Cervical Dislocation

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CodysChinchillas

<- Pooper Scooper
Joined
May 22, 2012
Messages
48
Location
Maine, USA
I've been reading old forums, and I'm just wondering what is "cervical dislocation?" People seem to have mixed opinions on it. I kind of just want to know what it is, and why people you use to euthinize their chins, instead of a vet.
 
Cervical dislocation is a "politically correct" way of saying broken neck.

Many large ranchers (and probably a few not so large) use it to euthanize or to kill the chinchilla if it is ill or if it is being pelted.

It would be cost prohibitive for a rancher to take all of his pelting chins and/or ill chins to a vet to be euthanized. When you own this kind of business or have been raised on a farm this is common practice (think chickens). It is pet owners for the most part that cringe when they think of this. I do not know how widely it is still used as there are fewer and fewer big chinchilla ranch and/or pelting herds out there anymore.

Chinchillas can be a herd just like cattle or sheep and those types of ranchers rarely use a vet when bringing in "their crop" so to say.
 
Oh! I couldn't imagine doing that to my babies! But like you said I'm not a big breeder, just a backyard breeder/pet owner. But I know that you gotta do what you gotta do, even if it is sad :(
 
CD is not simply twisting the neck like it might appear from a gross description. It is a very specialized method breaking the spine to cause death as quickly and painlessly as possible. It is arguably more humane than doing a heart prick or suffocation and much less expensive than chemical euthanasia. The issue I have with using it on adult chins is that, in my experience with larger rodents, it is harder to separate the cervical spine (more muscle mass in the neck)- which can get messy and painful. Even research lab protocols prohibit using it on animals larger than about 250 grams.
 
I believe it is the most humain way to euthanize and animal. As GorillaJTA mentionned.

I lost one of my girls jumping out of her cage and breaking her neck.

Cody'schinchillas, just wondering and asking. Would you be interested in becoming a respectable breeder?
 
Even research lab protocols prohibit using it on animals larger than about 250 grams.

Even for laboratory animals under 250g, CD is not approved as a primary method of euthanasia - chemical agents (barbiturate injection or gas inhalation) are preferred. However, CD is approved and encouraged as a secondary method to ensure the animal does not revive in the event that the primary method was ineffective. There are exceptions which allow CD as primary method, such as euthanizing neonates which are resistant to hypoxia, thus gassing is not quick enough to be humane. Other exceptions to allow CD as a primary method have to be written in the experimental protocols and approved by an institution's animal care and use committee.
 
This is a contentious issue even amongst veterinary professionals - some guidance mandates sedation prior to cervical dislocation to prevent distress to the animal.


IMO sedation with inhalation anaesthetic and then a cardiac stick with an overdose of anaesthetic agent or barbiturates is the humane method for euthanising a chinchilla.
 
Thanks everyone for the responses, and sorry I'm replying so late. But Saphire, I would like to some day become a respectable breeder, but I don't know everything I need to know yet. I still need to do some more research before even breeding a single chin let alone a large amount of them.
 
Cody, I don't think you are meaning to intentionally term yourself a "backyard breeder" - I am assuming you don't know the context that typically follows that term. Being a "backyard breeder" is a negative term for someone who throws animals together to make kits for a quick buck without regard to quality or health of the animals.
 
WOOPS! That's not me!!! Sorry if anyone took that the wrong way! Thanks for clearing that up. I am NOT a backyard breeder!
 
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