Therapeutic Approaches in Animals to Reduce the Impact of Stress During Transport to the Slaughterhouse: A Review

The objective of this study was to carry out a review of the different therapeutic methods used to reduce stress in slaughter animals during transport to abattoirs. As things stand today we have no precise means of quantifying animals' responses to stress or established techniques for reducing or preventing this condition, though a wide variety of studies have focused on the use of drugs to mitigate or prevent stress in domesticated wild and laboratory animals. In the specific case of animals destined for human consumption however the use of drugs is strictly limited due primarily to such factors as elimination times and the duration of drug residues or their metabolites in tissues before and after slaughter. In some experiment the use of supplements (additives) as alternatives to applying chemical-based drugs has been shown to have beneficial effects on animal welfare and the quality of the meat destined for human consumption. Nonetheless, additional studies are necessary to assure compliance with local transport laws and the norms of slaughtering and to make sure that animal handlers and carriers throughout the meat processing chain are adequately trained and sufficiently well-informed on these issues. Also it is important to create national-level legislation to regulate the administration of drugs utilized to reduce stress in animals destined for human consumption during transport and mitigate the possible effects of their use on public health.