Posts

Teaching About Pet Euthanasia Takes Love and Passion

By Dr. Kathleen Cooney / September 15, 2023

This week, the Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy (CAETA) is adding more Instructors to our team.  Over the past few months, growing our speaker bureau has been a priority, as we prepare for expansion into new markets that need our type of content.  In the spirit of providing a strong start, I want to share…

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Compassion for Ourselves

By Rebecca Rose, RVT / September 1, 2023

Written by Rebecca Rose, RVT for CAETA When I asked a friend and colleague how they define “self-compassion,” they replied “being selfish.” I imagine several of you reading this feel the same selfishness because of a conditioning occurring in your past. Perhaps someone once told you to always care for others before yourself. Let’s test…

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Reducing Active Signs of Dying During Pet Euthanasia

By Dr. Kathleen Cooney / August 15, 2023

A quiet death is perceived as a better death.  I’ve never heard it stated otherwise, whether human or animal.  A quiet death denotes acceptance, one without struggle or resistance.  And it’s what every pet owner asks of me during euthanasia services. They’ve either seen firsthand what the body can do as it dies….the agonal breathing,…

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CAETA Begins a New Chapter; A special message from Dr. Kathleen Cooney

By Dr. Kathleen Cooney / August 1, 2023

Hello friends, As you know, my work is always evolving. The Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy (CAETA) has grown steadily over the past 6 years and we’ve been honored to provide training in many veterinary schools, hosted events across North America, Canada, and the UK, and increased our team of Instructors. With all we’ve accomplished, CAETA…

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Disinfecting Surfaces After Pet Euthanasia Protects the Living

By Dr. Kathleen Cooney / July 15, 2023

When writing this blog, I tried to think of a way to put a pleasant spin on cleaning. Cleaning as a general rule is like licorice…either you love it or you hate it.  For a traditional animal hospital that sees euthanasia appointments among other appointment types, cleaning and disinfecting is pretty standard. It is typically…

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How to Include Euthanasia Services on Veterinary Websites; It’s important

By Dr. Kathleen Cooney / July 1, 2023

It’s 2023 and talking about death is still hard. Putting the topic of euthanasia front and center to clients, in parallel to other offerings like vaccinations or diagnostics, can feel uncomfortable to veterinary teams. Death can be perceived as a failure and lead vet professionals to avoid discussing it unless absolutely necessary. This is likely…

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Challenges Happen During Euthanasia; Vet med industries can learn from each other

By Dr. Kathleen Cooney / June 15, 2023

A recent 2022 study highlighted the euthanasia challenges veterinarians encounter outside of the companion animal space (think zoos, wildlife management, research).  I found it particularly interesting reading about the types of species being helped and what the veterinarians deemed difficult, especially in comparison to the situations private practice veterinarians face. Euthanasia is a common veterinary…

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Outdoor Pet Euthanasia; Special considerations

By Dr. Kathleen Cooney / June 1, 2023

The warmer months bring a lovely opportunity to gather outside for companion animal euthanasia services, and this includes animals that already live outside like companion livestock. Owners appreciate the option to be closely connected to nature as their pet departs this earth.  Grassy yards, sandy beaches, mountain tops…you name it.  They have a real appeal…

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Doing More to Inform on Pet Burial and Body Handling Following Pentobarbital Use

By Dr. Kathleen Cooney / May 15, 2023

I’d like to begin this blog by acknowledging how important the drug pentobarbital sodium is as a euthanasia drug in veterinary medicine, shelter population management, and lab animal research. Here in the United States, there is no question it is the most common euthanasia agent used in private veterinary practice and shelter work, and in…

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Should We Charge for Pet Euthanasia Services?

By Dr. Kathleen Cooney / May 1, 2023

I recently read an opinion article where the author complained about having to pay for the euthanasia of their dog.  They claimed that since they had spent significant money at their regular vet office, the vet should be willing to perform the procedure at no cost.  This owner wanted a financial “thank you for all…

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