Tough but necessary Q...

[Moozillion]

ok, Let's say I'm driving along and I see a turtle on the side of the road and stop to investigate. The turtle is still alive but horribly smashed and clearly mortally wounded. What is the quickest and kindest way to put it out of its misery? (I figure a shotgun would work well, but firearms are not an option for reasons that don't need to be addressed here).

 

[Sulcata_Sandy]

Beheading. (I cringe at the thought). Another tech at work was in a different area, worked for a shelter. That is what they advised Good Sammaritans to do if they were unable to bring them in.

 

[Yvonne G]

Ew...I don't think I'd be able to do that. My husband would kill the squirrels and gophers that way. First he'd stun them with the shovel, then he'd chop off their heads with the shovel. My grandfather, many many years ago, used to chop off chickens' heads with an axe. I guess that would be pretty painless and mighty quick. I just don't think I could do it.

 

[ascott]

It may be the quickest way---the separation of the head from the body is a for sure way to eventually end life....however, kindest---will never be agreed upon.

Many studies show that while this is quickest if done properly and severed completely with one motion--it likely generates sudden and immense pain. The beheaded can remain aware for some moments until they actually die, also do not be alarmed if the body and limbs move about go awhile....I am not trying to be gross or graphic, but just be aware that just because the head is separated does not mean it is not violent....and violent death is not always as quick as we hope for at the moment...

 

[wellington]

Agree with ascott. Probably the best and less painful way would be to bring it home, place in a box and place box in the freezer. It's kinda like putting them too sleep first. Then, after a few hours, it may be dead, but I would then kill it by whatever fast means you have available, just to be sure it's dead.
It's the best and less painful way for fish too, before flushing them if small enough.

 

[Moozillion]

Thanks, Wellington. When I have had to euthanize my ailing tropical fish, I put them in container of water in the freezer. My issue here is that if it is a gravid female, I would want to harvest the eggs to try and hatch them. I'm assuming a lot of the turtles who are hit are females looking for a place to lay their eggs...

 

[Millerlite]

They say in the fall or this time it's mostly females looking for a nest, in spring it's makes looking for a female. Sad either way. I would behead it probably the fastest way. Or slit the next

 

[wellington]

Thanks, Wellington. When I have had to euthanize my ailing tropical fish, I put them in container of water in the freezer. My issue here is that if it is a gravid female, I would want to harvest the eggs to try and hatch them. I'm assuming a lot of the turtles who are hit are females looking for a place to lay their eggs...

Smashing their heads maybe less painful and quicker then cutting their heads off. More gruesome though and you have to be sure to get the job done with the first swing of something heavy. Maybe a jar of formaldehyde and a box. Place the turtle in the box with an open jar of formaldehyde, place lid on box and wait. I don't know how long it would take to kill it. I would probably play it safe and wait at least 10 minutes or until the turtle goes limp and the. Wait about 5 minutes more. Maybe someone will know how long it would take for it too kill. Just be very careful with the formaldehyde.

 

[Sulcata_Sandy]

Agree with ascott. Probably the best and less painful way would be to bring it home, place in a box and place box in the freezer. It's kinda like putting them too sleep first. Then, after a few hours, it may be dead, but I would then kill it by whatever fast means you have available, just to be sure it's dead.
It's the best and less painful way for fish too, before flushing them if small enough.

There have been many articles in the veterinary industry in the past 10 years that say freezing is actually painful, They are still aware as their organs freeze and cells crystallize and even explode. How aware, I don't know, just EEG studies and numerous necropsies.

I definitely would say humane euthanasia via injection. But not always feasible.
I don't know what to tell you. No good way out of it. Makes me so sad.

