Effect of length of the sticking wound on the rate of blood loss and the time to loss of brain responsiveness in pigs

Abstract

A project was undertaken to investigate the causes of inadequate sticking encountered during a MAFF commissioned survey of pig abattoirs (Anil and McKinstry, 1993). The results of the investigation identified the length of the sticking (exsanguination) wound as the major contributor to the problem. Experimental abattoir trials conducted on slaughter pigs comparing two sticking lengths indicated that the rate of bleed out was delayed after performing short sticking wounds (Anil, 1994). To demonstrate whether or not short sticking cuts could delay the onset of brain death the effect of short and long sticking wounds on the time to loss of visually evoked responses (VERs) were examined in anaesthetised pigs.