ABSTRACT
Rodent euthanasia has been a topic of debate within the laboratory animal community for the past several decades, with arguments centering around which method of euthanasia is most humane, most efficient, and causes the least amount of impact on research results. Although the subject continues to be actively investigated, most institutions using rodents in research refer to the guidelines published by the AVMA (AVMA) as a reference for rodent and nonrodent euthanasia. For the most current edition (2013) of the AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals, see the following website: https://www.avma.org/KB/Policies/Documents/euthanasia.pdf (AVMA 2013). Another useful reference utilized by laboratory animal veterinarians is the “Report of the ACLAM Task Force on Rodent Euthanasia,” which includes a summary on the biological effects of various euthanasia techniques and can be found at the following website: https://www.aclam.org/Content/files/files/Public/Active/report_euth.pdf.
