How to Humanely Euthanize a Cow

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Understand the methods most appropriate for euthanizing cattle.

   The three primary methods of euthanasia are overdose with barbiturate, penetrating cap-bolt, or gunshot with a firearm.
   
   These methods are explained in more detail below.
   
   Secondary euthanasia methods to be used after one of the previously mentioned methods is exsanguination, pithing, or a rapid IV injection of potassium chloride or magnesium sulfate.
   
   These will also be explained in more detail below., Training will be needed before you go ahead and use any equipment on an animal that requires euthanizing.
   
   Not only will you need to know how to handle the equipment properly with both your and others' safety in mind (this is of utmost priority), you will also need to know how to take care of it before and after use, from cleaning and loading to safe storage, among other details.
   
   Knowing where and how to aim is also very important, especially if you are handling a firearm.
   
   Safety training before using a firearm is highly recommended, and should also be required before even owning and operating a firearm.
   
   Countries vary in their laws with respect to training, permit-carry, and other details.
   
   Some have more strict laws than others.
   
   Please check with your local state or provincial department of justice (and your federal one) to see what the laws are for gun ownership are for your area.
   
   Also ask if they know of any potential times and places (or who puts them on) for firearm safety training.
   
   You may also require some training with handling a penetrating cap-bolt gun.
   
   Though there is not the kind of training as with fire-arms, it's highly recommended to read the manual that comes with it before use and familiarize yourself with how it handles, how to take it apart to clean and lubricate it, safe handling, and other useful information.
   
   Remember to treat a cap-bolt gun just like a regular handgun.
   
   It can be just as dangerous if mishandled.
   
   It is a tool to stun large animals with, but if improperly handled it can turn into a deadly weapon.
   
   Another skill requirement is target practice.
   
   In order to be successful at euthanizing an animal that is 10 times bigger than you and just as strong, you must be proficient at where to aim to make that kill-shot, and, most importantly, how to aim.
   
   If you are not confident with your aiming skills, then do not attempt to euthanize an animal yourself.
   
   Get someone that is more competent to do the job. , The target site is never between the eyes, but rather just above the eyes.
   
   An invisible X drawn from the outside corner of the eye to the base of the opposite horn or between the base of the ear and the poll.
   
   Aim at a 45º angle (or perpendicular to the skull) so that the bullet or cap-bolt penetrates the brain.
   
   This "angle of attack" and point of target is similar for adult cows, heifers, steers, and bulls.Calves younger than 6 months are very similar with target region., A plan includes the following criteria:
   Who is primarily responsible for conducting euthanasia; How soon after veterinary diagnosis or own judgement that an animal should be euthanized to reduce prolonged and unnecessary suffering; What are the various specific situations that euthanasia may be needed and how would the animal be dispatched as humanely and safely as possible; What method of choice is most practical according to a specific situation, personal preference, if a veterinarian is readily available/accessible, tools available, human safety, aesthetics (especially if you live or your pastures are right by a road with regular traffic), cost, skill level, etc.; What tools are easily accessible and ready to use when needed; What other tools or equipment can be use to keep yourself and others safe in case things don't go to plan; Where and how the carcass is to be disposed.
   
   This may include the considerations of what may possibly make this carcass suitable for consumption or not.
   
   Times when euthanized animals are not suitable for meat is when they are killed before the drug withdrawal period has ended, or they have a communicable disease that may pose a food safety hazard if the meat is consumed. , There are five primary indications where euthanasia is required :
   An animal's unlikeliness to recover from a disease; An animal's failure to respond to treatment or convalescent protocols; An animal has chronic, debilitating and/or severe pain and distress that cannot be relieved by treatment even in emergency medical situations An animal is unable to get to or consume feed and water; or An animal shows continual weight loss or emaciation despite continued efforts to correct the problem.
   
