Euthanasia Techniques
Not All Suffering is Created Equal: A Reflection on Pet Euthanasia
“Her heart has stopped, and so has her pain”. This emotional statement was spoken by one of my clients after the death of his cat, Annie. It was said out…
Read MoreGrowing Interest in a Veterinary EOL Specialty College and How it Relates to Euthanasia
Recently the International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care (IAAHPC) announced the desire to form a specialty veterinary college dedicated to veterinary hospice and palliative care. Formally proposed as…
Read MoreCAETA’s Proposed Euthanasia Agreement Tool
I have been closely monitoring modern euthanasia decision-making and client discussions for the past few years. It is becoming more and more evident that veterinarians are struggling with how to…
Read MorePassive Euthanasia in Companion Animals
If you head back to a blog I wrote in 2022 on the history of the word euthanasia, you are briefly introduced to the concepts of passive and active euthanasia.…
Read MoreMoving Away From Cadavers in Pet Euthanasia Training
The Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy (CAETA) asked a big question in 2025. Could we teach pet euthanasia injection techniques just as effectively using models instead of deceased animal cadavers,…
Read MoreCAETA Euthanasia Case: Francisco the Itchy Cat
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…
Read MoreEmotional Blackmail by Pet Owners Demanding Euthanasia: How to Respond
What is emotional blackmail and how does it apply to pet euthanasia and veterinary medicine? Emotional blackmail is a form of manipulation where a person uses fear, obligation, or guilt…
Read MoreNew Study Shows Lidocaine as Euthanasia Agent in Dogs and Cats
Lidocaine is a local anesthetic drug that can be administered to dogs and cats in high doses to achieve death. It requires pre-euthanasia anesthesia to induce unconsciousness beforehand and appears…
Read MoreRabies Testing Requirements Following a Bite Incident: What to know before considering pet euthanasia
It’s an unpleasant situation. A dog, cat, or other mammal has bitten a human. While some bites are more serious than others, if a person’s skin has been punctured to…
Read MoreHow Common is it for Veterinarians to Refuse a Pet Euthanasia Request?
Recently I was in conversation with some colleagues, discussing a veterinarian’s right to choose whether they proceed with a client’s euthanasia request for their pet. It got me wondering how…
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