Immobilizing animals

Abstract

An animal can be immobilized by passing a pulsed electric current through the animal's muscles to cause a state of tetany in the muscles while leaving the organs in a relaxed condition.

I claim: 
     
       1. A method of producing temporary immobilization of an animal undergoing animal husbandry without rendering the animal unconscious, including the step of .[.implanting.]. .Iadd.placing .Iaddend.electrodes .[.subcutaneously and clipping them to the hindquarters and forwardly thereof along the spine of the animal, the electrodes piercing the skin and the fatty tissue beneath thereby to contact.]. .Iadd.in electrical conductive relationship with .Iaddend.the ionized fluid beneath the skin .Iadd.at spaced apart locations along the spine of the animal .Iaddend.allowing a low voltage to be used, .Iadd.one of said spaced points being in the hindquarters of the animal and the other being in the head, neck or forequarters thereof,.Iaddend.subjecting the electrodes to a current flow driven by a potential of up to about 55 volts maximum to produce immobilizing simultaneous .[.muscular.]. tetanic contraction .[.in.]. .Iadd.of the major skeletal muscles of .Iaddend.the animal and, while the animal is thus immobilized, performing animal husbandry on the animal. 
     
     
       2. The method of claim 1 .[.including the additional step of clipping a third electrode to the mouth of the animal, said third electrode being.]. .Iadd.wherein three electrodes are utilized and wherein the third electrode is .Iaddend.connected in parallel to one of the other two electrodes. 
     
     
       3. A method of immobilizing animals as defined in claim 1 or 2 characterized in that the current is comprised of spaced pulses, the duration of each pulse being small in relation to the spacing between the pulses. 
     
     
       4. A method of immobilizing animals as defined in claim 3, characterized in that the frequency of the pulses is about 50 Hertz. 
     
     
       5. A method of immobilizing animals as defined in claim 4, characterized in that each pulse is about 1 millisecond in duration. 
     
     
       6. A method of immobilizing sheep as defined in claim 1, characterized by applying a current flow of about 40 to 60 milliamperes. .[.7. Apparatus for immobilizing animals to cause a state of muscular tetany, the apparatus including an electric power source with about 55 volts maximum potential available and current flow up to about 300 milliamperes to effect tetany in cattle and sheep, electrodes connected to the power source, said electrodes being characterized by (1) needles with sharp ends to be implanted subcutaneously in the animal in combination with (2) spring-biased clips for clamping the hide of the animal to retain the needles..]. .[.8. Apparatus according to claim 7 characterized by means for oscillating the power voltage at the rate of about 50 Hertz in pulses 
     
     
        of about 1 millisecond duration..]. 9. A method of immobilizing cattle as defined in claim 1, characterized by applying a current flow of about 80 
     
     
        to 300 milliamperes. .Iadd.10.  A method of immobilizing an animal as defined in claim 1 wherein the step of placing electrodes includes implanting the electrodes subcutaneously by piercing the skin and fatty tissue therebeneath..Iaddend. .Iadd.11. A method of immobilizing an animal as defined in claim 1 wherein the step of placing electrodes includes clipping one of the electrodes to the animal's mouth in electrical conductive relation to the salivary fluid present therein which serves as a conductor to provide the electrical conductive relation with the ionized fluid of the animal..Iaddend.