Criteria for timely euthanasia of compromised pigs based on expert opinion and longitudinal data collection on farm

Timely euthanasia is essential for safeguarding pig welfare by preventing unnecessary pain and suffering. However, the definition of what constitutes “timely” euthanasia and which clinical signs allow identification of this time point require empirical validation. This study presents the results of an expert evaluation conducted during a continuing education course. Seventy pig-experienced veterinarians and farmers assessed on-farm recorded clinical signs, as well as photographic and video material from 130 pigs documenting the progression of disease over several days until recovery or euthanasia. For each observation day presented, participants voted for or against euthanasia and provided the reasoning underlying their decision. In total, more than 22,000 individual evaluations were collected. The time point considered appropriate for euthanasia and the associated decision criteria were analyzed and compared with the clinical signs recorded on farm. Qualitative analysis showed that expert consensus on timely euthanasia is primarily based on assessing the chance of treatment success, establishing a specific diagnosis, and evaluating clinical signs through repeated assessments. Furthermore, results indicated that euthanasia decision-making should occur within a time frame encompassing up to three re-visitations.