Navigating Behavioral Euthanasia

Making the decision to euthanize a dog or cat for aggression can be ethically challenging, Quality of Life is about physical and mental health and animals that are extremely fearful or anxious and show aggressive behavior are ill. They have a poor quality of life because they cannot be trusted to have social interactions with people or other animals and may need to be kept in inappropriate housing. The key to a smooth and safe euthanasia for these patients is pre-planning and communication with the owner. Pre-visit oral drugs starting the day before the appointment are helpful and can be given by the owner. Additional sedation is usually required prior to euthanasia and this may involve more oral drugs or if the patient can be managed safely or a muzzle placed, injectable drugs. Owners should be allowed time with the pet when it is safely sedated or anesthetized before proceeding to euthanasia.