 

[wellington]

As for fish, sorry, it is the less painful way. Fish can naturally survive freezing temps. Some have even survived a frozen solid pond. A sick fish would not be able to survive. Most fish in the pet trade would not be able to survive. I work now in a fish store for a guy that knows anything there is too know about fish.
As for turtles, I don't really know for sure. However, Turtles, naturally slow their bodies down to hibernate/brumate, which takes place in the cold. By the time they were too cold/dead, their bodies would have naturally slowed to a brumating state, therefore not feeling the slow decline of the temps and pain if there were any. Now, I am talking about turtles in my area, the northern cold states, Michigan and Illinois. If you live where it doesn't get cold and your turtles don't brumate/hibernate, then the other way I mentioned may be better. I think, but don't know, it would work for any turtle as most turtles and tortoises for that matter slows when cold and can take quite the cold temps before they would feel pain. They would feel stress before pain.

 

[Sh3wulf]

I recognize this is seriously touchy and many hope to never have to do this. I grew up on a farm raising cattle for beef. I hated to load our baby boys on that truck, but it was our living and it fed people, and us.
I'm only sharing that point so people who might jump all over me will know that I do have a slightly different view possibly because of my childhood.
My thoughts on this is to quickly and with as much humanity as possible end the animals suffering. Thus I strongly recommend decapitation. Crushing a skull on even a small animal is very difficult and could actually result in causing much more pain if it isn't extremely swift or if at the last moment the blow is deflected. A swift decapitation although possibly painful for moments, would be less painful than suffering a freeze, breathing a painful chemical that burns (such as formaldehyde) or having a skull crushed or potentially partially crushed.
The other option if you have your vehicle is to run the poor beast over again, and finish it's suffering, but this would probably result in the destruction of any potential eggs, which would be a shame.

 

[Moozillion]

I am very grateful for all the input. It can be so hard to know what is the best thing to do for animals: either wild or our own.

 

[mike taylor]

Thats what I would . Place under your tire and dive over it fast .

 

[Saleama]

Beheading actually severs the central nervous system. No pain once the head is gone but there still might be a small awareness. However, if you miss or cringe and don't get it right you may increase the pain, so until you are sure of hand, you should not attempt. As hard as it maybe, you might have to harvest the eggs while the animal is still alive and then end the poor girls suffering with a quick blow. Whichever method you choose, you have to prepare yourself for it and make sure that after, you will continue to understand that it was the best thing.

 

[Kirin]

Cut off the head in 1 stroke. It will be more pain for you but will take there pain away for the tort. f the poor thing is suffering stop the pain and send them to heaven. I would practice on wood to make sure that i could do it with one hit. Not a happy thing to think about but your post have been about helping the unborn. I think you are passionate about this issue and helping as much as you can, then go for it. Just practice with wood and a axe so you know that you can do it with one hit and if need be to save babies. I would hate for you to try and behead a tort and not be able to do it with one hit. If you are like me, I would be crying the whole time but I wouldn't want the tort to be suffering.

 

[Moozillion]

Thanks so much, Saleama, and everyone!

 

[wellington]

For the record. There really is no 100% painless way to do it yourself. All forms will have some pain. The best thing you could do is what would be considered lesser pain of all methods. Of course no one really knows which that would be. It all depends on who has done what studies if any and who benefits from the answer in those studies. Also, what type of animal, reptile, etc that study was done on. If a non-benefitting group did a study and had the answer, that's the answer I would take. The formaldehyde I would think would be the lesser of them all.
Good luck, hope I don't ever have to do it. If you do, I hope you handle it okay mentally and emotionally and save some babies too.

 

[Moozillion]

Thanks, Wellington. I really, REALLY hope it never comes to this.

Saving the turtle babies is the whole point. I feel like it's a way for the mom to live on and to help her achieve the goal she lost her life over.

 

[stinax182]

this is a screenshot of paragraph from AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals 2013 regarding unacceptable methods of euthanizing a reptile.

you can download the entire thing towards the bottom of the page here https://www.avma.org/KB/Policies/Pa...utm_term=issues-animal_welfare-euthanasia-pdf

 

[Moozillion]

Thanks, stinax182!!!

I have sent a PM to a forum member that I think is a herp vet to see if he might add his 2 cents.
There is a new exotics vet in our area who has turtles as part of his office logo, so I may call him and get his suggestions. I will post them here.