Exsanguination is the fatal process of total blood loss.

Slaughter of animals

It is primarily a method of used to slaughter animals.

Exsanguination is performed with a sharp, pointed knife, about half a foot long. Beforehand, a device called a captive bolt is used. The device is placed against the skull of the animal, and penetrates to cause tissue destruction in the brain. This incapacitates the animal so that the procedure may take place.

While the animal is incapacitated, the knife is fully inserted through the skin just behind the point of the jaw and below the neck bones. From this position the knife is drawn forward severing the jugular vein, carotid artery, and trachea. Properly performed, blood should flow freely with death occurring within a few minutes.

Beyond the initial cost of purchasing a captive bolt, continued usage of the method is very inexpensive. The animal is incapacitated for the duration of the procedure, so it is one of the safest methods for the slaughterer. The animal is also not discomforted unnecessarily.

Slaughter by exsanguination is mandated by Judaic kosher (however the captive bolt is forbidden) and Islamic halal dietary laws.

Cause of human death

Exsanguination is also a cause of human death where injuries which rupture any major blood vessel lead to rapid blood loss which cannot be rapidly treated. For example, it is a common cause of battlefield deaths.