[Methods of analgesia and euthanasia in backyard poultry].

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Animal Pharmacology

Context:

• Backyard chicken keeping is increasingly popular in urban and suburban settings.
• Veterinarians frequently encounter chickens requiring pain management.
• Challenges include pain assessment, drug selection, and food safety regulations.

Purpose:

• To review the use of analgesics in backyard chickens.
• To discuss available evidence for different analgesic classes.
• To highlight considerations for drug selection, dosage, and administration.

Summary:

• Opiates like butorphanol offer short-term pain relief.
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as meloxicam and carprofen show analgesic effects but require careful dosing.
• Local anesthetics (lidocaine, bupivacaine) are effective for surgical pain and anesthesia.

Impact:

• Provides guidance for veterinarians on appropriate pain management strategies for chickens.
• Addresses knowledge gaps in analgesic efficacy and safety for avian patients.
• Contributes to improved welfare for backyard poultry by optimizing pain control.