Euthanasia with barbiturates is commonly used to euthanize animals humanely. However, concerns exist regarding the effects of barbiturates after euthanasia, as animal carcasses containing barbiturates may contaminate the environment if not properly disposed of. While euthanasia aims to provide a painless death, debates surround its use for population control and the post-euthanasia effects on humans and animals from barbiturate residues in carcasses. Proper regulation is needed to reduce risks of secondary barbiturate poisoning from improperly disposed euthanized animals.

1. Euthanasia with the help of a barbiturate was once viewed as a painless and easy
death used in a variety of practices such as the judicial system for the death penalty,
and human health, Dr. “Death” aka Dr. Jacob "Jack" Kevorkian in the doctor
assisted suicide for terminally ill patients. It also is used in veterinarian practices to
give an animal a painless and easy death. However, this practice in veterinarian
medicine has many concerns. Ethical debates on when the practice is appropriate to
be pursed is one main concern. Animal shelters use euthanasia as an animal
population control method and is being see in veterinarian offices as well for the
same reason. But what happens to the animal after the method is carried out? Is the
body now full of barbiturates safe for the environment including ingestion by
humans or other animals? These are the questions posed in this research. Ethical
debates on the use of barbiturates to euthanize horses has been set a priority is
recent news and not just the method itself, but the effects in post euthanized
animals.
Abstract Conclusions
• Last example of race horses and their care taker before race and after (Teller All Gone
a 2 year old horse broke its leg during a race and was euthanized on the track to later
be dumped in a junk yard.) Typical pre race day to race day injections on a race horse
and picture evidence of Teller All Gone’s euthanized corpse in pictures shown (2)
Barbiturate Contamination: The Risks of Euthanasia for Horses
Sara Meyer
Eastern Kentucky University
Bibliography
• 1% - 2% of the horse population is slaughtered each year in the United States (1)
• 10% - 12% of the horse population dies or is euthanized each year in the United States (1)
• Slaughter houses in Canada and Mexico export horse meat to Europe and Asia for human consumption (1)
• Zoos in the United States import horse meat from other countries like Canada and Mexico to feed their carnivores
(3)
• Euthanasia of horses out side of the United States is not regulated (15)
• Although the most humane way, the use of barbiturate euthanasia is not only costly but trained professionals have
to be certified to administer the method and proper disposal needs to be ensured so secondary poisoning does not
occur. An average of euthanasia of the horse and disposal can range from $300 to $500 or more depending on the
disposal method chosen. (3)
• Risks involved include:
• The IV not entering the site properly and cause undue stress on the live animal and owner. (14)
• Improper disposal of carcass can lead to secondary poisoning (13)
• Poorly regulated importing of contaminated meat for animal consumption is often over looked (6)
• Studies on the Sodium Pentobarbital Residues (12)
Introduction Significant Findings
Background
• Adolf von Baeyer synthesis of malonylurea in 1864 lead to the discovery of
the properties of barbituarates (4)
• Barbiturates were not used clinically until 1904 by the introduction of
diethyl-barbituric acid marketed by Farbwerke Fr Bayer and Co (4)
• Originally used in psychiatric facilities (4)
• 20th century synthesis created 2500 barbiturates and 50 of those are used
clinically (4)
• World War II set the bar for barbiturates to be used as a method for
euthanasia (4)
(2)
(2)
“According to the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act horses are considered
livestock. Otherwise, horses fall into a gray area because they have been
slaughtered for human and animal consumption in the past but are also viewed
as companion animals. Labels on FDA-approved horse drugs state, when
applicable, that the product is not for use in horses intended for food production.
The FDA does not require such statements on the labels of drugs approved for
use in traditionally companion animals such as dogs and cats.” (1) Even though
euthanasia is a more humane method used to control animal populations and a
method used to have a painless death, there are risks involved when performing
the euthanasia and the post death disposal of the carcass. The laws that are
placed to regulate such risks are not regulated to reduce such risks.
NEMBUTAL Sodium Solution (pentobarbital sodium injection) (5)
(7)
(8)
(8)
(9)
(10)
(11)
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