Veterinary Euthanasia Techniques: A Practical Guide

Veterinary Euthanasia Techniques: A Practical Guide provides detailed guidance on euthanasia procedures in a wide variety of species, including dogs, cats, exotics, horses, and production animals. Based on the current AVMA guidelines, the book offers step-by-step descriptions of the recommended methods of euthanasia, giving all the information needed to perform these techniques with confidence.  Veterinary Euthanasia Techniques helps practitioners, students, and technicians expand their knowledge base and provide competent, compassionate euthanasia services.

Including information on client considerations, equipment, positioning, sedation, and aftercare, the focus of the book is on providing detailed procedures for correctly performing euthanasia. Veterinary Euthanasia Techniques presents complete information on euthanasia, offering specific advice to improve skills and aid in decision making.

1 Client Considerations 1

Companion animals 3

Species-specific considerations 6

2 Equipment 19

Technique-specific equipment 19

Euthanasia area equipment 29

Drugs 30

Species-specific considerations 35

3 Positioning and Restraint 43

Positioning 43

Restraint 45

Species-specific considerations 45

4 Pre-euthanasia Sedation and Anesthesia 51

Anesthesia 52

Sedation 53

Drugs and routes of administration 55

Assessing unconsciousness and sedation 56

Specific-species considerations 57

5 Euthanasia Techniques 73

How death is achieved 73

Choosing an appropriate method 75

Inhalant methods 78

Injectable methods 79

Physical methods 79

Species-specific techniques 79

Unacceptable methods for domestic animals 164

Death and associated signs 165

6 Body Aftercare 169

Burial 170

Composting 172

Cremation/incineration 173

Rendering 174

Species-specific considerations 174

Conclusion 183

Bibliography 185

Index 191