Jing, ZHU Lian, CHEN Xuejin, LI Yao, PANG Wanyong. A Brief Interpretation of AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia of Animals: 2020 Edition[J]. Laboratory Animal and Comparative Medicine, 2021, 41(3): 195-206.

Figures/Tables 2

References

[1] LEARY S, UNDERWOOD W, ANTHONY R, et al.AVMA Guidelines for the euthanasia of animals: 2020 Edition[M]. Schaumburg: American Veterinary Medical Association, 2020.
[2] DANNEMAN P J, MANDRELL T D.Evaluation of five agents/methods for anesthesia of neonatal rats[J]. Lab Anim Sci, 1997, 47(4):386-395.
[3] SILVERMAN J, HENDRICKS G.Sensory neuron development in mouse coccygeal vertebrae and its relationship to tail biopsies for genotyping[J]. PLoS One, 2014, 9(2): e88158. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0088158.
[4] FITZGERALD M.The development of nociceptive circuits[J]. Nat Rev Neurosci, 2005, 6(7):507-520. DOI:10.1038/nrn1701.
[5] LEARY S, UNDERWOOD W, ANTHONY R, et al.AVMA Guidelines for the euthanasia of animals: 2013 Edition[M]. Schaumburg: American Veterinary Medical Association, 2013.
[6] HICKMAN D L, JOHNSON S W.Evaluation of the aesthetics of physical methods of euthanasia of anesthetized rats[J]. J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci, 2011, 50(5):695-701.
[7] MAKOWSKA J, GOLLEDGE H, MARQUARDT N, et al.Sedation or inhalant anesthesia before euthanasia with CO₂ does not reduce behavioral or physiologic signs of pain and stress in mice[J]. J Am Assoc Lab Animal Sci, 2012, 51(4):396-397.
[8] HEWETT T A, KOVACS M S, ARTWOHL J E, et al.A comparison of euthanasia methods in rats, using carbon dioxide in prefilled and fixed flow rate filled chambers[J]. Lab Anim Sci, 1993, 43(6):579-582.
[9] HICKMAN D L, FITZ S D, BERNABE C S, et al.Evaluation of low versus high volume per minute displacement CO₂ methods of euthanasia in the induction and duration of panic-associated behavior and physiology[J]. Animals (Basel), 2016, 6(8):E45. DOI:10.3390/ani6080045.
[10] BOIVIN G P, BOTTOMLEY M A, DUDLEY E S, et al.Physiological, behavioral, and histological responses of male C57BL/6N mice to different CO₂ chamber replacement rates[J]. J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci, 2016, 55(4):451-461.
[11] POWELL K, ETHUN K, TAYLOR D K.The effect of light level, CO₂ flow rate, and anesthesia on the stress response of mice during CO₂ euthanasia[J]. Lab Animal, 2016, 45(10):386-395. DOI:10.1038/laban.1117.
[12] WALSH J, PERCIVAL A, TURNER P.Efficacy of blunt force trauma, a novel mechanical cervical dislocation device, and a non-penetrating captive bolt device for on-farm euthanasia of pre-weaned kits, growers, and adult commercial meat rabbits[J]. Animals, 2017, 7(12):100. DOI:10.3390/ani7120100.
[13] CARTNER S C, BARLOW S C, NESS T J.Loss of cortical function in mice after decapitation, cervical dislocation, potassium chloride injection, and CO₂ inhalation[J]. Comp Med, 2007, 57(6):570-573.
[14] Leica Biosystems. Decapitator Rodent[Z]. (2020-05-31). https://www.leicabiosystems.com/research/neuroscience/sample-preparation/products/decapitator/.
[15] POOLE G H, FLETCHER D L.A comparison of Argon, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen in a broiler killing system[J]. Poult Sci, 1995, 74(7):1218-1223. DOI:10.3382/ps.0741218.
[16] RAJ A B, WHITTINGTON P E.Euthanasia of day-old chicks with carbon dioxide and Argon[J]. Vet Rec, 1995, 136(12):292-294. DOI:10.1136/vr.136.12.292.
[17] CASEY-TROTT T M, MILLMAN S T, TURNER P V, et al. Effectiveness of a nonpenetrating captive bolt for euthanasia of 3 kg to 9 kg pigs[J]. J Anim Sci, 2014, 92(11):5166-5174. DOI:10.2527/jas.2014-7980.
[18] SCHÜTT-ABRAHAM I, KNAUER-KRAETZL B, WORMUTH H J. Observations during captive bolt stunning of rabbits[J]. Berl Munch Tierarztl Wochenschr, 1992, 105(1):10-15.
