The detection of pentobarbital in euthanized domestic dogs

This preliminary study examined the postmortem distribution of pentobarbital in the remains of three domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) after intravenous administration of pentobarbital sodium to determine optimal sampling practices for veterinary forensic casework. It was thought that pentobarb...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Veterinary Forensic Sciences
Main Authors: Hvozdovich, Jessica A., Byrd, Jason H., Farina, Lisa L., Goldberger, Bruce A.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: LibraryPress@UF 2019
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.flvc.org/JVFS/article/view/128309
https://doi.org/10.32473/jvfs.v1i1.128309
Description
Summary:This preliminary study examined the postmortem distribution of pentobarbital in the remains of three domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) after intravenous administration of pentobarbital sodium to determine optimal sampling practices for veterinary forensic casework. It was thought that pentobarbital would be absent in many traditional toxicological samples, such as bile and urine, because of the brief period between administration and death. However, all samples tested via gas chromatography, coupled with a nitrogen–phosphorus detector, contained quantifiable levels of pentobarbital. These initial results suggest that when the Florida Animal Control Association’s recommended method of euthanasia is used in healthy individuals, pentobarbital extensively distributes throughout the body.