Euthanasia Case Review for Veterinary Professionals and State Boards
Overview
CAETA’s Euthanasia Review Department provides assessment of companion animal euthanasia procedures with the intent to understand and inform on the expected/unexpected nature of what occurred. Euthanasia is unique among medical procedures in veterinary medicine. It is one of the few procedures where pet owners remain present and may hold deep emotion. Veterinary teams strive to perform euthanasia with compassion and skill but complications may arise due to patient health, drug effects and observer understanding. This Review Department seeks to listen and offer guidance on the next steps for pet owner and veterinary team support.
Our Approach
CAETA's mission is to listen and learn as much detail about the medical euthanasia procedure as possible. We seek to understand what occurred and offer guidance on how to address issues post-euthanasia. This includes discussing details with the veterinary team and the pet owner if appropriate. Following completion of our intake form, a CAETA team member will reach out to set a virtual meeting. Details of the case are reviewed internally with our euthanasia experts. Recommendations are provided to adjust euthanasia protocols as necessary and address team well-being in cases of difficulty. CAETA is here to listen with openness in full support to learn, understand and lead teams in procedural adjustments if warranted.
Case Review Process
Veterinary personnel will be asked to complete a case intake form, sharing details about what occurred. Time to complete the intake form varies based on the level of detail relayed. The full review is as follows:
- Complete the intake form.
- Payment of review/consultation fees. Each review is $300 including consulting time and written report with recommendations.
- The CAETA veterinary team will review the intake form and contact the submitter to schedule a virtual meeting, typically 30 minutes.
- Information is internally reviewed and a report is generated with recommendations.
- The report is either discussed virtually or sent via email depending on the submitter's preference.
- Case is filed for later access if necessary.
CAETA's Euthanasia Review Department is designed to be efficient and thorough in review of all cases. Response from a staff member following the completion of the intake form typically occurs within 7 business days.
Helpful tips before starting the intake form
Before beginning the Intake Form, veterinary personnel may want to write down their observations with as much detail as is known, but in a concise manner in under 500 words. Medical records may be obtained and shared, however CAETA prefers not to know details such as the veterinary hospital name, location, or other identifying information. This is best left confidential. Submitters should determine their goals of the review and have that clearly stated on the intake form. This helps the CAETA staff understand how best to support such goals.
Guidance Backed By Experience and Research
CAETA utilizes published research on euthanasia procedures, governmental body guidelines, and rich experiential background. After completing the intake form, our team of experts will review the information and arrange for a virtual meeting to discuss findings and recommendations. Our goal is to consider the facts of the case with neutrality for positive resolutions. We follow a strict code of professional, legal and business ethics.
Ready to get started?
Complete the intake form now to begin a CAETA Euthanasia Review.
