Euthanasia Techniques
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 MoreVeterinary 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 MoreA Pet’s Home Burial
As the days warm, pet owners who’ve lost a pet tend to contemplate the option of home burial. There is no set figure on how many people choose backyard burial over pet cremation or pet cemetery burial, but the number is likely very high. Handling things themselves increases their ability to design the event to…
Read MoreCOVID-19 and Home Euthanasia; Suggested tips to reduce exposure
The following are suggested tips to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission during home euthanasia work. Note these have not been reviewed by health officials and you are encouraged to adhere to local ordinances as well as your own scientific understanding of disease mitigation. When in doubt, follow your instinct, keeping safety at the forefront…
Read MoreEmotionally Intelligent Euthanasia (EIE)
Emotionally Intelligent Euthanasia A veterinary student recently shadowed me for a week to learn how I cope with the emotional strain of euthanasia-centric work. Her backstory was filled with highly sensitive post-euthanasia episodes, wherein she needed to cry; intense crying for upwards of 15 minutes. It was deeply affecting the rest of her day and…
Read MoreEuthanasia Protocol Change Takes a Euthanasia Action Plan
Have you ever gone to an educational conference and learned so much you didn’t know where to start? It’s easy to get overwhelmed with information and then struggle implementing it in your daily work. The ideas you heard were wonderful, useful, and potential game changers for your team and your patients. It’s essential to act…
Read MoreEquine Euthanasia; Imagining the ideal
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…
Read MoreResisting Complacency in Euthanasia Work
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…
Read MoreA Guide to Intracardiac Injections by Dr. AJ Smith
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…
Read MoreA Brief History of Pentobarbital
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…
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