Register      Login
Wildlife Research Wildlife Research Society
Ecology, management and conservation in natural and modified habitats
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > WR > WR05018
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 36(2)

Assuring that 1080 toxicosis in the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is humane. II. Analgesic drugs produce better welfare outcomes

Clive A. Marks A C , Frank Gigliotti B and Frank Busana B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Nocturnal Wildlife Research, PO Box 2126, East Malvern, Vic. 3145, Australia.

B Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, Primary Industries Research Victoria, PO Box 48, Frankston, Vic. 3199, Australia.

C Corresponding author. Email: camarks@attglobal.net

Wildlife Research 36(2) 98-105 https://doi.org/10.1071/WR05018
Submitted: 9 February 2005  Accepted: 22 July 2008   Published: 20 February 2009

Abstract

Fluoroacetic acid (1080) is a widely used vertebrate pesticide in Australia and New Zealand. In Australia it is used in meat baits as the primary method of control for the introduced red fox (Vulpes vulpes). Subsequent to the onset of initial signs, collapse and convulsions are associated with central nervous system disruptions where the animal is unresponsive to external stimuli, making an assessment of humaneness difficult. Prior to collapse and unconsciousness it would appear that there is potential for suffering to occur although its extent and nature during the entire toxicosis remains unclear. We investigated various formulations of 1080 with either analgesic or anxiolytic drugs in order to manage possible suffering experienced during 1080 poisoning of red foxes. Oral doses of 0.5 mg kg−1 1080 alone produced no visible signs for a mean of 205.3 min (±28 min, P < 0.05), but were lethal after signs that lasted a mean of 103 min (±16 min, P < 0.05). Combinations of 0.5 mg kg−1 1080 with either 10 mg kg−1 carprofen (CA), 0.4 mg kg−1 copper indomethacin (CI) or 10 mg kg−1 buspirone (BS) were assessed in pen trials and compared with a group that received 0.5 mg kg−1 1080 only and one that received the drug dose only. CI reduced the time between the onset of signs and death (P < 0.01) and CA reduced the overall intensity of activity from dosage to death (P < 0.05). A significant reduction in the incidence of retching during the onset of signs was observed in foxes that were coadministered CA (P < 0.05) or CI (P < 0.01) with 1080 compared with 1080 alone. The combination of BS and 1080 halved the mean activity from first signs to death, but was not statistically significant. In a separate trial, drug and 1080 combinations were delivered to penned foxes using an M-44 ejector. Neither 70 mg CA nor 2.8 mg CI appeared to affect the lethality of 1080 doses, although 70 mg BS produced a result that was equivocal and warrants further investigation. Coadministration of 70 mg diazepam was associated with the survival of six of nine foxes and suggests that there may be the potential for diazepam to act in the treatment of accidentally poisoned domestic dogs and this is discussed briefly. Given evidence for both central and peripheral analgesia, its potential to reduce the duration of signs and incidence of retching, CI shows immediate potential to be used with 1080 fox baits and to assist in delivering better welfare outcomes in fox control.


Acknowledgements

All research procedures were carried out in accordance with the Australian Code of Practice for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes and were approved by the Victorian Institute of Animal Science Animal Experimentation Committee as protocols 2260 and 1939. The Department of Justice (Victoria) granted an exemption from the Control of Weapons Act 1990 to allow the importation, possession and use of M-44 ejectors and baits in accordance with the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority permit no. TPM0015A. The purchase and storage of all drugs used in this trial were authorised under permit A25001252, issued by the Department of Health and Community Services, Victoria. This work was originally funded by the Natural Heritage Trust and the Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment and supported to completion by Nocturnal Wildlife Research Pty Ltd. We are grateful to Dr Charles Hackman for his unfailing support, two anonymous referees who made constructive criticism and for the helpful editorial inputs from Wildlife Research that improved the manuscript.


References

Anonymous (2004). ‘Australian Code of Practice for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes.’ (Australian Government Publishing Service: Canberra.)

Anonymous (2005). ‘The Australian Animal Welfare Strategy.’ (Australian Government Publishing Service: Canberra.)

Atzert S. P. (1971). A review of monofluoroacetate (compound 1080): Its properties, toxicology, and use in predator and rodent control. Special Scientific Report No. 146. (Fish and Wildlife Service: Washington.)

Australian Nature Conservation Agency (1994). ‘Threat Abatement Plan for Predation of Wildlife by the European Red Fox.’ (Australian Nature Conservation Agency: Canberra.)

Barnett J. , and Jongman E. (1996). Techniques for the assessment of humaneness and measuring pain and stress in animals. In ‘Humaneness and Vertebrate Pest Control’. (Eds P. M. Fisher and C. A. Marks.) pp. 22–26. (Ropet Printing: Tynong North.)

Borsini, F. , Brambilla, A. , Cesana, R. , and Donetti, A. (1993). The effect of DAU 6215, a novel α-HT-3 antagonist, in animal models of anxiety. Pharmacological Research 27, 151–163.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | PubMed | Connolly G. , and Simmons G. D. (1984). Performance of sodium cyanide ejectors. In ‘Proceedings of the Eleventh Vertebrate Pest Conference’. (Ed. D. O. Clark.) pp. 114–121. (University of California: Davis.)

