Euthanizing a Sick Box Turtle
Since box turtles can live for decades, you might hope that the end of your pet's life is not something you need to worry too much about.
But even box turtles can get too sick or too badly injured to recover. When this happens, you have to ask yourself if you want to wait for him to die naturally. Or do you want to help him one last time and euthanize him humanely?
What is Humane Euthanasia?
The term "humane" means characterized by compassion or sympathy for another living creature. So when applied to euthanasia, it basically means ending an animal's life with the least amount of suffering (for the animal, not necessarily for you).
So when you have an injured or sick animal, you may have two questions (or maybe more):
1. Is keeping him alive just going to prolong his pain for no good reason?
2. What's the best way to end his suffering (without adding to his pain)?
Unfortunately, the answer to these questions is not simple. For one thing, we don't really know how much pain another animal is feeling in many situations. And turtles can actually heal from some very nasty injuries and illnesses.
Talking with an experienced reptile vet may beyour best bet for deciding when and how to euthanize your box turtle.
There are a number of different methods that can be used to euthanize a turtle. And each one has its critics.
None of them seem to be foolproof. And none of them should really be done at home. If done wrong, euthanasia can be painful and decidedly inhumane. If you don't have experience, it's best to take your pet to the vet.
Also, vets can give your pet a sedative to calm him down before performing the actual euthanasia.
Injections for Euthanasia
A lethal injection is probably the method you're most familiar with, since it's what's usually used for pet dogs and cats.
It's generally considered humane and painless. But not by everyone. There's debate over whether it's a humane way to administer the death penalty in humans. So it shouldn't be surprising that some people question whether it's the right way to euthanize a pet.
And in turtles there's another wrinkle: It may not work right away.
How can that be? The drugs stop the heart and all breathing. But turtles can survive hours without oxygen. That means that their brains can be alive even without a heartbeat or breathing.
A working brain often means working nerves. Which means the animal may be able to feel, including pain.
But many drugs used for euthanasia include a big dose of anesthetic. This means your pet should be unconscious and not feeling anything.
So in theory, even if the turtle (or at least its brain) is technically still alive, it's not suffering.
Do we know for sure? No, not really. But compared to other methods, an injection seems the most humane way to us.
Do you agree?
Euthanasia by Pithing
Pithing means to destroy the brain.
In this method of euthanasia, a needle or rod is inserted into the brain through the mouth or back of the head.
In this method, the heart may still be beating, but without a functioning brain, the animal should not be feeling any pain. But only if it's done right.
According to the British Chelonia Group, one option to try to ensure a humane death is to give a lethal injection first and follow it up with pithing.
Euthanasia by Freezing
Today most experts and vets agree that freezing a turtle can be painful for the animal. The pain comes from ice crystals forming in the tissues as they freeze. So it's not a humane method of euthanasia.
But it's also easy to understand how people first came to the conclusion that it would be a painless way for a cold-blooded animal to go.
Turtles slow down when they get cold, because their bodies can't regulate temperature on their own. They need external heat sources to stay warm. Hibernation in box turtles has sometimes been compared to a deep sleep or even near-death state of being. Many people believe reptiles don't feel anything in this state.
The logical conclusion then is that freezing a turtle to death is not painful for the animal. But there's evidence to suggest that's not entirely right.
For one thing, hibernating boxies will often react to stimuli. If you poke a leg, they'll pull it away. And you can usually wake them up without too much trouble (even if they won't do much once awake). So they can probably also feel pain in this state.
And, as mentioned in the section on lethal injections, box turtles can live without oxygen for a long time. Take your "dead" pet out of the freezer too soon, and he could wake up. Possibly in a lot of pain from tissue damage.
Euthanasia by Decapitation
If you spend time on reptile forums or message boards, you've probably seen suggestions that decapitation is one of the best ways to euthanize a box turtle if you can't get it to a vet.
It's messy, but it brings death on quick.
Maybe.
Some people believe the brain can feel pain for minutes or even hours after being cut from the spinal cord. That basically means the head will be able to feel the pain from the cut.
Even if the brain can't feel anything after it's removed, you have to be sure you can do it right.
Your pet is going to be trying to pull her head back into her shell. You need a sharp knife that'll make a quick, clean cut and get through the neck in one cut.
Can you do that? Are you sure? if not, then you'll probably be causing her more pain than any of the other methods except possibly freezing.
If your vet uses decapitation for small reptiles, you might want to ask that your pet get a shot of anesthesia before the procedure. At least that way you've done all you can to minimize any pain.
Euthanasia by Gassing
This method uses a box filled with a gas, often carbon monoxide, that causes the animal to become unconscious and then die.
Although this is considered humane for some small mammals, who die quickly without oxygen, it's not a good choice for box turtles. Remember, they can live hours without oxygen. So they can take hours to die from this method.
So what's the answer?
Well, we'd certainly prefer a vet and lethal injection. But only after the vet had determined that the animal really can't be saved. Remember, turtles are surprisingly good at healing from even serious injuries if given enough time and care.
Of course, in the end the final decision is yours.