If you’ve spent enough time with me, you’ve likely heard about my first few euthanasia experiences, and how they weren’t my best. Compassionate yes, but technically challenging for me. My stories include such things as hard-to-find veins, not allowing a client to be in the room due to my inadequacies, a vomiting dog, diarrhea on…

“Endings Matter,” explains Dr. Kathleen Cooney. Veterinary patients, clients, and team members deserve to experience and deliver a peaceful euthanasia service each and every time. The veterinary team that takes advantage of a Euthanasia Training Manual (ETM) will reap the benefits in delivering a consistent, gentle euthanasia. ETMs hold the hospital’s standard operating procedures (SOP)…

With the recent trend of intraorgan euthanasia methods on the rise in animals as reported by the Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy (CAETA), I want to offer useful pointers on how to ensure unconsciousness and avoid pain. If you are new to the concept of giving pentobarbital (euthanasia solution) in locations other than veins, the…

The Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy (CAETA) invites you to consider the following fictional euthanasia case and reflect on how to proceed. After reviewing the case, read the questions and consider your answers before continuing on to CAETA’s suggestions. This case is designed to test your knowledge of companion animal euthanasia and be a conversation…

As veterinary professionals, we are caregivers who shower love and compassion on others. With all you give to your clients, who is caring for you? It is within your control to acknowledge what you contribute in a day, personally and professionally, in making the world a better place. With Valentine’s Day approaching, give yourself some…

Emotional Intelligence (EI) is a learned skill. Sure, some folks are born with a higher sense of self-awareness and the ability to perceive their surroundings, and social skills can be learned and enhanced. EI is made up of 5 components: empathy, self-awareness, motivation/passion, social skills, and self-regulation. Now, for us in the veterinary community, linking…

“I’m Dr. Kathleen Cooney and I’m a Certified Peaceful Euthanasia Veterinarian.” This feels great to say and it’s been a long time coming.  Over the years, many of you have asked for a CAETA (Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy) certification to complement our 10-hour Euthanasia Master Program, soon to be called the Peaceful Euthanasia Certification.…

 “Euthanasia is considered one of the most common procedures in veterinary medicine,” states Dr. Kathy Cooney, founder of the Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy (CAETA). You may be surprised to learn that euthanasia falls within the top 5 services a veterinary professional delivers in their practice. Oddly enough, formally trained veterinary professionals receive little education…

For many years, the Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy (CAETA), has taught the intracardiac euthanasia technique in one particular manner for companion animals. I’ll call it “the common way,” which is to insert the needle into the heart from the lateral side of the chest wall, aiming perpendicular to reach a ventricle, atrium, or honestly,…

Do you feel there is an increase in pet euthanasia services over the holidays?  If you do, you are not alone. I asked this question of Erin Bedell, one of Lap of Loves’ Operations Directors, and her query was quite interesting. She discovered the trend for veterinarians performing in-home euthanasias over the past three years…