The "Etc." (LA euthanasia, bee med, CVI, & regulatory medicine) Flashcards
How would you briefly summarize the AAEP guidelines for equine euthanasia?
horses shouldn’t:
1. ensure pain from chronic incurable conditions
2. ensure medical or sx condition w/ no chance of survival
3. remain alive if unmanageable condition – hazardous to self or handlers
4. receive life-long analgesic meds for pain relief
5. endure lifetime in individual stall confinement for relief of pain/suffering
Our role as a veterinarian during the pre-euthanasia period is to …
provide the owners with an understanding of why the animal might not “get better” or a better understanding of the pain and suffering the animal is enduring, but also recognize their cultural, religious, economic, emotional, and familial influences on the decision to euthanize.
What are the biggest requirements for an equine euthanasia?
- obtain owner permission and signed consent
- sedate first with alpha-2 agonist
What is required if you are planning to use IV barbiturates for your equine euthanasia?
IV catheter placement, extension set, sedation/anesthesia, and restraint
What are the cons of performing intrathecal local anesthetic as euthanasia in equines?
requires general anesthesia and CSF centesis (pulling out CSF fluid to replace with lidocaine/mepivacine)
Does euthanizing horses by IV potassium chloride require general anesthesia?
yes
What are the pros and cons of the gunshot/captive bullet form of euthanasia for horses?
pro: quick, cheap, no drug residues
con: training, skill req and hazardous (safety risk)
What is the most common “alternative” approach to equine euthanasia that is dependable and safe, requires general anesthesia, but is disturbing and messy.
exsanguination
Where should you plan to euthanize a horse?
level private grassy location
not in stalls or in public
What is the most reliable way to confirm death after large animal euthanasias?
absent corneal reflex
What are the disposal options after equine euthanasia?
burial, cremation, rendering, composting, landfill, obliteration, etc.
What is the euthanasia solution used in food animal euthanasia?
sodium pentobarbital (dose = 10ml/100lb)
T/F: unlike horses, only few food animals need to be sedated with xylazine prior to euthanasia
true
After a food animal has been sedated with xylazine, what solution is used in intrathecal euthanasia of food animals?
lidocaine hydrochloride
Where do you insert the needle for intrathecal euthanasia of food animals?
once you place the animal laterally, you can tilt the head 90 degrees. Make a line from the base of the ears to midline and insert the needle perpendicular to this line.
T/F: if using the gunshot method of euthanasia for food animals, you should aim for in between their eyes.
false –
in cattle – aim for high in the center of their forehead
in SR – aim for slightly behind the poll or on top of their head
in pigs –above eyes (where eyebrows would be if they had em hehe)
T/F: you can perform exsanguination by itself in food animals
false – never by itself. it is used just to ensure death after an animal is unconscious.
Is it appropriate to use the following methods of euthanasia in food animals?
inject: air, micotil, detergent
blunt trauma
electrocution
not in most cases
the only exceptions are
nursing piglets – blunt trauma
electrocution – pigs
what are the 4 basic principles of cattle behavior?
- they want to see you
- they want to go around you
- they want to go to and be around other cattle
- they can only think of one thing at a time
cattle are (prey/predator) animals
prey
cattle are (herd/solitary) animals
herd
T/F: cattle have memory, so if they have a bad experience itll make things worse next time, vice versa for good.
true
What do cattle do in response to novel items (esp in working facilities) such as changes in contrast, stepping off trailers, moving across different surfaces, and going into a barn?
they stop and are very hesitant
T/F: you should yell or scream to work cattle so they can hear you
false – you should be quiet. if you have to yell, you are either in the wrong place or doing the wrong thing
T/F: if you make cattle do something before they are ready to do it, then you are no longer partaking in “low-stress” handling
true
T/F: you can train cattle how to behave every time you are with them by going into a pen/pasture, moving them through corrals on the way to feed, or making the cattle walk past you.
true
In order for a cow to have depth perception, they must …
have both eyes on the object
To make cattle speed up, what direction should you walk?
against their direction
To make cattle slow down, what direction should you walk?
with them
To make cattle go forward, what direction should you walk?
walk towards their tail
To make cattle go backwards, what direction should you walk?
walk towards their head
to move a cow up to a chute, what direction should you walk?
walk from head to tail and scratch their back
be sure to hide the person at the head catch and remove distractions (shadows, reflections, differences in surfaces, etc.)
what is the difference between tail jack and tail twist?
jack = used to immobilize or take blood
twist = get them to move forward; remember to release pressure when they move (neg reinforcement)
Why do we have circular chutes?
cattle want to return to where they came from
T/F: when herding cattle, you should start the motion, but then let the cattle pull the rest
true
What is the safest way to be in the presence of a cow and calf?
keep calf between you and cow because she will not charge over her calf to get to you.
never be between her and the calf.
why do bulls turn sideways when you approach?
they see you and want to present their biggest profile to you in order to protect their territory
which bull is most aggressive – jersey or angus?
jersey
T/F: you should apply pressure to a group of cattle in a closed area
false – only if they have a place to go
T/F: when working cattle, you should move in straight lines and triangles
true
going with the flow of cattle when working them (speeds/slows) their movement
slows
going against the flow of cattle when working them (speeds/slows) their movement
speeds