Landscape review about the decision to euthanize a compromised pig.

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Animal Welfare Science
• Agricultural Science

Background:

• Euthanasia decisions for compromised pigs are critical in farming.
• Existing literature lacks a synthesized overview of decision-making factors.
• Understanding 'why,' 'when,' and influencing factors is needed to improve pig welfare.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a landscape review of euthanasia decision-making in pigs.
• To identify major topics, clinical signs, and influences on euthanasia decisions.
• To synthesize current research and highlight knowledge gaps.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative and qualitative content analysis of relevant literature.
• Identification of 58 distinct topics related to pig euthanasia.
• Analysis of clinical signs and decision-making influences.

Main Results:

• Welfare was the most frequent justification for euthanasia.
• Caretaker training was a highly mentioned influence on decisions.
• A set of clinical signs and decision-making categories were identified.

Conclusions:

• Further research is needed on the evolution of clinical signs before euthanasia.
• The study provides an overview and identifies areas for future research.
• Harmonizing efforts and increasing research on compromised pig care is essential.