Crawley, J. N. (1985). Exploratory behavior models of anxiety in mice. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews 9, 37–44.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | PubMed | Eisler R. (1995). Sodium monofluoroacetate (1080) hazards to fish, wildlife and invertebrates: a synoptic review. Biological Report 27. (U. S. Department of the Interior: Washington, D.C.)

Fowler J. , and Cohen L. (1990). ‘Practical Statistics for Field Biology.’ (Open University Press: Buckingham.)

Fox, S. M. , and Johnston, S. A. (1997). Use of carprofen for the treatment of pain and inflammation in dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 210, 1493–1498.
|  CAS | PubMed | Gregory G. (1996). Perception of pain associated with 1080 poisoning. In ‘Humaneness and Vertebrate Pest Control’. (Eds P. M. Fisher and C. A. Marks.) pp. 62–64. (Ropet Printing: Tynong North.)

Jongman E. C. (2001). The efficacy of two analgesics as potential fox bait additives. In ‘Proceedings of the 12th Australasian Vertebrate Pest Conference’. pp. 322–325. (Department of Natural Resources and Environment: Melbourne.)

Lascelles, B. D. , Butterworth, S. J. , and Waterman, A. E. (1994). Postoperative analgesic and sedative effects of carprofen and pethidine in dogs. The Veterinary Record 134, 187–191.
|  CAS | PubMed | Mansergh I. , and Marks C. A. (1993). Predation of native wildlife by the introduced red fox (Vulpes vulpes). Flora and Fauna Guarantee Action Statement No. 44. (Department of Conservation and Natural Resources: Victoria.)

Marks C. A. (1996). Research directions for humane burrow fumigation and 1080 predator baiting. In ‘Humaneness and Vertebrate Pest Control’. (Eds P. M. Fisher and C. A. Marks.) pp. 50–57. (Ropet Printing: Tynong North.)

Marks C. A. (1999). Ethical issues in vertebrate pest management: can we balance the welfare of individuals and ecosystems? In ‘The Use of Wildlife for Research’. (Eds D. Mellor and V. Monamy.) pp. 79–89. (Australian and New Zealand Council for the Care of Animals in Research and Teaching: Glen Osmond.)

Marks C. A. (2003). What is possible to ensure that existing control methods are more humane? In ‘Proceedings of the Humaneness and Vertebrate Pest Control Seminar’. (Ed. B. Jones.) pp. 85–94. (RSPCA Australia: Canberra.)

Marks, C. A. , Busana, F. , and Gigliotti, F. (1999). Assessment of the M-44 ejector for the delivery of 1080 for red fox (Vulpes vulpes) control. Wildlife Research 26, 101–109.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | McIlroy J. C. (1993). Susceptibility of target and non-target animals to 1080. In ‘Proceedings of the Science Workshop on 1080. Miscellaneous Series 28’. (Eds A. A. Seawright and C. T. Eason.) pp. 90–96. (The Royal Society of New Zealand: Christchurch.)

Mead, R. J. , Oliver, A. J. , King, D. R. , and Hubach, P. H. (1985). The biochemistry and coevolutionary role of monofluoroacetate in plant–animal interaction in Australia. Oikos 44, 55–60.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Oogjes G. (1996). The ANZFAS view of vertebrate pest control using chloropicrin fumigation and 1080 poisoning. In ‘Humaneness and Vertebrate Pest Control’. (Eds P. M. Fisher and C. A. Marks.) pp. 9–12. (Ropet Printing: Tynong North.)

Ortí, E. , Coirini, H. , and Pico, J. (1999). Site-specific effects of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug lysine clonixinate on rat brain opioid receptors. Pharmacology 58, 190–199.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed | Rolls E. (1984). ‘They All Ran Wild.’ (Angus and Robertson: London.)

RSPCA (2004). A national approach towards humane vertebrate pest control. Discussion paper arising from the proceedings of an RSPCA Australia/AWC/VPC joint workshop. (RSPCA Australia: Melbourne.)

Saunders G. , Coman B. J. , Kinnear J. , and Braysher M. (1995). ‘Managing Vertebrate Pests: Foxes.’ (Australian Government Publishing Service: Canberra.)

Scicutella, A. , and Ettinger, A. B. (2002). Treatment of anxiety in epilepsy. Epilepsy & Behavior 3, 10–12.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Stafleu F. , Vorstenbosch J. , Tramper R. , de Jong M. , Eckelboom E. , and Krijger F. (2000). The concepts of ‘severe suffering’ of experimental animals and ‘essential needs of man and animal’ as used in cost–benefit analyses. In ‘Proceedings of the 3rd World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences, Bologna, Italy, 29 August to 2 September 1999’. pp. 833–839. (Elsevier: Amsterdam.)

Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (1989). ‘Guidelines for the Recognition of Pain in Animals.’ (Universities Federation for Animal Welfare: Hertfordshire.)

Welsh, E. M. , Nolan, A. M. , and Reid, J. (1997). Beneficial effects of administration of carprofen before surgery in dogs. The Veterinary Record 141, 251–253.
|  CAS | PubMed | Williams D. (1996). Animal welfare aspects of the use of sodium fluoroacetate to poison wild rabbits. In ‘Humaneness and Vertebrate Pest Control’. (Eds P. M. Fisher and C. A. Marks.) pp. 37–42. (Ropet Printing: Tynong North.)

Zar H. J. (1984). ‘Biostatistical Analysis.’ (Prentice-Hall: Sydney.)