A woman who works at a local pet and feed store told me tonight that she and other employees there routinely euthanize small reptiles by putting them in the freezer. She claims that this is not cruel—the reason being that because reptiles are cold-blooded, when placed in the freezer they simply fall asleep and die painlessly. This just seems inimical to common sense. Wouldn’t the animal frantically try to escape whatever container it is in, attempting to seek warmth? And wouldn’t freezing to death cause a reptile to experience considerable somatic discomfort, despite the fact that it is cold-blooded?
I think it makes a ton of sense. You probably would want to precool the reptile to 60°F just to calm in down. Or, put it in a huge bin full of it’s favorite food and stick it in the fridge. It will die happily after pigging out on crickets or mice or lettuce. It’d be like me after eating a huge burrito. Or, if you live in a cold climate, just toss the animal into the freezer at 7 in the morning. I doubt it would notice a thing.
I was just talking to a friend who works for the local turtle rescue organization. I was commenting that a tortoise would be the perfect pet for me because it can survive without food and water for weeks at a time. The other comment was that if you take off for 3 months or so, you could just stick it in the fridge and it’ll go into hibernation. Alright, perhaps I’m completely wrong, but you should be happy that I might have a tortoise rather than a puppy.
We have a pain/discomfort reaction to cold, there’s no reason to think it’s not more or less the same thing that goes on in the reptile’s brain.
We are mammals, not reptiles. That is one reason to think that we might feel differently. Reptiles are cold blooded animals and have greatly reduced metabolisms when it gets cold. On the other hand, mammals get cold and uncomfortable. Perhaps we could put some electrodes on the brain of the reptile and observe it’s EEG while distressed (getting eaten by a predator) and compare it to that of it’s normal cold temperature behavior. Other than that, I got nothing because I don’t speak reptile.
I was just at PetCo the other day to replace my soon-to-be deceased Betta. He’s old and has fin rot and the poor boy’s just not lookin’ well.
I asked the associate there the best way to put him out of his misery and she too, suggested the freezer.
Ya gotta do what ya gotta do. I don’t want my 5 y/o knowing that Striper died, so I just bought a new one and the switch will be taking place soon.
It’d be a shame if you forgot and accidentally put an ice cube in her water that had old Striper in it…
Maybe you could do in a squirrel or two…
/tom lehrer
Here is what the American Veterinary Medical Association’s 2000 Panel on Euthanasia says regarding freezing reptiles:
http://www.avma.org/issues/animal_welfare/euthanasia.pdf (PDF file)
Decapitation or cervical dislocation are considered humane methods of euthanasia when performed by an experienced individual.
Yeah, but do you shed your skin?
Thank you for an excellent and knowledgeable answer. I had to check what forum I was reading in until I got to your post.
Slight hijack, but there’s a wonderful New Yorker article on this very topic (the author switched betas on his 5-year-old, and she knew it wasn’t the same fish. :eek: )
Adam Gropnik, Death of a Fish, 7/4/2005 issue.
If one plans to put reptiles in the fridge/freezer it might be best to warn one’s spouse. Thus one can avoid late-night eruptions if he/she gets the munchies and inadvertently happens upon ol’ Scaly.
Oh baby I see you in my frigidaire
yeah baby I see you in my frigidaire
Behind the mayonnaise, way in the back
I’m gonna see you tonight for a midnight snack
But though it’s cold you won’t get old
'Cause you’re well preserved in my frigidaire
The Cramps
Uh, thanks—I was hoping that you would come along. When they say “an experienced individual,” does that specifically mean “a DVM”?
So should I assume that putting pets in the freezer until they’re almost dead, then pulling them out and reviving them in the microwave, then putting them back in the freezer again, and going back and forth to see how many times I can make the switch before death, would be considered unacceptably cruel? Because if so, I’ve got no plans for the weekend now.
what i want to know: is boiling lobsters humane? that is how i prepare them, before dipping in butter and consuming-any comments?
Personally, I bet the best part about freezer euthanization is that it allows the human to avoid having to do anything gross. I wouldn’t think it would be pleasant for the reptile. But maybe this is just the sort of thing for the Mythbusters to check on!
And on a side note, how bizarrely funny is that AVMA article?
Owner: “Hi, doctor. Would you mind painlessly euthanizing my sick iguana by sticking him in the freezer?”
Vet: “No, that’s cruel.”
Owner: “Oh. Well … could you at least chop off his head or snap his neck?”
Vet: “Sure thing, buddy.” CRUNCH
You know what the best way to decapitate them is? Freeze 'em first.
To be honest, I don’t see anything bizarrely funny about the article.
I’m not a vet or a doctor but I’ve had to euthanize animals in school and you do it in a way that causes the least distress to the animal.
I’m sure (well, more or less sure) that decapitation or cervical dislocation is relatively painless for the animal, but it just seems horrific to mention it there. “Is freezing lizards a painless method of euthanasia?” “No. Chop off the head instead.”
C’mon! The juxtaposition is funny.
It reminds me of something somebody said in a previous thread on a similar topic (paraphrased): in general, a method of terminating life that’s painless won’t be neat, and a method that’s neat won’t be painless.
Don’t you think he’d be better off dealing with the death now, rather than finding out later that you tried to replace him?