   Other indications include the following, which can be a combination of the primary indications mentioned above:
   An animal has a fractured leg, hip or spine which is not repairable and results in immobility and/or inability to stand; An animal experiencing emaciation and/or debilitation from disease or injury resulting in an animal being too weak to be transported or to get to or consume feed and water An animal experiences paralysis from traumatic injuries or disease resulting in immobility and inability to get to or consume feed and water; An animal has advanced eye disease (i.e., cancer-eye or lymphoma in cattle); An animal has disease condition where cost of treatment is prohibitive or impractical; An animal has a disease condition where no effective treatment is known (i.e., Johne’s Disease in ruminants, Foot and Mouth Disease, Mad Cow Disease, etc.), or the prognosis is poor, or the time to expected recovery is unusually prolonged and stressful for the animal; or An animal is suspected of having rabies or another disease where there is a significant threat to human health. , You may also consider the other alternative of slaughter, if the following criteria influences your decision on any of these three options:
   Pain and distress of the animal (i.e., Is the animal in such pain and distress it is more crueller to try to save it and treat it, or if it can move on its own to be shipped to slaughter, or is the animal "non-ambulatory" ); The likelihood of recovery from the inflicting illness or injury; The ability of the animal to get to feed and water; Drug withdrawal time (i.e., an animal euthanized before a 30-day withdrawal time has ended is not suitable for consumption); Economic considerations (i.e., practicality to treat based on time and money that may be required for treatment); Condemnation potential (i.e., drugs in system, stress and disease affecting meat quality, etc.) Diagnostic information (i.e., is animal going to recover with treatment, or is treatment going to be ineffective; type of disease or injury, etc.) , The following elements to help you decide which method is most appropriate.
   
   Human Safety.
   
   This must be your first consideration.
   
   Using a firearm, for example, is the most risky method of euthanasia.
   
   Animal Welfare.
   
   All methods of euthanasia must be effective in producing rapid death with no detectable distress or pain to the animal.
   
   The method selected must take into account both human safety and animal welfare that is appropriate for a specific situation.
   
   Restraint.
   
   Appropriate methods of restraint should be used with euthanasia procedures.
   
   Methods like captive-bolt will require excellent restraint of the animal.
   
   Availability and quality of halters, cattle chutes, gates or other forms of restraint make certain forms of euthanasia more suitable than others.
   
   Practicality.
   
   Appropriate euthanasia techniques must be practical to the situation and for you to use.
   
   Though you may be responsible for carrying out euthanasia you may not have quick or easy access to any tools needed for euthanasia.
   
   While this won't make euthanasia alone impractical, it may be necessary to call on a neighbour or veterinarian to do the process for you.
   
   Cost.
   
   Cost varies with euthanasia options.
   
   Certain methods require a large investment initially which may pay for itself over time if it gets used often.
   
   This is certainly true with using cap-bolt guns or firearms.
   
   Aesthetics.
   
   The appearance of a method being more humane over others may be an influencing factor in euthanasia method of choice.
   
   A lethal injection of barbiturate makes the death process appear more "peaceful" because of the lack of involuntary movements that are more associated with using a firearm or penetrating cap-bolt.
   
   To an individual inexperienced with bovine euthanasia, these involuntary movements may be easily misinterpreted as painful voluntary responses, which may be further misinterpreted as that particular method of euthanasia as being "inhumane" or "cruel." Thus when selecting a euthanasia method, the potential negative reactions by the animal and/or observershould be considered.
   
   Diagnostics.
   
   If a sample needs to be collected for lab analysis, the selected method should not compromise that sample collection.
   
   This is especially true if a brain tissue sample needs to be sent in for BSE testing, for example.
   
   Carcass Disposal.
   
   One of the more critical considerations to make when selecting a euthanasia technique.
   
   Appropriate disposal of the carcass prevents scavenging and potential toxicity issues among wildlife.
   
   Carcasses must be handled and disposed of according to state/provincial and federal regulations.
   
   Options include rendering, composting, incineration and potentially landfills.
   
   Cattle euthanized with barbiturate overdose may not be accepted in rendering facilities because the drug tends to persist in the residual material following the rendering process.
   
   In some areas regulations require such animals to be incinerated or buried instead.
   
   Methods including gunshot or captive bolt may be more viable since they provide a more wider range of options for disposal. , These are, via the 2013 AVMA Guidelines for Euthanasia of Animals:
   Manually-applied blunt-force trauma to the head of calves or mature cattle, such as by a large hammer; This technique is especially not recommended for young calves because their skulls are too hard for this method to be effective, as well as the method lacks consistency based on restraint and complications with positioning the calf for effective use of this method.
   
   A purpose-built, non-penetrating cap-bolt stunner is an acceptable method of euthanasia for calves, provided a secondary euthanasia technique is carried out immediately after to ensure a quick death.
   
