2. Bovine Euthanasia

Question 1

What is the biggest difference between slaughter and euthanasia?

Answer 1

Animals are eaten after they are slaughtered

Question 2

Define: Euthanasia

Answer 2

The intentional causing of a painless and easy death to a patient suffering from an incurable or painful disease

Question 3

What are examples of reasons for euthanasia?

Answer 3

Irreparable fracture, severe trauma
Inability to stand or walk
Advanced cancer
Advanced infectious disease
Debilitating or toxic condition

Question 4

What is important to consider when euthanizing?

Answer 4

Human safety
Animal welfare
Practicality
Skill required
Cost
Aesthetics

Question 5

What are the AVMA Panel on Euthanasia guidelines?

Answer 5

Minimize stress and anxiety prior to unconsciousness
Rapid (and complete) unconsciousness
Cardiac/respiratory arrest
Death

Question 6

Compare “brain dead” versus death

Answer 6

Brain dead: completely unconscious and no chance of return to consciousness
Death: vital functions cease (heart, lungs); tissues die when oxygen depleted

Question 7

What are mechanisms for euthanasia?

Answer 7

Drugs that directly depress CNS and neurons vital for life function
Physical disruption of brain activity (consciousness vs midbrain centers)
Agents that induce unconsciousness followed by induction of hypoxia

Question 8

Define: “Acceptable” Euthanasia Techniques

Answer 8

Consistently produce a humane death when used as the sole means of euthanasia

Question 9

Define: “Acceptable with Conditions” Euthanasia Techniques

Answer 9

May require certain conditions to be met to consistently produce a humane death
May be greater potential for human error or safety hazard
Methods may not be well documented in the literature
May require a secondary step to ensure death

Question 10

AVMA Guidelines for “Acceptable with Conditions”

Answer 10

Methods considered to be equivalent to “acceptable methods” when criteria for application of a method can be met

Question 11

Define: “Adjunctive” Euthanasia Techniques

Answer 11

Methods that should not be used as the sole method of euthanasia, but could be used with others to bring about euthanasia

Question 12

Define: “Unacceptable” Euthanasia Techniques

Answer 12

Methods deemed inhumane under any conditions
Methods that were found to pose substantial risk to the human applying the technique

Question 13

Examples of “Acceptable” Euthanasia Techniques in Cattle

Answer 13

Barbiturates and barbituric acid derivatives

Question 14

Examples of “Acceptable with Conditions” Euthanasia Techniques

Answer 14

Gunshot
Penetrating captive bolt with adjunctive methods (penetrating and non-penetrating captive bolt with adjunctive methods appropriate for calves)

Question 15

Pros and Cons of Barbiturate Overdose

Answer 15

Animal welfare and aesthetics: ideal agent
Cost: high
Practicality: controlled substance
Carcass disposal: can’t be used in food/food product animals

Question 16

Pros and Cons of Gunshot to the Brain

Answer 16

Animal welfare: ideal
Cost: inexpensive
Skill: required
Safety: big concern
Aesthetics: not great
Firearm regulations
Brain diagnostics

Question 17

What are the safety concerns of gunshot euthanasia?

Answer 17

Safety of operator
Safety off workers
Firearm safety training
Exit from skull
Concrete, ricochet, etc

Question 18

What are tips for safe and successful use of gunshot euthanasia?

Answer 18

Avoid explosion of the gun barrel (never hold firearm to skull directly)
Shoot from close range (2-3ft)
Hold perpendicular to skull to avoid ricochet
Direct bullet path toward foramen magnum

Question 19

What are extended bolts intended to offer?

Answer 19

1 step euthanasia without the need for use of an adjunctive method

Question 20

Pros and Cons of Captive Bolt Gun

Answer 20

Cost: inexpensive
Animal welfare: ideal, but must be followed by death-inducing agent
Skill: required
Aesthetics
Brain diagnostics
Contact with animal: restraint
Safety: some concern
Can be used in enclosed facilities

Question 21

What do captive bolt guns cause? What continues?

Answer 21

Animal will be brain dead
Completely unconscious, cannot regain consciousness (higher brain centers destroyed)
Other functions may continue (agonal breathing, spinal reflexes, noxious stimuli response)

Question 22

What are adjunctive methods?

Answer 22

Potassium chloride and magnesium sulfate (can never be used as sole method, can only be used in unconscious animals)
Physical methods (second shot, exsanguination, pithing)

Question 23

Advantages to potassium chloride and magnesium sulfate IV injections?

Answer 23

Risk to predators/scavengers from KCl or MgSO4 residues is low

Question 24

Cons of Exsanguination

Answer 24

Disturbing for onlookers
Biosecurity concerns

Question 25

Define: Pithing

Answer 25

Performed by inserting a pithing rod through the projectile’s site of entry
Muscular activity during the pithing process may be quite violent
Rods destroy parts of the brain and spinal cord, ensuring death after stunning
Good biosecurity with sealed hole

Question 26

What are alternatives to standard euthanasia methods?

Answer 26

2 step approach (anesthesia + killing)
Anesthetics (chloral hydrate, xylazine plue ketamine, barbiturate)
Exsanguination
Pneumothorax

Question 27

What methods are considered “unacceptable” in dairy and beef cattle?

Answer 27

Manually applied blunt force trauma
Injection of chemical agents (NOT anesthetics)
Injection of Xylazine followed by KCl of MgSO4
Air injection into vein
Electrocution w 120V cord
Drowning
Exsanguination of conscious animals

Question 28

What is the optimum position for cattle slaughter gunshots?

Answer 28

The optimum position for cattle is at the two imaginary lines drawn from the rear of the eyes to the base of the opposite horn
Front of the skull towards the foramen magnum

Question 29

What shows that an animal is brain dead?

Answer 29

Absence of eye reflex

Question 30

What shows that an animal is dead?

Answer 30

Absence of heart beat

Question 31

What are “acceptable” methods of euthanasia in poultry?

Answer 31

Non-inhlant pharmaceutical agents (barbiturates and barbituric acid derivatives)

Question 32

What are “acceptable with conditions” methods of euthanasia in poultry?

Answer 32

Gas inhalant agents (carbon dioxide, monoxide, nitrogen, argon)
Physical methods (blow to head, cervical dislocation, decapitation, electrocution, captive blot, gunshot)
Embryos and neonates (maceration)

Question 33

What are “acceptable” methods of euthanasia in swine?

Answer 33

Non-inhlant pharmaceutical agents (barbiturates and barbituric acid derivatives)

Question 34

What are “acceptable with conditions” methods of euthanasia in swine?

Answer 34

Gas inhalant agents (carbon dioxide alone or in combo with nitrous oxide or argon)
Physical methods (gunshot, non-penetrating and penetrative captive bolt, electrocution, blunt force trauma in suckling pigs)
Exsanguination or pithing acceptable to insure death

Question 35

Define: Stunning

Answer 35

Term used in slaughter industry for complete unconsciousness
Exactly the same stipulations as euthanasia, rapid unconsciousness with minimal distress

Question 36

Define: Exsanguination

Answer 36

The adjunctive killing step as in euthanasia
Only performed after animal in unconscious

Question 37

What is normal to occur in cattle after stunning?

Answer 37

Movement (expected as involuntary reflex activity, hindbrain and spinal reflexes)
Electrical stimulation of carcass (commonly applied to cause muscle contraction, improved bleed-out)

Question 38

What is the expectation of the initial stun?

Answer 38

Animals to become unconscious
Captive bolt gun, firearm, CO2 chamber (hogs), electrical stun (hogs, sheep, poultry)