AABP Guidelines for the Humane Euthanasia of Cattle

Abstract

For stockman, farmers, veterinarians and animal caretakers who choose to work with cattle there are many rewards, but there is also the responsibility to provide the animals in their care with a good a life, and when that is no longer possible, to alleviating the suffering of a slow and painful death. This is not just between farmers and their cattle it is also part of the social compact farmers have with consumers to produce the food that consumers purchase for their families in a way that is ethical. The requirements for humane euthanasia are also codified in industry animal welfare standards. But in reviewing recent studies on the number of cows and calves that die unassisted or were shipped to slaughter with serious ailments, the reali­ties on farm do not always live up to this expectation. To help to address this the AABP has developed and recently updated the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) Guidelines for the Humane Euthanasia of Cattle as a tool to help bovine prac­titioners and farmers provide timely and humane euthanasia for the cattle to prevent needless pain and suffering.