2)Reasonsforeuthanasia-whypeopleeuthanase(euthanatise)petsorlivestock:
Whetherananimalneedstobeputdownafteritsfirstactofaggressionisdebatableandyoushoulddiscussthematterwithyourveterinarianorananimalbehaviouralistifitoccurs.Someinstancesofaggressiononlyoccurtheoncebecauseofcircumstancesoccurringatthetimeandmaynotrequireeuthanasia(e.g.adogthathasasnapbecauseapersonsteppedonitstailorkickedit);someformsofaggressionarehighlysituationspecificandmaynotrequireeuthanasia(e.g.ifweputdowneverydogorcatthatshowedaggressiontowardsvets,therewouldn'tbemanypatientslefttotreat);someformsofaggressioncanbeeasilytreatedwithbehaviouralmodificationandtraining,whereascertainotherformsofaggressiononlygetworsewithtimeanddorequirethepettobeputdown(e.g.psychotic,unprovokedaggressionduetovariousbraindiseases).Author'snote:Animals(especiallymediumtolargebreeddogs)thatattackandwoundadulthumansandchildren,regardlessofwhethertheattackwasprovokedornot,areoftenrequiredtobedestroyedforthisaggressionunderthelaw.Societycannotriskhavingaperson-aggressivedogbeingallowedachancetodoitagain.
Theanimalhasaseverebehaviouralconditionthathasnotrespondedtoveterinaryand/orbehaviouralmodificationtherapies:Someformsofbehaviouraldisturbancearesoseverethattheyarenotconducivetoapetremaininginahousehold.Examplesinclude:petsthatinsistupontoiletingalloverthehouse;petsthatbarkallthetime;petsthatdisplaysevereaggressionorguardingtendencies;petswithsevereseparationanxietythatresultsinthemregularlydestroyingthehouseholdinyourabsence(scratchingdownwallsanddoorsetc.)andfence-jumperpetsthatconstantlyescapefromtheiryardsandroam.Ifthesebehaviorspersistdespiteveterinaryattentionandbehaviouralistconsultationandallofyourbesteffortsatre-trainingtheanimalandalteringitsenvironmenttosuit(e.g.buildingbetterfences),theneuthanasiamaywellbetheonlysolutiontotheproblem.Itisprobablynotfairtotrytorehomeanimalswithseverebehaviouraldefectsbecausethisrehomingwilljustplacestressonanalreadystressedanimalandpasstheproblemontoanotherperson(certainlyyoushouldwarnthepotentialownerabouttheproblembeforepassingthepeton).
2b)Notsovalidreasonsforputtingananimaldown.ThefollowingisalistofreasonsthatIconsidertobenotsovalidreasonsforhavingadogorcatorotheranimaleuthanased.NotethatIhavenotusedtheterm"invalid"herebecausetherewillalwaysbeindividualsituationswherebyoneormoreofthesereasonsforeuthanasingananimalarecompletelyvalidandreasonable(exceptthelasttwoonthelist).Pleasenotethatthisisnotanexhaustivelist:peoplethinkofmanystupidreasonsforputtingtheirpetsdown.
Theownerisrelocatingtoaplacewherepetsarenotpermittedorpractical:Lifecircumstanceschangeandsometimesagoodpetisnotlongerabletoremainwithanowner.Thisisnotalwaysanyone'sfault:peoplelosejobs,losetheirhomes,increasetheirworkhours,areforcedtogointopet-freerentals,getpositionsoverseasandsoon.Thesepetsthatcan'tbekeptshouldnotbeautomaticallyputdown,however.Attemptsshouldbemadetorehometheseanimalsoratleastplacetheminarehomingshelterbeforeeuthanasiaiselected.
Theowner'slivingcircumstanceshavechanged(e.g.anewbabyisjoiningthefamily,theownerhasnotimeforananimal)andthepetisnotabletobepartofthatnewlivingarrangement:Thisissimilartotheexamplegivenabove.Lifecircumstanceschange.Attemptsshouldbemadetorehometheseanimalsorplacetheminarehomingshelterbeforeeuthanasiaiselected.
Author'snote-asdiscussedinsection2a,iftheanimalisgoingtocostmanyhundredsorthousandsofdollarstofix(moneyyoudon'thave)oriftheanimalhasaverylowchanceofsurvivalregardlessofmoneyspent,thenfinancialreasonsmaybequiteappropriatereasonsfortheeuthanasiaoftheseanimals.ThepointIammakinginthissectionisthatthesesmallpets(fish,birds,rodents,reptiles)shouldjustnotbeseenascheap,throw-away,flush-down-the-toiletpets.Custodydisputes:Inrecentyears,bittercustodybattleshavestartedtocropupwherebyex-partners(marriedorotherwise),lawyersintow,arefightingoverwhichofthemgetsfullcustodyofthefamilypet.Unfortunately,oneofthesideeffectsofallthispainandangstandhigh-feelingisthat,everynowandthen,oneofthetwoownerswillattempttogetsomeformofrevengeontheotherpersonbyeuthanasingthepetinquestion.It'soneofthose"ifIcan'thaveit,thenno-onewill"situations.Don'tdothis.It'snotthepet'sfaultthatyourrelationshipfellapartsodon'tpunishtheanimal.
3)Howdoyoudecidewhenitistimetoeuthanaseapet:
OneofthemostcommonquestionsthatIamaskedasaveterinarianisthe"howwillIknowwhenitistimetoputhim/herdown"question.Thehonesttruthisthatisnoeasywaytoanswerthisquestion:itdependsontheindividualowner,theindividualanimal,theindividualcase(e.g.thetypeofmedicalproblem,behaviouralissue)andafairbitofemotionand"gut-feeling"bybothownerandvet.Ihaveattemptedtogiveyousomeassistanceonthismatterbyprovidingyouwithsometipsonhowyoumightcometorecognise"thetime"(3a)andalsosomehintsonhowtorecognisethatananimalis"inpain"(3b).Mostownersdonotwanttoseetheirbelovedfriendinpainandwilloftenseeuncontrollable,unremittingpainasasignalthatthetimehascometosaygoodbye:thissection(3b)shouldaidyouinidentifyingit.3a)HowwillIknowwhenitistimetoeuthanasemypet-hintsandtipsonhowtoknowwhenthetimehascometohaveyourdogorcatoranimalfriendputdown.
4)Theeuthanasiaprocessitself:Thefollowingsectioncontainsalloftheinformationyou,asanowner,needtoknowabouttheprocessofeuthanasiainanimals.Althoughmentionwillbemadeofalternativemethodsofeuthanasia(e.g.captivebolteuthanasia,decapitation,gassing)whereappropriate,thefocusofthissectionwillbeontheuseofinjectableeuthanasiadrugs(e.g.pentobarbitone)becausethesearetheagentsmostcommonlyusedforthehumaneeuthanasiaofdomesticpets.4a)Whateuthanasiamethodsareavailabletovetsfortheputtingdownofdomesticanimals
1)FelineOphthalmology.InGelattKN,EssentialsofVeterinaryOphthalmology,Victoria,2005,BlackwellPublishing.
LethabarbisaregisteredtrademarkofVirbacAustraliaPtyLtd.ValabarbisaregisteredtrademarkofJuroxPtyLtd.ClomicalmisaregisteredtrademarkofNovartisAnimalHealthAustralasiaPtyLtd.PentobarbisaregisteredtrademarkofIliumVeterinaryProducts.