Veterinarians are the only medical professionals licensed to euthanize. While a professional privilege, euthanasia also comes with significant responsibility to handle it properly, according to the authors.
This article reads like a training manual for establishing and managing euthanasia in a veterinary hospital. Mary Gardner, DVM and Dani McVety, DVM, offer a five-stage process for managing the process. Veterinary hospital teams will find this article valuable in reviewing current processes and for setting expectations with team members. It is a good resource for a veterinary team meeting.
Source: Today’s Veterinary Practice, January/February 2016, page 127.
The three most important things that improve the euthanasia appointment are: 1) Show love for the pet. 2) Acknowledge the decision to euthanize by telling the family, “We are doing the best thing for him”. 3) Physically touch the owner. This conveys more empathy than words ever will.