Veterinary hospice and palliative care: a comprehensive review of the literature

Goldberg, Katherine J.

doi:10.1136/vr.103459

Cited by 33 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 85 publications

(100 reference statements)

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“…All practice staff, including veterinarians, should receive training in knowing when and where to refer clients for grief support, as well as training to manage their own emotions associated with the bond that develops between people and animals . Services that have emerged and are continuing to evolve in veterinary practice to support grieving clients include hospice and palliative care, home euthanasia and veterinary social work . Examples of veterinary social work associated with grief and loss include bereavement support groups for clients, education and debriefing for veterinarians, and interventions and referrals for individuals …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of dealing with bereaved clients on the psychological wellbeing of veterinarians

et al. 2019

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Background Research has identified that members of the veterinary profession are at high risk of occupational stress, burnout, poor psychological wellbeing and an elevated rate of suicide. Although scholarly interest in veterinarians has increased in recent years, relatively few studies have specifically examined the emotional work in veterinary interactions and what effect dealing with companion animal owners' grief has on the wellbeing of veterinarians. The purpose of this study was to determine if dealing with bereaved clients affected the psychological wellbeing of veterinarians. The concept of compassion fatigue was explored, including whether veterinarians believed that their training had equipped them for communicating with grieving clients. Methods Veterinary surgeons registered in South Australia in 2015 were invited to complete an online survey, with 105 participants responding. Results Many participants, particularly female and younger veterinarians, were experiencing mild to severe psychological distress and nearly half of the sample was experiencing high to very high levels of compassion fatigue. No participants reported seeking psychological or other professional mental health support and the majority had not referred a grieving client to a psychologist or other mental health professional. A significant proportion of veterinarians felt their own mental health was affected by dealing with clients grieving the loss of a companion animal. Discussion The findings are discussed in terms of increasing the wellbeing of veterinarians through improved curriculum training and workplace health promotion, particularly considering the high suicide rate reported for the profession.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of dealing with bereaved clients on the psychological wellbeing of veterinarians

et al. 2019

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“…The emergence of veterinary hospice and palliative care as distinct areas of veterinary practice has brought a new dimension to end of life decision making [47,48]. However, there is a lack of scholarly research on this new development to guide clinicians [47] and whilst it has been argued that hospice care is “not giving up too soon” [49] it can also be argued that the establishment of veterinary hospices only panders to “misguided anthropomorphism” [50].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Use of Chemotherapy to Prolong the Life of Dogs Suffering from Cancer: The Ethical Dilemma

Stephens

2019

Animals

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Despite the emergence some years ago of oncology as a veterinary specialty, there has been very little in the way of ethical debate on the use of chemotherapy in dogs. The purpose of this article is to undertake an ethical analysis to critically examine the use of chemotherapy to prolong the life of dogs suffering from cancer. If dogs have no concept of the future and are likely to suffer at least some adverse effects with such treatments, consideration should be given as to whether it is ethical and in the animal’s best interests to use chemotherapy. Chemotherapeutic drugs are mutagenic, carcinogenic, teratogenic and may be irritant. Furthermore, chemotherapy may involve multiple trips to the veterinarian, multiple procedures and periods in isolation. Cancer-associated pain has been shown to be under-diagnosed and pet owners overestimate the effects of chemotherapy on treatment survival time. Of additional concern is the public health risks associated with chemotherapeutic drugs. As chemotherapy is not generally considered curative, it is in effect palliative care. However, palliative care may not be in the best interests of a terminally ill animal. As the specialty of veterinary oncology continues to grow and as the use of chemotherapy becomes more commonplace in the treatment of animals with cancer, it is imperative that there is an ongoing ethical debate on the use of chemotherapy in animals.

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“…There has been some recent movement toward veterinary palliative care for animals, particularly in North America (Goldberg ), however, the U.K. veterinary profession maintains a “culture of euthanasia,” in the sense that ending a life before the patient endures “unacceptable suffering” is seen as not only morally laudable but also a legal imperative. In a survey of 41 practicing veterinary surgeons (18), veterinary nurses (20), and technicians (three), Sykes () found 86% of veterinary surgeons felt euthanasia was a necessary and important aspect of their role, and the section on euthanasia in the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons’ Code of Conduct (RCVS ) states that vets have the “privilege of being able to relieve an animal's suffering in this way.” Further, a poll found that 56% of vets were against the inclusion of palliative and hospice care as standard within general practice (Vet Futures ).…”

Section: To “Die Well”mentioning

confidence: 99%

Care as an Alternative to Euthanasia? Reconceptualizing Veterinary Palliative and End‐of‐life Care

Hurn

Badman-King

2019

Med Anthropol Q

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Palliative care is routinely offered to humans in the United Kingdom, while euthanasia remains illegal. The converse is true for nonhuman animals (henceforth animals). Indeed, euthanasia is widely accepted as the appropriate course of action for "suffering" animals, and for those whose behaviors or suspected ill health are thought to pose a threat to others. This article details examples of nonhuman death at a multi-faith ashram whose members vehemently oppose all forms of killing on religious grounds. Through exploring their efforts in palliative care for animals, and their emphasis on natural death as a means of respecting the sanctity of life, the practical, emotional, and theoretical viability of caring for, instead of killing, other animals at the ends of their lives is considered. In the process, normative distinctions between different categories of animals, (including humans), and different approaches to end of life care (palliative care, euthanasia, natural death) are called into question. Indeed, paying mindful attention to the diverse ways in which individual animals are cared for as they die reveals the potential violence inherent in both palliative care leading to natural death, and euthanasia, blurring perceptions of good and bad death in both veterinary and human medicine. [euthanasia, veterinary palliative care, natural death, animal death, violent care]

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Veterinary hospice and palliative care: a comprehensive review of the literature

Cited by 33 publications

References 85 publications

Impact of dealing with bereaved clients on the psychological wellbeing of veterinarians

Impact of dealing with bereaved clients on the psychological wellbeing of veterinarians

The Use of Chemotherapy to Prolong the Life of Dogs Suffering from Cancer: The Ethical Dilemma

Care as an Alternative to Euthanasia? Reconceptualizing Veterinary Palliative and End‐of‐life Care

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