Veterinarians and Humane Endings: When Is It the Right Time to Euthanize a Companion Animal?

Knesl, Oliver; Hart, Benjamin L.; Fine, Aubrey H.; Cooper, Lilli; Patterson-Kane, Emily; Houlihan, Kendall E.; Anthony, Raymond

doi:10.3389/fvets.2017.00045

Cited by 47 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…The plurality of aspects coining the ethical discourse of animal death is not fully reflected in the veterinarian world-neither in laws and guidelines nor in small animal practice. Knesl et al [10] state that "Euthanasia is an emotional, psychological, and economic issue that every veterinarian must wrestle with" (p 5). While this, unfortunately, seems to be true, it must be emphasized that euthanasia is also an ethical issue that veterinarians must deal with.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…• Psychological support of veterinarians (and pet owners) in EOL decisions. • An adapted "toolbox" containing, for example, decision trees or handouts on a deliberate framework [10]. These tools should be implemented in teaching in veterinary schools, and their use should be demonstrated by experienced veterinarians (integrated ethics teaching).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Philosophy of a “Good Death” in Small Animals and Consequences for Euthanasia in Animal Law and Veterinary Practice

Persson

Selter

Neitzke

et al. 2020

Animals

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Moral stress is a major concern in veterinary practice. Often, it is associated with the challenges in end-of-life situations. Euthanasia, however, is also meant to bring relief to animal patients and their owners. The reasons for the moral strain euthanizing animals causes to professional veterinarians need to be further clarified. This article investigates “euthanasia” from a philosophical, legal, and practical perspective. After introducing relevant aspects of euthanasia in small animal practice, the term is analyzed from an ethical point of view. That includes both a broad and a narrow definition of “euthanasia” and underlying assumptions regarding different accounts of animal death and well-being. Then, legal and soft regulations are discussed with regard to the theoretical aspects and practical challenges, also including questions of personal morality. It is argued that the importance of ethical definitions and assumptions concerning euthanasia and their intertwinement with both law and practical challenges should not be neglected. The conclusion is that veterinarians should clarify the reasons for their potential discomfort and that they should be supported by improved decision-making tools, by implementation of theoretical and practical ethics in veterinary education, and by updated animal welfare legislation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Philosophy of a “Good Death” in Small Animals and Consequences for Euthanasia in Animal Law and Veterinary Practice

Persson

Selter

Neitzke

et al. 2020

Animals

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“…The Human-Animal bond influences the care pets receive and increases the likelihood of clients seeking preventive care and accepting veterinarian health-care recommendations (14). Veterinary teams therefore need to respect the emotional bond between a client and their pet, while simultaneously communicating the medical realities of a pet's health to pet owners (15). QOL assessments have been highlighted to be useful tools in discussions with veterinarians and clients (15).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Owner and Veterinarian Perceptions About Use of a Canine Quality of Life Survey in Primary Care Settings

Mwacalimba

Contadini

Spofford³

et al. 2020

Front. Vet. Sci.

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This paper describes dog owner and veterinarian perceptions around the use of a validated canine quality of life (QOL) survey to facilitate wellness conversations in two clinical settings: a veterinary teaching hospital (pilot, Phase 1) and five corporate general practice hospitals (Phase 2). Phase 1 results showed that dog owners felt the survey was valuable for understanding their dog's QOL, with 81% of owners expressing interest in learning more about canine QOL. Phase 2 reinforced owner perceptions about the survey conveyed during the pilot phase, and veterinarians reported that the survey facilitated client communication related to preventive care without increasing consultation time. These results demonstrate that beyond using QOL assessments to track patient health, the use of a QOL survey during veterinary visits could improve owner-veterinarian discussions around QOL, wellness, services and preventive care. To fully realize these benefits in clinical settings, veterinary staff preparation may be needed to communicate the purpose of QOL assessments to clients and thus facilitate deeper conversations about client needs and concerns. Key tools for achieving these could therefore include (1) sufficient veterinary team training to understand the QOL assessment and its purpose (2) training in how to communicate QOL to clients, and (3) reflexive use of QOL assessment results to engage clients in preventive care discussions. The veterinarian and client can then discuss the pros and cons of the various aspects of QOL and preventive care to arrive at a cooperative decision.

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“…In companion animal medicine, much of the discussion concerning QoL is focused on palliative care of pets to ensure that animal companions (ailing, sick, old) are provided with a satisfactory QoL, the justification for keeping them alive or electing to perform euthanasia. It has been emphasized that with the significant advancements in treatment options that can prolong life, it is necessary to have effective and meaningful ways of measuring QoL [1,58]; technological advancements have been able to substantially extend a pet's life but at what cost to the quality of that animal's life [59]?…”

Section: Quality Over Quantitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Timely Euthanasia in the United States Dairy Industry–Challenges and a Path Forward

Walker¹,

Román-Muñiz

Edwards‐Callaway

2019

Animals

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Euthanasia is a valuable management tool utilized on dairies to end the suffering of sick or debilitated cows. Euthanasia should be implemented if an animal’s pain cannot be adequately alleviated and if there is a limited chance of recovery. To be humane, euthanasia should be quick, painless, and administered by a trained individual. Despite its importance in ensuring cow well-being, the timeliness with which euthanasia decisions are made for dairy cattle is often overlooked or neglected. The timeliness of euthanasia is as important as the efficient, rapid administration of euthanasia itself. Timely euthanasia is a critical component of many on-farm animal care and verification programs yet opportunities exist within the industry to improve how effectively the industry is executing this critical component of cow management. There are challenges associated with performing euthanasia in a timely manner, such as inconsistencies in treatment protocols, inadequate employee training, difficulties assessing a cow’s quality of life, and impacts of the human–animal bond on decision-making. The objective of this paper is to explain the importance of timely euthanasia to dairy cattle welfare, identify the challenges that can prevent the timeliness of euthanasia, and provide solutions and practical suggestions for improving the management of timely euthanasia on dairies.

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Veterinarians and Humane Endings: When Is It the Right Time to Euthanize a Companion Animal?

Cited by 47 publications

References 41 publications

Philosophy of a “Good Death” in Small Animals and Consequences for Euthanasia in Animal Law and Veterinary Practice

Philosophy of a “Good Death” in Small Animals and Consequences for Euthanasia in Animal Law and Veterinary Practice

Owner and Veterinarian Perceptions About Use of a Canine Quality of Life Survey in Primary Care Settings

Timely Euthanasia in the United States Dairy Industry–Challenges and a Path Forward

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