Yes

by Lindsay Horvath

Created on: March 05, 2008

After spending five years as a veterinary technician, I can say that I strongly believe that euthanasia is almost ALWAYS the most compassionate option.

To watch an animal suffer is a terrible thing. If a human being is suffering we can say to them "You have cancer. You're dying. You're in a lot of pain but we're going to try and relieve some of that for you. Unfortunately, you're going to have to stay here in this hospital instead of your home for us to do so." We can explain what we are doing, and why. With an animal, you cannot explain anything. You cannot say to an animal-"This needle is going to hurt and its probably going to take several tries to get it in right because you're dehydrated. And now I'm going to push some pills down your throat so you won't feel so nauseous." Animals may sense that we're trying to help them, but they don't have the ability to understand cause and effect.

There are many reasons I believe euthanasia is often the most compassionate option. Consider this scenario. A couple brings in their aging dog who has been acting lethargic. Blood tests reveal the dog is in kidney failure. The couple wants to do everything they can, so the dog is admitted to the hospital. He is hooked up to IV fluids. He is pumped full of medications (often injectable) and force-fed if he doesn't want to eat. He is put into cage and monitored closely. This supportive care may make him feel better-better enough to go home, even. But inevitably he's going to need to come back. And most likely, he's going to get sicker. But the couple wants to try one more time. Instead of spending his last days at home with his family, he's spending them in a cage in a hospital hooked up to fluids. The majority of people who work in the veterinary field are kind and compassionate, but it's not the same as being at home with his own family.

The above scenario is hypothetical but based on many, many animals I have watched come to their end this way. Knowing what the point is to stop treatment and end suffering is a hard call to make, both for owners and veterinarians alike. In the veterinary field this is referred to as quality of life-is the animal still happy, is he or she eating and drinking, wagging his or her tail, moving around? Usually the owner is the best judge of this, but at the same time the owner is the most emotionally involved. Its very hard to say good-bye to a friend, especially if you're wondering if you've done all you can to help him or her. The simple fact of the matter is that an animal's life span is what it is...all the money and treatment in the world is not going prolong a fifteen year old cat's life very much. Treating cancer in a dog with chemotherapy is a possibility, but it comes at a high financial cost and a lot of stress on the dog. Is it worth it? For a three-year old dog? Maybe. A twelve year old dog? Probably not.

One particular case that I experienced early on in my career as a veterinary technician shaped how I feel about euthanasia more than any other. The patient was a small mixed breed dog, and I believe she was about fifteen years old-which is old for a dog, even a small one. She had just about every health problem out there, including congestive heart failure. She was on about ten different types of medication when her lungs started filling up with fluid. Through a procedure in which a needle was placed into her lung and fluid drawn out, we could provide a very temporary relief for her.

And so, each night at 5p.m. her owner showed up with her in tow. She always had a little leather dog jacket on, and was always breathing rapidly. She shook terribly as we took her back, every single time. It was important to keep her as calm as possible, because we didn't want her to get stressed to the point that she was unable to breathe. For approximately a half an hour the doctor would draw fluid out of first one lung, then the other. Her breathing would become markedly improved, and she would struggle to get away from us and leap back into her owner's arms when we returned to the waiting room with her. She and her owner obviously had a very strong bond, and it was clear that he was unable to make a decision about euthanizing her. Eventually, about a month later, she expired at home.

I could not help but thinking at the time that we had done very little over the course of that month for this dog. We may have relieved her suffering temporarily, but it returned within hours. More notably, each day was a huge stressor for the dog...traveling to the vet, being taken away from her owner, having a needle stuck into each side of her chest-again and again and again. The end result was the same-the dog was dead. Would it have been better to have ended her suffering a month earlier? I can't help but think that it would have.

I firmly believe that euthanasia is often the kindest choice when it comes to ending suffering and pain in animals. The question you must ask yourself, should you ever be in the position of having to make a decision, is this: Will treatment cure the animal? Or will it only prolong its suffering? Choosing euthanasia is never easy, but there is a great peace in knowing that the final gift you've given your companion is a release from suffering.

Learn more about this author, Lindsay Horvath.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.