Investigation of euthanasia techniques in four species of cockroaches
While cockroaches are commonly exhibited in zoos and museums, studied in research laboratories, and even kept as pets, scientifically based guidelines for their euthanasia are lacking. This study assessed euthanasia techniques in four species of cockroaches (Dubia (Blaptica dubia), red runner (Shelf...
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| Format: | Article |
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PeerJ Inc.
2023-10-01
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| Online Access: | https://peerj.com/articles/16199.pdf |
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| author | Samuel M. Tucker Julie A. Balko Dustin C. Smith Larry J. Minter Emma L. Houck |
| author_facet | Samuel M. Tucker Julie A. Balko Dustin C. Smith Larry J. Minter Emma L. Houck |
| author_sort | Samuel M. Tucker |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | While cockroaches are commonly exhibited in zoos and museums, studied in research laboratories, and even kept as pets, scientifically based guidelines for their euthanasia are lacking. This study assessed euthanasia techniques in four species of cockroaches (Dubia (Blaptica dubia), red runner (Shelfordella lateralis), Madagascar hissing (Gromphadorhina portentosa), and giant cave (Blaberus giganteus)). In an initial pilot study, two hundred fifty adult Dubia cockroaches were exposed in groups of ten to a cotton ball soaked with 2 mL of isoflurane in a 1 L air-tight chamber. Thirty minutes beyond loss of any individual movement, groups were exposed to one of the following secondary treatments: freezing at −18 °C or −80 °C from 0.25 to 24 hours; immersion in 10% neutral buffered formalin, 70% isopropyl alcohol, or reverse osmosis water for 0.25 or 0.5 hours; or intracoelomic injection of potassium chloride (456 mEq/kg) or pentobarbital-based euthanasia solution (3.9 g/kg). A control group remained in the air-tight isoflurane chamber for 24 hours. Following all treatments, cockroaches were monitored for an additional 24 hours for spontaneous movement. Irreversible loss of movement was considered synonymous with irreversible loss of consciousness (death). Across all species, isoflurane anesthesia followed by either 70% isopropyl alcohol immersion for 0.25 or 0.5 hours or isoflurane exposure for 24 hours resulted in euthanasia in 100% of cockroaches. This study is the first evaluation of American Veterinary Medical Association-recommended euthanasia protocols in cockroaches. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:42:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7ba449ea21634b6aa6962ef6086eb9ca |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2167-8359 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:42:27Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | PeerJ Inc. |
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| spelling | doaj.art-7ba449ea21634b6aa6962ef6086eb9ca2023-12-03T10:47:46ZengPeerJ Inc.PeerJ2167-83592023-10-0111e1619910.7717/peerj.16199Investigation of euthanasia techniques in four species of cockroachesSamuel M. Tucker0Julie A. Balko1Dustin C. Smith2Larry J. Minter3Emma L. Houck4College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States of AmericaCollege of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States of AmericaNorth Carolina Zoo, Asheboro, NC, United States of AmericaCollege of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States of AmericaCollege of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States of AmericaWhile cockroaches are commonly exhibited in zoos and museums, studied in research laboratories, and even kept as pets, scientifically based guidelines for their euthanasia are lacking. This study assessed euthanasia techniques in four species of cockroaches (Dubia (Blaptica dubia), red runner (Shelfordella lateralis), Madagascar hissing (Gromphadorhina portentosa), and giant cave (Blaberus giganteus)). In an initial pilot study, two hundred fifty adult Dubia cockroaches were exposed in groups of ten to a cotton ball soaked with 2 mL of isoflurane in a 1 L air-tight chamber. Thirty minutes beyond loss of any individual movement, groups were exposed to one of the following secondary treatments: freezing at −18 °C or −80 °C from 0.25 to 24 hours; immersion in 10% neutral buffered formalin, 70% isopropyl alcohol, or reverse osmosis water for 0.25 or 0.5 hours; or intracoelomic injection of potassium chloride (456 mEq/kg) or pentobarbital-based euthanasia solution (3.9 g/kg). A control group remained in the air-tight isoflurane chamber for 24 hours. Following all treatments, cockroaches were monitored for an additional 24 hours for spontaneous movement. Irreversible loss of movement was considered synonymous with irreversible loss of consciousness (death). Across all species, isoflurane anesthesia followed by either 70% isopropyl alcohol immersion for 0.25 or 0.5 hours or isoflurane exposure for 24 hours resulted in euthanasia in 100% of cockroaches. This study is the first evaluation of American Veterinary Medical Association-recommended euthanasia protocols in cockroaches.https://peerj.com/articles/16199.pdfEuthanasiaCockroachBlaptica dubiaShelfordella lateralisGromphadorhina portentosaBlaberus giganteus |
| spellingShingle | Samuel M. Tucker Julie A. Balko Dustin C. Smith Larry J. Minter Emma L. Houck Investigation of euthanasia techniques in four species of cockroaches PeerJ Euthanasia Cockroach Blaptica dubia Shelfordella lateralis Gromphadorhina portentosa Blaberus giganteus |
| title | Investigation of euthanasia techniques in four species of cockroaches |
| title_full | Investigation of euthanasia techniques in four species of cockroaches |
| title_fullStr | Investigation of euthanasia techniques in four species of cockroaches |
| title_full_unstemmed | Investigation of euthanasia techniques in four species of cockroaches |
| title_short | Investigation of euthanasia techniques in four species of cockroaches |
| title_sort | investigation of euthanasia techniques in four species of cockroaches |
| topic | Euthanasia Cockroach Blaptica dubia Shelfordella lateralis Gromphadorhina portentosa Blaberus giganteus |
| url | https://peerj.com/articles/16199.pdf |
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