title: Potassium chloride as a euthanasia agent in psittacine birds: Clinical aspects and consequences for histopathologic assessment.
abstract: Twelve parrots anesthetized with isoflurane were euthanized intravenously (IV) with 3 or 10 mEq/kg body weight (BW) of potassium chloride (KCl) resulting in ventricular asystole at 68.0 s and 32.8 s, respectively. Mild vocalization (1/6 birds, 3 mEq/kg BW) and involuntary muscle tremors (5/6 birds, 10 mEq/kg BW) were noted. Unlike barbiturates or T-61 no histologic artefacts resulted from this technique.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1.
authors.forename: Raj
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Raghav
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guincho
authors.forename: Dale
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D037901:Euthanasia, Animal / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006651:Histocytochemistry / Q000662:veterinary; D007275:Injections, Intravenous / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D010311:Parrots; D011189:Potassium Chloride / Q000506:poisoning*
chemical_list: D011189:Potassium Chloride