   Injection of off-label chemical agents or substances not permitted for use as euthanasia agents (i.e., disinfectants, non-anaesthetic pharmaceutical agents); Sedation with an alpha-2 agonist such as xylazine, followed by potassium chloride, magnesium sulfate, or any other euthanasia method requiring the animal to be unconscious before its use; Injecting air into a vein; Electrocution with a 120 or 220 volt electrical cord; Drowning; Exsanguination of conscious animals. , If you have to move or handle a cow prior to euthanasia, do so quietly and not more than what's necessary.
   
   You want to keep in mind that the animals be kept as stress-free and as calm as possible.
   
   Animals stressed prior to euthanasia are more prone to be dangerous and unpredictable.
   
   Keep the animal's and your safety in mind when choosing when and how to move an animal prior to euthanasia.
   
   Do not forcibly move or drag downer cattle prior to euthanasia.
   
   This will certainly cause unnecessary stress in the animal.
   
   Restraint--and in choosing what type--should also be done as safely and least stressful as possible.
   
   If you have unmanageable or aggressive animals to work with, consult with your veterinarian on using sedation to facilitate euthanasia., The methods below will guide you through what needs to be done to successfully and humanely euthanize a cow using barbiturate overdose, a cap-bolt gun, or a firearm.
   
   The first method, overdosing with barbiturate, should only done by a licensed veterinarian.
   
   This is primarily because all drugs used for euthanasia are not freely sold to any non-veterinary personnel since it is a powerful and potentially dangerous drug to administer.
   
   You would need proper veterinary training to be able to be qualified to administer this drug without needing a licensed vet to do so for you.
   
   The proceeding two methods can be carried out by non-veterinary personnel provided they have the proper training and skills to do so. , This is one of the most important steps because the first shot with a cap-bolt or firearm may not be enough to render the animal unconscious; soon followed by death.
   
   Be prepared to follow immediately with a second shot.
   
   The signs of unconsciousness shown by the animal are:
   Immediate collapse of the animal when the cap-bolt or firearm is discharged; No attempt by the animal to right itself following the stun or shot; Body muscles become rigid immediately after, followed by varying degrees of involuntary movement of the limbs; Normal rhythmic breathing stops; Eyelids remain open with eyeballs facing straight ahead, not looking around; and No vocalization is heard. , Death does not occur immediately, but it is the result of respiratory and cardiac failure.
   
   This can take several minutes.
   
   Thus it is crucial that animals be rendered unconscious or insensible and remain insensible until death has occurred.
   
   Death is confirmed by all of the following:
   Lack of heartbeat; Lack of respiration (no sign of rise and fall of rib cage); Respiration rates can be erratic or absent in unconscious animals, so be cautious about using respiration as a interpretation for confirming death.
   
   Lack of corneal reflex (no response when the eyeball is touched); Normally conscious animals will blink when the eyeball is touched.
   
   Presence of rigor mortis.
   
   The above criteria will need to be observed for a period of at least 5 minutes after euthanasia.
   
   An alternative is to observe the animal for several hours; lack of movement in addition to the absence of a heartbeat, respiration and corneal reflex over an extended period of time further confirms that death has indeed occurred. , Your local municipality may also have laws in place that determines how dead animals should be disposed properly by way of rendering, burial, composting, and incineration.
2. 2

   Step 2: Familiarize yourself with the various skill requirements for conducting euthanasia.

3. 3

   Step 3: Familiarize yourself with the anatomical features or landmarks of a cow to be able to effectively and properly perform euthanasia.

4. 4

   Step 4: Formulate a plan of action when you may have to euthanize cattle.

5. 5

   Step 5: Understand the indications for when euthanasia needs to be administered.

6. 6

   Step 6: Decide if it would be more appropriate to treat the compromised animal or conduct euthanasia.

7. 7

   Step 7: Analyze the considerations for selecting the best method of euthanasia.

8. 8

   Step 8: Understand which methods of euthanasia are not appropriate nor humane to be used on any classes of cattle.

9. 9

   Step 9: Move or handle cattle only if it's necessary.

10. 10

    Step 10: Properly carry out one of the recommended methods of choice to euthanize a cow.

11. 11

    Step 11: Confirm that the animal has been properly stunned or rendered unconscious.

12. 12

    Step 12: Confirm death using a combination of signs exhibited by the animal.

13. 13

    Step 13: Dispose the animal's body properly in according to provincial/state and federal jurisdictions.

Detailed Guide

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