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Any tips for PROPER cervical dislocation?

There is no suffering if it is done fast and right.

The twitching after is natural muscle response. The death is instant, but the muscles jerk for a little bit after death.

I just a pencil, and roll it forward on the neck. Use a flat surface and it's fast and easy.
 
I've always used a butterknife on the back of the neck and yank the tail. Not gently, you are killing the mouse after all. Rats are more muscular, and I wont CD them. They get CO2, or better yet, are bought frozen. I don't keep much that needs rats anyway.
 
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Hope this doesn't freak you out too much

Some time ago I was considering raising my own feeders and I did some research on proper techniques on cervical dislocation. I found this wonderfully informative video on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHvDVixKNwU

In this video rats are being culled but the mechanics are quite similar.

Hope this helps.
 
I'm a certified veterinary technician and did this in school after learning the laws of humane euthanasia. I haven't watched the video yet, so I'll just tell you what I remember. It's required by law (in the veterinary industry at least) to have the rodent unconscious (we used anesthesia, but you can probably just stun them). Then use a pen or screwdriver like Buzz said and yank the tail hard. I was a little squeamish when I did it and didn't yank hard enough the first time and had to do it again. That's why they should be unconscious. There's a gross popping noise which is the dislocation. As stated, muscle twitching is normal after death, it's just electrical activity. Check for a heart rate by feeling the chest. If you're not sure, you can always pull again. We didn't do it on rats. I would just be careful because there's something called "tail slip" that can happen when holding them by the tail where the skin can slip off the tail. You can probably google humane euthanasia techniques for laboratory rodents and find some of the guidelines required and find some step by step instructions. I'd be more comfortable knowing that there's been research with the technique and you know it's humane.
 
I've actually had rodents go cannibalistic after having the skin slip off the tail and placing the affected rodent back into the bin with the others. Definitely a no no.
 
Carpe Serpentis said:
I've actually had rodents go cannibalistic after having the skin slip off the tail and placing the affected rodent back into the bin with the others. Definitely a no no.
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Why on earth would you put that rodent back in the colony? That is cruel. You needed to have tried again or used a different method if that does not work for you.

How would you like if I skinned part of your body and threw you back?

That is needless suffering for the rodent.

Cervical dislocation is not easy to master, if you can't do it right don't do it.
 
Carpe Serpentis said:
I've actually had rodents go cannibalistic after having the skin slip off the tail and placing the affected rodent back into the bin with the others. Definitely a no no.
Click to expand...
Did you mean degloving of the tail during botched cervical dislocation or as a result of an incidental injury?
 
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