Written by David Shuey RVT, CHPT Lily was an elderly Arabian mare who lived with chronic laminitis in her later years. In recent weeks, her pain had become unmanageable. Her owner called my attending veterinarian and me out to euthanize her beloved horse whom she had owned, cared for, ridden, and loved for decades. We…

A colleague told me recently how frustrated she was when a client verbally lashed out at her following a dysthanasia (bad death experience). The client was upset with the dog’s negative reaction to the pre-euthanasia sedation injection and the vet’s apparent ‘non chalant’ attitude to the dog’s distress. Wanting to get the bigger picture, I…

The intracardiac injection as a euthanasia technique in animals has been utilized since the early 20th century. The heart is a central vascular pump able to move euthanasia drugs effectively up to the brain, where many anesthetics like the barbiturates impart their actions. While perceived by many as objectionable to watch, the art of administering…

For those curious about the discovery of barbiturates, their origin can be traced back to Germany in 1864.  Ludwig von Baeyer, the founding father of the Bayer company, synthesized urea (a natural bi-product of the body) with malonic acid (derived from applies) to create barbituric acid.  The term ‘barbituric’ is said to have arisen from…

In medicine, we seek treatments to our ailments.  Find a cure and fix the problem. Compassion fatigue is a real condition that affects millions of caregivers around the world.  While complex, there are simple things that can be done to combat it. Does performing euthanasia, maybe lots of euthanasia through the course of the week/month/year…

A veterinary student gives a first hand account of the euthanasia training experience and speaks about the value of euthanasia education for veterinarians.