Welfare challenges and euthanasia Flashcards
Describe the teeth reduction mutilation
Piglets have deciduous milk teeth which point outwards – piglet use these to fight for a teat -> infections
Teeth grinders available. Should be used over teeth clipping as these can expose the pulp cavity or split the tooth
Describe the tail docking mutilation
- The tail isn’t innervated at the end – should be removed up until this point only.
- Use thermal cautery – day old piglets. Mild welfare issue at this age but prevents a huge welfare issue later on
- Farms have to be reviewed every 3 months to revise these issues
Describe the ear notching mutilation
Permanent identification of a breeding animal
Red tractor = 1 notch
Some spp will receive multiple notches
Describe castration as a mutilation
Legal in the UK but not allowed under red tractor
No anaesthetic
Describe the legality of growth promotors
Hormones: Banned for the use of growth promotion in the whole EU for almost 35 years
Antibiotics: Last two were banned in the EU in 2006
There are many countries in the World where this is not the case
List the 5 freedoms
Freedom from hunger and thirst
Freedom from fear and distress
Freedom from pain, injury and disease
Freedom to exhibit natural behaviour
Freedom from discomfort
List the signs of good health in pigs
Bright, Responsive, Eating/drinking well
Quiet, settled breathing
Normal colour/consistency of muck
Normal urine
Good skin & colour
‘Barking’
Normal temperature
List the methods of pig restraint
Snare
Pig boards
Environment – walkways, gates
Crates – farrowing, free access
Crowding, Holding
On farm, a competent trained person should be available to attend when if needed?
Within one hour, 365 days of the year
Who can perform euthanasia on pig farms?
Persons who have been formally trained and assessed
- Competence must be reassessed by the farm’s vet every 2 years
Describe the key features of euthanasia on farm
- Euthanasia must be carried out in a suitable location that avoids distress of the animal and potential onlookers
- Checks must be made to ensure that the method of euthanasia has been effective
- Legally: “Emergency killing” - not for human consumption
What is the overriding legislation on farm?
Animal Welfare Act 2006
As a part of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, when may be person be considered to have made an offence?
- “A person commits an offense if they carry out an act which causes an animal to suffer unnecessarily”
- “A person commits an offense if they fail to act which causes an animal to suffer unnecessarily”
Describe the legal rules of euthansia
- Killing must result in unconsciousness immediately & remain so until death
- All methods of stunning are followed by bleeding or pithing
- Animals must be restrained in an appropriate manner so as to spare them avoidable pain, suffering agitation, injury or contusion
- Method chosen must not endanger human life
What conditions may require emergency killing?
- Injury
- Conditions/diseases unlikely to respond to treatment
- Conditions/diseases not responding to treatment
- Runts: at the time they are recognised to be potentially suffering
- Herniated pigs: at the time they are recognised to be potentially suffering
Which killing method of pigs can only be carried out by a vet?
Lethal injection
How is death defined?
The irreversible loss of all functions in the brainstem responsible for the control of respiration and circulation
Describe the process of death
- Loss of heartbeat or breathing eventually leads to brain death from lack of oxygen
- Brain death leads to lack of spontaneous breathing which then results in lack of oxygen to the heart and cardiac arrest
- Can take 3-4minutes for the process to be complete
Describe the function of the captive bolt method
Does not kill – is designed not to…want to get a better bleed from the carcass as the heart still beats
Describe the considerations of using the captive bolt method
Emergency use does not require a licence
Pig must be restrained well – static head
Must follow up with another method to kill the pig
Maintenance of the gun is of high importance
How does the captive bolt work?
- Rapid acceleration of skull
- Lag of brain
- Brain strikes skull -> Sudden increase in intra- cranial pressure
- Disruption in normal electrical activity
- Damage to nerves and blood vessels from shearing forces, and actual bolt itself
- Length of time of unconsciousness depends on severity of damage
The effectiveness of the captive bolt depends on which factors?
- Correct positioning: site and angle
- Speed of the bolt force - size of cartridge
- Correct maintenance of equipment
- A static head – snare is vital!
- The pig is the most difficult animal to stun correctly
Describe the correct positioning for the captive bolt
In line with the lateral canthus – then up by about 2cm. central positioning
Describe the tonic stage of stunning
- Pig collapses immediately unconscious
- Stops breathing, becomes rigid with head raised, forelegs extended and hindlimbs flexed
- Eyes fixed and immobile, staring with no blink reflex – corneal reflex is the first to return so any animal showing this reflex should be shot again
Describe the clonic stage of stunning
- Unconscious but muscles start to relax, then involuntary kicking occurs, lasting up to 1-2 mins
- Watch out for recovery within 30-60 seconds – must make sure the animal is still unconscious before killing
- The stun becomes ineffective, clonic activity fades and rhythmic breathing re-starts, blink reflex returns and pain can be felt
How is the stun converted to a kill?
- Ensure brain stem destruction by pithing – vigorous to-and-fro movements with pithing rod
- Cause lack of oxygen to the brain stem by blood loss from bleeding out
- Use a sturdy and sharp knife to cut across neck from ear to ear
How can you check for death?
Fixed eye, no blink
No signs of breathing
Heart has stopped
How should you prepare for pig euthanasia
Captive bolt with Extra cartridge
Method of restraint
Method of kill
Ear defenders
Describe shotgun use for euthanasia in pigs
- Requires a license, or can be used under supervision
- Can use the same point as for a captive bolt or can use ear base to opposite eye, or the reverse – don’t need restraint.
- Don’t need a follow up kill method with a free bullet
- Safety is of major importance for other people and yourself – use on soft ground
Describe euthanasia in piglets
- Blunt trauma: under 5kg, hit with a blunt object, or against one current debate with Defra about legal status
- SA Tool (Turkey stunner): needs proper restraint. Less efficacious with larger pigs (3kg and above – Defra states up to 10Kg)
- Barbiturate overdose - Intracardiac / intraperitoneal
Which method of euthanasia is illegal on farms?
CO2 gassing
What is the method of choice for pet pig euthanasia?
Gun (free bullet or captive bolt)
