Posts by Dr. Kathleen Cooney
CAETA’s Euthanasia Review Department
For many years, veterinarians and pet owners have reached out to me to talk about euthanasia experiences. They seek to understand if what they witnessed was normal, expected, unexpected or concerning. Veterinarians tend to look for answers that will shape how they deliver a euthanasia technique the next time. Pet owners want to know if…
Read MorePet Quality-of-Life Scales in Euthanasia Decision-Making
I have always approached euthanasia decision-making as finding the path of least regret. Choosing euthanasia is hard. What REALLY prepares someone to elect euthanasia for a beloved friend? The physical and emotional condition of the pet, the burden of care for owners and their own emotional health all tend to play a role in when…
Read MorePet Euthanasia and Natural Death; Similarities and differences
Companion animals are likely to leave this world via one of two ways; naturally through the normal progression of physical decline or via euthanasia. Often pet owners make the choice for one over the other and sometimes, as in the case of natural death, the body takes over and does what it needs to do. …
Read MorePointers on Controlled Substances
I’ve written before about how confusing controlled substance ordering and handling can be. It takes a village to sort through all the rules and regs to play the game correctly and keep the overseers satisfied. In the United States (US), veterinarians can be licensed to obtain controlled substances (drugs) through the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). …
Read MoreAAHA’s End-of-Life Accreditation; Positive impacts on euthanasia procedures
The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) is a leader in veterinary hospital standards. They are well known in the biz for their devotion to protecting the patient and client experience, while striving to improve clinical veterinary medicine from stem to stern. Hospitals have aligned with AAHA to help them achieve the pinnacle of service through…
Read MoreWhy I’m a Fan of Euthabag
Not all body bags are created equal, and indeed there are numerous types out there. Those looking for quality prefer bags/containers that are durable, leak proof, and above all respectful to the precious animal within. This respect is what changes your typical cadaver bag into a sacred ‘pet transport device’. Euthabag, a CAETA sponsor partner…
Read MoreCAETA Euthanasia Research 2022; Creating new directions
It’s easy to take the “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it” approach to euthanasia work. Many practitioners feel comfortable with what they’ve been doing for years, and as long as the patient has a peaceful passing, it seems reasonable to leave well enough alone. Companion animal euthanasia is emotional work, and let’s face it,…
Read MoreOxytocin and Euthanasia; An important combination to get right
Recently I have fallen in love with the love hormone oxytocin. While learning ways to establish rapport and build trust with pet owners, this ‘moral molecule’ as it’s sometimes called was just begging to be explored further. Many of us know oxytocin as the hormone that promotes prosocial behavior such as bonding, wanting to be…
Read MoreWhy the Use of Intravenous Catheters are Gold Standard in Companion Animal Euthanasia
If you take a moment to reflect on the most dangerous substances we inject into the body, you may come up with the same answer as I did. Chemotherapy. These drugs by nature destroy cells, and cause considerable damage to tissue in areas of accidental contact such as extravasation outside of the venous system. They…
Read MoreEuthanasia Drugs; Administration rates matter
If euthanasia becomes necessary to relieve suffering, it should be handled with respect and skill. The speed at which euthanasia solution is administered effects two main things; potential pain and active signs of death. For the most part, veterinarians are taught to inject quickly but it turns out this is only correct part of the…
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