As a veterinarian, I have spent a good bit of time involved with the care of sick animals, and many times have also attended their deaths. Over the years, it is something I have thought a lot about. Being responsible for ushering an animal into death is overwhelming at times. I understand the need, yet it is still not something that I am always comfortable with. I have taken the attitude that it is something that, as a professional, I should be good at. And, like a lot of things in life, it takes some thought and practice to become good at. However, this article is more than just how an animal is killed. It is about a lot of the things that happen leading up to that moment in time.

Is it Time?

There are a lot of reasons that lead to the decision for euthanasia. Sometimes we can have the luxury of time to think things through, but sometimes the decision hits us in the face with an immediacy that does not give us time to realize the reality