[19] MEYER R E, WHITLEY J T, MORROW W E M, et al. Effect of physical and inhaled euthanasia methods on hormonal measures of stress in pigs[J]. J Swine Health Prod, 2013, 21(5):261-269.
[20] VALENTIM A M, GUEDES S R, PEREIRA A M, et al.Euthanasia using gaseous agents in laboratory rodents[J]. Lab Anim, 2016, 50(4):241-253. DOI:10.1177/0023677215618618.
[21] HEDENQVIST P, ROUGHAN J V, ANTUNES L, et al.Induction of anaesthesia with desflurane and isoflurane in the rabbit[J]. Lab Anim, 2001, 35(2):172-179. DOI:10.1258/0023677011911561.
[22] FLECKNELL P A, ROUGHAN J V, HEDENQVIST P.Induction of anaesthesia with sevoflurane and isoflurane in the rabbit[J]. Lab Anim, 1999, 33(1):41-46. DOI:10.1258/002367799780578516.
[23] SHARP J L, ZAMMIT T G, AZAR T A, et al.Stress-like responses to common procedures in male rats housed alone or with other rats[J]. Contemp Top Lab Animal Sci, 2002, 41(4):8-14.
[24] BOIVIN G P, HICKMAN D L, CREAMER-HENTE M A, et al. Review of CO₂ as a euthanasia agent for laboratory rats and mice[J]. J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci, 2017, 56(5):491-499.
[25] PRITCHETT-CORNING K R. Euthanasia of neonatal rats with carbon dioxide[J]. J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci, 2009, 48(1):23-27.
[26] LORD R.Use of ethanol for euthanasia of mice[J]. Aust Vet J, 1989, 66(8):268. DOI:10.1111/j.1751-0813.1989.tb13590.x.
[27] ALLEN-WORTHINGTON K H, BRICE A K, MARX J O, et al. Intraperitoneal injection of ethanol for the euthanasia of laboratory mice (Mus musculus) and rats (Rattus norvegicus)[J]. J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci, 2015, 54(6):769-778.
[28] DE SOUZA DYER C, BRICE A K, MARX J O. Intraperitoneal administration of ethanol as a means of euthanasia for neonatal mice (Mus musculus)[J]. J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci, 2017, 56(3): 299-306.
[29] BALKO J A, ODA A, POSNER L P.Use of tricaine methanesulfonate or propofol for immersion euthanasia of goldfish (Carassius auratus)[J]. J Am Vet Med Assoc, 2018, 252(12):1555-1561. DOI:10.2460/javma.252.12.1555.
[30] WILSON J M, BUNTE R M, CARTY A J.Evaluation of rapid cooling and tricaine methanesulfonate (MS-222) as methods of euthanasia in zebrafish (Danio rerio)[J]. J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci, 2009, 48(6):785-789.
[31] COLLYMORE C, BANKS E K, TURNER P V.Lidocaine hydrochloride compared with MS222 for the euthanasia of zebrafish (Danio rerio)[J]. J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci, 2016, 55(6):816-820.
[32] Office of Animal Care and Use. Guidelines for use of zebrafish in the NIH intramural research program[M]. Bethesda, Md: National Institutes of Health, 2009.
[33] TORREILLES S L, MCCLURE D E, GREEN S L.Evaluation and refinement of euthanasia methods for Xenopus laevis[J]. J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci, 2009, 48(5):512-516.
[34] DUTTON J W 3rd, ARTWOHL J E, HUANG X C, et al. Assessment of pain associated with the injection of sodium pentobarbital in laboratory mice (Mus musculus)[J]. J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci, 2019, 58(3):373-379. DOI:10.30802/AALAS-JAALAS-18-000094.
[35] KHOO S Y, LAY B P P, JOYA J, et al. Local anaesthetic refinement of pentobarbital euthanasia reduces abdominal writhing without affecting immunohistochemical endpoints in rats[J]. Lab Anim, 2018, 52(2):152-162. DOI:10.1177/0023677217721260.
[36] SVENDSEN O, KOK L, LAURITZEN B.Nociception after intraperitoneal injection of a sodium pentobarbitone formulation with and without lidocaine in rats quantified by expression of neuronal c-fos in the spinal cord: a preliminary study[J]. Lab Animals, 2007, 41(2):197-203. DOI:10.1258/002367707780378140.
[37] 卢选成. 美国兽医协会动物安乐死指南2013版(翻译版)[M]. 北京: 人民卫生出版社, 2019.