Excerpted from the 2000 Report of the AVMA Panel on Euthanasia –

Cervical Dislocation

"Manual cervical dislocation is a humane technique for euthanasia of…[rodents]…when performed by individuals with a demonstrated high degree of technical proficiency. In lieu of demonstrated technical competency, animals must be sedated or anesthetized prior to cervical dislocation. The need for technical competency is greater in heavy rats and rabbits, in which the large muscle mass in the cervical region makes manual cervical dislocation physically more difficult.

"In research settings, this technique should be used only when scientifically justified by the user and approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Those responsible for the use of this technique must ensure that personnel performing cervical dislocation techniques have been properly trained and consistently apply it humanely and effectively."