Celine Leheurteux, DVM
Sponsored by EUTHABAG®


Veterinary medicine is evolving rapidly, whereas euthanasia remains frozen in time. Due to a lack of training on euthanasia in the veterinary curriculum, we must improvise and improve with experiences, good or bad. Here are some tips to make it a better experience for both the families and the veterinary team.

Deep sedation to take the pressure off
Anticipating unpredictable reactions from the animal and the family is a definite source of stress. Using deep, surgical-plan sedation with a complete absence of reaction from the animal is a simple solution to apply that many still do not use. About 25% of veterinarians still do not give pre-euthanasia sedation although AAHA, AVMA, HABRI, and CAETA recommend it.

The use of multiple molecules reduces the side effects and their potential. The mixture of alpha-2 agonists, dissociative, opioids and acepromazine to prevent nausea is an affordable solution that will calm the animal and in turn, the family. The animal will appear to be asleep, breathing deeply, and will not have any physical reaction. Adverse reactions such as muscular fasciculations or apneustic breathing will also be reduced. Preparing a pre-mix reduces the stress of dose calculations and saves time. The free RACE-approved training course Oral and Injectable Pre-euthanasia Sedation Protocols¹ provides several options, including oral protocols for reactive animals.

Knowledge is power
In a 2021 study in Brazil, 78% of 234 veterinarians, 83% of whom had completed their studies between 2006 and 2021, reported that they had not had any training related to euthanasia². Even more worrying, 71% said their education had not dealt with ethical, psychological, and mental health aspects of this task.

Training can improve a practitioner’s compassionate satisfaction, a concept developed by Dr. Kathy Cooney, founder of the Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy (CAETA). This is the feeling experienced by caregivers when they know they have done everything in their power to support the family and the animal. The Practical Classes in Small Animal Veterinary Euthanasia¹ CE platform is free and RACE-approved and provides modules on positive communication, sedation, and strategies for maintaining mental health. Sedation dosing charts and handouts are also available on the platform.

Protecting dignity
A survey of pet owners in the U.S. in 2020 showed that only 15.6% of respondents consider a plastic trash bag to be acceptable for the disposal of their pet's remains.³ The AVMA’s Companion Animal Aftercare Policy⁴ states:

"Deceased animals, where possible, should be maintained in a state presentable to the owner or care provider so that the family can attend the disposal."⁵

Pet Body bags, such as EUTHABAG®, can be either included in the service or offered to pet owners. Dignified, practical, and hygienic, these solutions appease not only the family but also the veterinary team who feel more in tune with the family and practice standards.

Involving the family
Deciding when to euthanize a pet is one of the most heartbreaking choices in life. Families need to be guided through this, as assessing quality of life is more than just the pet’s appetite.

Tools are available to suit all types of pet owners, from applications and diaries to questionnaires and poems. “The Grey Muzzle” and “Feline Grimace” applications are free resources. The quality-of-life questionnaire “How do I know if it is time?”⁶ guides the decision by integrating grooming, sleep, activity, and mobility into the reflection. These tools allow the family to engage in informed discussions as the pet's quality of life evolves over time.

The power of rituals
The loss of a loved one can bring a deep sense of loss of control, leading to anxiety. Rituals help with the loss of something dear by allowing us to reclaim a soothing sense of control. They are powerful mechanisms for managing extreme emotions and stress, the potential of which has been studied at Harvard.⁷

For the loss of an animal, rituals are lacking. Unlike humans, there will be no ceremony to support those suffering the loss. Decorating a body bag like EUTHABAG gives the family and the veterinary team a sense of protecting the dignity of the animal, honoring its memory with words and images that are unique to it, and accompanying the animal to the next stage. It brings a sense of closure that transforms euthanasia into a meaningful transition. It is a tribute to the unique bond that marks lives. They leave pawprints on our hearts.

"If the physician treats man, let’s remember that the veterinarian treats humanity”. –Yvan Petrovitch Pavlov, Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology in 1904


References

1. Practical Classes in Small Animal Euthanasia. www.veterinaryeuthanasiaeducation.com  

2. Deponti, P.S. et al. Veterinarian's perceptions of animal euthanasia and the relation to their own mental health. Clinic and surgery, Cienc. Rural Santa Maria, v.53:5, e20210578, 2023.

3. Cooney, K, Koghan L, Brooks S, Ellis C. Pet Owners' Expectations for Pet End-of-Life Support and After-Death Body Care: Exploration and Practical Applications, 2020. Topics in Companion An Med 2020;43 100503.

4. AVMA Companion Animal Aftercare Policy: Handling of companion animal remains.

5. The AVMA Companion Animal Aftercare Policy is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND. (Author’s note: EUTHABAG products are in no way affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by the AVMA.)

6. How do I know if it's time? Developed by Ohio University and adapted by EUTHABAG.

7. Nobel, C. The Power of Rituals in Life, Death, and Business. Business Research for Business Leaders. Research and Ideas. June 2013.


Celine Leheurteux, DVM, has been in small animal practice in Canada since 1999. Looking to improve the euthanasia experience for everybody involved, she designed EUTHABAG, the Veterinary Body Bag and the Practical Classes in Small Animal Euthanasia CE platform, and different tools for veterinary practices. She also gave a TEDx at University of Montreal on the impact of euthanasia and financial stress in veterinary medicine.