Euthanasia of Dairy Cattle
According to a pamphlet "Practical Euthanasia of Cattle," three methods of euthanising disabled dairy cows are recommended.
1. Gunshot-The gun is held 2-10 inches from the forehead. The bullet should be directed straight into the front of the skull to prevent ricochets. The point of entry should be at the intersection of two imaginary lines, each drawn from the inside corner of the eye to the base of the opposite horn (slightly above the ear in polled animals). Some form of restraint is necessary for proper bullet placement, a 22-caliber long rifle or greater caliber should be used.
Only persons trained with firearms should use this method. Care must be taken to minimize risk to the operator, bystanders, and other animals. Some cities have laws prohibiting the discharge of firearms so be aware of the local ordinances.
2. Captive Bolt-Captive bolt guns are either penetrating or non penetrating. Either type is meant to only "stun" the animal. Stunned animals will drop to the ground but will continue to breath and have leg movements. An additional procedure such as bleeding out or barbiturate injection must be used to cause death.
The captive bolt must be placed firmly against the skull at the same point as described for the gunshot above. Good restraint is necessary for proper placement of the captive bolt.
3. Barbiturate-When properly administered by the intravenous route, barbiturate overdose produces rapid unconsciousness and anesthesia followed by death. Keep in mind that with an overdose, the carcass may contain high levels of barbiturates. Care should be take to limit access of scavengers and farm dogs to the carcass as the will be affected by the residual barbiturate in the meat.
Regardless of what method is used, confirmation that the animal is dead is absolutely necessary. Lack of heartbeat and respiration for more than 5 minutes should be used to confirm death. If uncertain, take additional steps to complete the euthanasia.
Manually applied blunt trauma to the head, injection of non-barbiturate chemicals, and electrocution with 120 volt electrical cords are unacceptable. Contact your veterinarian for more detailed description of the various methods of euthanasia or for copies of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners' (AABP) pamphlet.
1. Gunshot-The gun is held 2-10 inches from the forehead. The bullet should be directed straight into the front of the skull to prevent ricochets. The point of entry should be at the intersection of two imaginary lines, each drawn from the inside corner of the eye to the base of the opposite horn (slightly above the ear in polled animals). Some form of restraint is necessary for proper bullet placement, a 22-caliber long rifle or greater caliber should be used.
Only persons trained with firearms should use this method. Care must be taken to minimize risk to the operator, bystanders, and other animals. Some cities have laws prohibiting the discharge of firearms so be aware of the local ordinances.
2. Captive Bolt-Captive bolt guns are either penetrating or non penetrating. Either type is meant to only "stun" the animal. Stunned animals will drop to the ground but will continue to breath and have leg movements. An additional procedure such as bleeding out or barbiturate injection must be used to cause death.
The captive bolt must be placed firmly against the skull at the same point as described for the gunshot above. Good restraint is necessary for proper placement of the captive bolt.
3. Barbiturate-When properly administered by the intravenous route, barbiturate overdose produces rapid unconsciousness and anesthesia followed by death. Keep in mind that with an overdose, the carcass may contain high levels of barbiturates. Care should be take to limit access of scavengers and farm dogs to the carcass as the will be affected by the residual barbiturate in the meat.
Regardless of what method is used, confirmation that the animal is dead is absolutely necessary. Lack of heartbeat and respiration for more than 5 minutes should be used to confirm death. If uncertain, take additional steps to complete the euthanasia.
Manually applied blunt trauma to the head, injection of non-barbiturate chemicals, and electrocution with 120 volt electrical cords are unacceptable. Contact your veterinarian for more detailed description of the various methods of euthanasia or for copies of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners' (AABP) pamphlet.