Euthanasia of Dogs by Australian Veterinarians: A Survey of Current Practices

Abstract

Euthanasia techniques utilised by veterinarians impact the welfare of many dogs in their final moments. Despite euthanasia guidelines, little is known about euthanasia techniques used in practice. We administered an online survey of Australian veterinarians who had euthanised at least one dog in the previous 12 months. We found that 668 (96.8%) had euthanised a dog in the previous 12 months, almost all using intravenous pentobarbitone sodium (n = 651, 99.7%). For non-emergency euthanasia (n = 653), the majority (n = 442, 67.7%) administered a premedication or sedation prior to euthanasia versus less than half for emergency euthanasia (n = 286, 46.4%). Practices and views about euthanasia varied. Female veterinarians and veterinarians located in metropolitan regions were more likely to administer a premedication or sedation prior to non-emergency euthanasia (p < 0.05). Veterinarians in private mixed animal practices were less likely to administer a premedication or sedation prior to a non-emergency euthanasia (p < 0.05). For non-emergency and emergency euthanasia, veterinarians who worked in “other” practice types were more likely to administer a premedication or sedation than private companion animal practices (p < 0.05). The possible reasons for differences in euthanasia practices are explored, and scope for refinement is identified.

Euthanasia of Cats by Australian Veterinarians: A Survey of Current Practices

“…For both non-emergency and emergency euthanasia, most veterinarians administered premedication or sedation via the intramuscular route (38% and 44%, respectively). This finding differs slightly from dogs, where the intravenous route was the predominant route utilised in emergency euthanasia [36]. The reduced frequency of use of the intravenous route in feline patients during emergencies may reflect increased difficulty in establishing venous access in feline patients, particularly those that are critically ill.…”

“…The use of premedication or sedation prior to euthanasia in cats was more frequent than in dogs (68% for non-emergency euthanasia and 47% for emergency euthanasia) [36]. This was also the case in a survey of NZ veterinarians (n = 361), where 47% of veterinarians reported that they always used sedation prior to feline euthanasia (33% in dogs), while just 15% said they would never use sedation for feline euthanasia (20% in dogs) [14].…”

“…We previously reported that Australian veterinarians dispensed pre-visit pharmaceuticals in 6.9% of dogs prior to non-emergency euthanasia [36]. While their use was slightly higher in cats, these findings suggest that there is scope to increase the use of pre-visit pharmaceuticals in feline patients prior to euthanasia.…”

“…This cross-sectional study recruited veterinarians registered in Australia to complete an anonymous online survey regarding the techniques utilised to euthanise companion cats and dogs. The findings related to dogs are the subject of a previous paper [36]. This article focuses on the subset of data pertaining to feline patients.…”

Defining a “Good Death”: Exploring Veterinarians’ Perceptions of Companion Animal Euthanasia

“…There are significant and numerous ethical considerations around if and when to euthanize an animal, including conflicts between the interest of the owner and the welfare of the animal, financial constraints, and what constitutes euthanasia vs. ethically justifiable humane killing [ 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ]. Euthanasia is a procedure that requires technical competency, often in the context of an emotionally charged situation, and performing it correctly is essential to ensure a humane death for animals [ 15 , 16 ]. To offer guidance, several technical guidelines pertaining to appropriate drug protocols and routes of administration have been published [ 5 , 17 , 18 ].…”