ABSTRACT OF THE WEEK

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Volume 12 | Issue 3 (February 2022)

Lessons and Recommendations from a Pentobarbital Shortage: US and Canada 2021.

Animals (Basel). February 2022;12(3):.

Kathleen Cooney¹, Lianna Titcombe²

¹ Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy, Loveland, CO 80538, USA.; ² Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy, Loveland, CO 80538, USA.

Abstract

In 2021, a shortage in the supply of the euthanasia drug pentobarbital sodium affected animal care professionals around the world, including in the United States and Canada. Pentobarbital sodium is the drug of choice for companion animal euthanasia in both countries. The decreased availability of pentobarbital sodium affected a number of animal care industries, forcing conservation of the drug and the use of alternative methods and other agents to facilitate humane death for all manner of animal species. Veterinary medical groups, laboratory research institutions, and the animal sheltering industry worked together to identify the best path forward to maintain routine euthanasia practices and to protect the welfare of animals. This article aims to explore the reasons behind the shortage and to highlight the necessary responses and adjustments made in order to continue providing euthanasia services in North America. Recommendations for handling future pentobarbital shortages are included.

Keywords

euthanasia; humane death; pentobarbital sodium;

Article Tools:

Medline

Email to me

Archives Highlights:

Upper and lower respiratory airway complaints among female veterinary staff.
Atopy was seen in 31% of the 109 female participants. Symptoms of rhinoconjunctivitis were the most frequent complaints (n = 92; 84%). Symptoms of upper and lower airways were highly correlated and an asthma diagnosis was confirmed in 11% of participants. Modelling revealed that sensitization against cats/dogs was a significant risk factor for respiratory symptoms of upper [odds ratio (OR) 4.61] and lower airways (OR 5.14), physician-confirmed rhinoconjunctivitis (OR 13.43), and asthma (OR 9.02) in assistant staff of small-animal practices.

Effective recruitment advertising: using an evidence-based approach
It is no secret that the veterinary profession is going through a ‘recruitment crisis’, with many practices struggling to fill positions. This article examines some of the research on what actually works in recruitment advertising, and offers some evidence-based advice on the most effective way to attract appropriate applicants to apply to a vacancy.

A longitudinal study of the persistence of increased creatinine and concordance between kidney biomarkers in cats and dogs.
The study included 4517 cats and 4576 dogs with increased T1 creatinine concentrations and 54,295 cats and 125,403 dogs with T1 creatinine at or below the URL. The probability of a persistently increased creatinine at T2 was approximately 58% for cats and 49% for dogs after a T1 increase. For animals without a T1 increase the probability of increased creatinine at T2 was only 7% for cats and 3% for dogs. For cats and dogs with persistently increased Cr, the probability of an increased SDMA concentration at T1 was 70-75%. By 24 months, that probability rose to 94% for cats and 88% for dogs.

Impacts from Wildfires on Livestock Health and Production: Producer Perspectives.
While dairy producers reported no direct impacts from the fires, beef, sheep, and goat producers were impacted by evacuations and pasture lost to fires. Only beef producers reported losses due to burns and burn-associated deaths or euthanasia. Dairy, beef, sheep, and goat producers observed reduced conception, poor weight gain, and drops in milk production. All but dairy producers also observed pneumonia. Lower birthweights, increased abortion rates, and unexplained deaths were reported in beef cattle, sheep, and goats.

Registered Medicinal Products for Use in Honey Bees in the United States and Canada.
The goal of this article is to summarize this information in an up-to-date, practical way for the clinician. At the time of this writing, only 3 antibiotics are approved for use in honey bees and require veterinary prescriptions or veterinary feed directives.