killing mice with 70% ethanol.... - ethical issues... (Mar/29/2006 )
hmmm, once somebody took the bottle of isofurane (we use it for anesthezie and also killing ) and then we used ether to kill the mice.
the mice were completely different, muscles were contracted. I felt really bad for them.
I will never use ether anymore. Moreover, I think it's forbidden, isn't it?
hi,
despite all rules and regulations, i personally i agree with 70% ethonol killing of newbone mice, rather cutting their head with scissor. i feel second one is little bit rude, i donot know whether it is admitted by ethical commity or not.
i m wondering how does ethical commity approves a technique, for example killing mice in different ways,
i m sure it is based on the severity of pain, if this is the case how can they judge
killing newborn mice in methonol and killing them by cutting their heads is less painfull than the other (nobody will be there in these kind of situations except poor lab animals)
however, how they can say which is right or which is wrong?
try to justify as a researcher!!!!!!
It is very difficult to perform cervical dislocation on newborn mice due to its size.
There is a way of killing them, by cutting their head with a pair of scissors.
It is instant and painless, but there is a lot of blood. 
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i dont think cervical dislocation is possible with new born pups and neither using alcohol sounds good to me. i think best method is to give excess doses of ether or choroform.
hmmm, once somebody took the bottle of isofurane (we use it for anesthezie and also killing ) and then we used ether to kill the mice.
the mice were completely different, muscles were contracted. I felt really bad for them.
I will never use ether anymore. Moreover, I think it's forbidden, isn't it?
thanx everyone for your replies....Missele, when i wanted to cut rats last year they have tought me to put them in ether and it didnt sound as horrible as ethanol to me....but after what you said ...
...yes probably only poor mice know which is more painful.... they dont have anasthesia here by the way...so that one is out of question and also they dont have the cervical dislocation tool....its either ether or ethanol..... This article hot of the press from Nature....
Bioethics: An easy way out?
See June 2 post in this tread for pdf file if link fails.
We use CO2. Safe, painless, and quick.
Sorry, just noticed my previous link won't work for most.
Pdf file attached for anyone interested.
Stickly trap does not catch the rat (in rat roaring place) because rat are huge and strong....... and they carry the trap with them. 
Co2 doesn't effectively/quickly kill newborn mice because of the physiology of the blood (apparently... that is what I was taught), I was told putting them in a freezer is acceptable, they just go hypothermic. However, having said all that, I have never had to kill newborns, but I would have thought the best way would be to remove the head.
b3ka- 3+ weeks? Skilled, the ones we had were really bouncy at that age. No one wanted to work with them as they were escape artists.
I had to use cervical dislocation for 11-14 day olds, and it wasn't very nice. Apart from the size, they are just more... stretchy than older mice. Yuck. 
*is happily animal-work free as of 4.5 years*