Articles around end-of-life
Selected articles with a variety of themes dedicated to vet teams looking to improve the euthanasia experience for all involved.
Compassion satisfaction and feeling good around end-of-life
Compassion Satisfaction: Finding the Right Words for Difficult Times by Celine Leheurteux, DVM. Using our experience to elevate euthanasia appointments.
How to get to Compassion Satisfaction by Alexandra Yaksich, AHT. Making lemonade when vet med gives you lemons.
Humanizing the Euthanasia Experience by Jocelyn Anne Mason, DMV, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine magazine.
Mental health and compassion fatigue
Download the CVMA suicide prevention sticker here: a very thoughtful sticker with resources. French.
Compassion fatigue by Debbie Stoewen DVM, MSW, Ph.D. A great positive summary of what CF is and is not and how to prevent it.
Compassion Fatigue: Compassion Fatigue is a state experienced by those helping people or animals in distress; it is an extreme state of tension and preoccupation with the suffering of those being helped to the degree that it can create secondary traumatic stress for the helper.
dmv360: A summary of what Compassion Fatigue is, to help us understand why we sometimes feel so exhausted at the end of our workday.
Pratical tips and checklists
Veterinary Practice News: The euthanasia appointment calls for empathy by Céline Leheurteux, DVM. Rituals allow us to honour the memory and regain some control over a situation we have no control over. Discover some guidelines for a gentle and empathetic discussion.(May 31, 2023)
The Rainbow Bridge: Putting your Aftercare Policy into Action by Alexandra Yaksich, AHT.
3 main points of the AVMA Companion Animal Aftercare Policy and examples of how they work in practice.Euthanasia Material checklist. To reduce the stress before euthanasia, here is a memory aid to remind you of the important topics to discuss with the family and the list of materials to bring.
Preparing families for Euthanasia checklist. To ensure families are prepared for what is to come, we have compiled a list of topics that be discussed prior to the procedure. This can help reduce stress for both the clients and the veterinary team.
2016 AAHA/IAAHPC End-of-Life Care Guidelines. 15 pages of very relevant recommendations for practices.
AVMA Companion Animal Aftercare Policy: the sensitive handling of pet remains is an important aspect of veterinary practice. Veterinarians should provide adequate containment of the remains. Veterinarians must understand they may be responsible and may be held accountable, for the aftercare provider they recommend. More information in this youtube video by Dr. Cooney from CAETA.
Why I sedate every pet for Euthanasia and you should do too: by Cherie Buisson, DMV. The perfect euthanasia for a vet is not necessarily viewed the same by the family. If you are not convinced to sedate, you will be!
Alternate Routes for Euthanasia by Mary Gardner, DMV. Euthanasia methods that minimize stress may not always involve an IV catheter.
Six Euthanasia Trends You Didn't Know Existed by Dani McVety, DMV.
Why we should stop trying for a perfect euthanasia by Dr. Andy Roark.
10 Things you Need in your Vet Practice by AHT Alexandra Yaksich.
Pets and Cancer
Oncowaf.com is a website for dog owners with questions about cancer. It was created by Dr. Laetitia Cicchelero, a veterinarian with a PhD in oncology. When she was performing clinical studies in dogs with cancer, she noticed that their owners had recurring questions. They often found half-truths or contradictory information on the internet. The website Oncowaf offers an overview of clinical studies and reliable information so dog owners can inform themselves when they feel like it.
The content is usually based on textbooks on veterinary oncology and scientific articles (you can find the references at the bottom of the web page). This website is free of charge, available in 5 languages, independent and supported by the Belgian Cancer Fund for Animals.
Grief, pet loss and helping pet parents to cope
Helping clients cope with the death of a pet: quality of life assessment, how to approach it with kids from VetFolio.
Veterinary Wisdom: Resources for clients and vet team for everything related to euthanasia.
Burials and the environment
EUTHABAG and the Environment: This document will answer all of your questions regarding the composition of EUTHABAG and its environmental impact.
Pentobarbital contamination concerns: The mysterious case of 4 canine deaths.
Find more information on how to appropriately bury a pet on the handout page.
Understanding Grief
Stages of Grief made simple. This chart may help understand the emotions they are experiencing.
Other Topic and Media
Euthabag: Dr. Celine Leheurteux designs eco-friendly way to say goodbye to pets. EcoLuxLifestyle, 2022.
Is entrepreneurship the missing piece? A Québec DVM shares her journey of professional fulfilment by Dr. Celine Leheurteux in the Veterinary Practice News Canada