Pet Euthanasia During COVID; a 2021 update

With the COVID pandemic continuing on, CAETA would like to take a moment to address a bit of the new normal around pet euthanasia during this unique time. In a blog post from spring 2020, we reviewed some of the ways veterinary teams (including home euthanasia providers) can adjust and safely continue the work. Provide,…

Read More

Pet Euthanasia Holds Legacies

The very first home euthanasia appointment I facilitated was a bit of a debacle. The dog’s name was Sage and she was an old, beautiful Golden Retriever. While she ultimately did have a peaceful passing, the technical challenges I faced in those 60 minutes stuck with me for years. Looking back, it would have been…

Read More

It’s All About Safe Space

True or false:  A good euthanasia is one that is skillfullly performed and the desired death comes quickly.  The answer is true, but there is often hidden context to questions and answers.  It turns out there is so much more to euthanasia; it’s an experience from beginning to end. A grieving woman who is haunted…

Read More

Pet Euthanasia Work Has Ups and Downs

Talk with anyone who performs euthanasia regularly and they’ll tell you the number one comment they hear from clients is “Your job must be really hard” or “I couldn’t do what you do”. Clients are gently sharing empathy with us and acknowledging what may be correct. It’s true euthanasia work has tough days. Watching people…

Read More

Euthanasia the 2nd Most Common Procedure in Vet Med?

We all know euthanasia is a necessary part of veterinary medicine.  It is an ever present procedure to be called upon when suffering is assured and when the burden of care outweighs our resources (physical, mental, financial, spiritual).  As Dr. Frank McMillan once spoke about, administering euthanasia solution is the ultimate palliative treatment that eliminates…

Read More

Dysthanasia

A Newer Meaning to a Relatively New Word I’m guessing that if you’ve been practicing veterinary medicine long enough, you’ve had the misfortune of witnessing a euthanasia gone wrong. You may be the unfortunate one who facilitated it. Such a euthanasia rattles us, hijacks our thoughts, and forces us to relive it over and over.…

Read More

Useful Phrases to Lend Support

Since 2006, I’ve built up a large library of useful phrases and sentiments to share with clients during euthanasia appointments. Knowing the exact time to offer them can be challenging, especially since you won’t know the full context of the situation until you are engaged in it, but take a moment and picture yourself with…

Read More

Veterinary Technicians in Euthanasia Work; Encouragement

Could our profession be utilizing highly skilled and empathetic veterinary technicians/nurses to perform companion animal euthanasia rather than us relying mostly on veterinarians?  Around 20% of US states allow vet techs to do so with direct veterinary supervision, meaning the veterinarian is overseeing the euthanasia procedure.  This is an important step to show that technicians…

Read More