FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 9000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Home / Equine Research Bank / Animals (Basel) / Austrian Veterinarians’ Attitudes to Euthanasia in Equ...
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2019; 9(2); 44; doi: 10.3390/ani9020044

Austrian Veterinarians’ Attitudes to Euthanasia in Equine Practice.

Abstract: Euthanasia of companion animals is a challenging responsibility in the veterinary profession since veterinarians have to consider not only medical, but also legal, economic, emotional, social, and ethical factors in decision-making. To this end; an anonymous questionnaire-based survey of Austrian equine veterinarians examines the attitudes to the euthanasia of equine patients in a range of scenarios; to identify factors which may influence decisions on the ending of a horse's life. This paper describes the distributions of demographic and attitude variables. Mann-Whitney U tests were used to test the associations of gender, work experience, and equine workload with attitudes in relation to euthanasia statements and case scenarios. In total, 64 respondents (response rate = 23.4%) completed the questionnaire. The study showed that veterinarians consider contextual and relational factors in their decision-making. They are aware of owners' emotional bonds with their horses and financial background, however, requests for convenience euthanasia are typically rejected. Although some significant differences between the tested variables emerged, the attitudes of the veterinarians were shown to be largely shared. In conclusion, veterinarians are aware of the multiple factors that influence their decision-making and gave indications as to the weight of animal- and owner-related factors in the handling of euthanasia.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2019-01-30 PubMed ID: 30704140PubMed Central: PMC6406998DOI: 10.3390/ani9020044Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
LinkedInCopy
  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research article discusses a survey conducted on Austrian equine veterinarians and their attitudes towards euthanizing horses. The study focuses on various influencing factors such as legal, economic, emotional, social, and ethical aspects in the decision to euthanize.

Research Methodology

  • The researchers developed an anonymous questionnaire, with a goal to understand the attitudes of equine veterinarians towards euthanasia, and the factors regarded as significant in their decision-making process.
  • The questionnaire posed hypothetical scenarios related to euthanasia, which helped gauge the vetrinarians’ attitudes and decision-making processes.
  • The directory was anonymously recorded and examined.

Distribution of Demographics and Attitude Variables

  • The study examined demographic factors like gender, work experience, and equine workload, and how these factors may influence attitudes towards euthanasia.
  • Statistical tests, specifically Mann-Whitney U tests, were applied to determine correlations between these demographic factors and attitudes towards euthanasia.

Survey Conclusions

  • The study saw a participation of 64 respondents, translating to a response rate of 23.4%.
  • Veterinarians were found to consider various contextual and relational factors in their decision-making process, such as the emotional bond between the horse and its owner and the owner’s financial background.
  • However, requests for convenience euthanasia (euthanasia carried out for reasons other than the animal’s welfare, such as old age or behavioural issues) were generally declined.
  • Despite some highlighted differences between the studied variables, the attitudes towards euthanasia were found to be largely shared among the practitioners.

Implications of the Study

  • The study concludes that veterinarians acknowledge the multifaceted nature of the decision-making process involved in euthanasia. Their response to euthanasia reflects consideration of both animal-related and owner-related factors.
  • The findings show the complexities involved in the process of euthanasia from a practitioner’s perspective, potentially paving the way for better training and guidelines for veterinarians handling such cases.

Cite This Article

APA
Springer S, Jenner F, Tichy A, Grimm H. (2019). Austrian Veterinarians’ Attitudes to Euthanasia in Equine Practice. Animals (Basel), 9(2), 44. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9020044

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 9
Issue: 2
PII: 44

Researcher Affiliations

Springer, Svenja
  • Unit of Ethics and Human-Animal-Studies, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, University of Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria. Svenja.Springer@vetmeduni.ac.at.
Jenner, Florien
  • University Equine Hospital, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria. Florien.Jenner@vetmeduni.ac.at.
Tichy, Alexander
  • Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria. Alexander.Tichy@vetmeduni.ac.at.
Grimm, Herwig
  • Unit of Ethics and Human-Animal-Studies, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, University of Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria. Herwig.Grimm@vetmeduni.ac.at.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

This article includes 34 references
  1. Edney AT. Killing with kindness.. Vet Rec 1989 Apr 1;124(13):320-2.
    doi: 10.1136/vr.124.13.320pubmed: 2718322google scholar: lookup
  2. Hart LA, Hart BL, Mader B. Humane euthanasia and companion animal death: caring for the animal, the client, and the veterinarian.. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1990 Nov 15;197(10):1292-9.
    pubmed: 2266042
  3. Rollin BE. Euthanasia and quality of life.. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2006 Apr 1;228(7):1014-6.
    doi: 10.2460/javma.228.7.1014pubmed: 16579773google scholar: lookup
  4. Rebuelto M. Ethical Dilemmas in Euthanasia of Small Companion Animals. Open Ethics J 2008;2:21–25.
    doi: 10.2174/1874761200802010021google scholar: lookup
  5. Rollin BE. Ethics and euthanasia.. Can Vet J 2009 Oct;50(10):1081-6.
    pmc: PMC2748292pubmed: 20046609
  6. Yeates JW. When to euthanase.. Vet Rec 2010 Mar 20;166(12):370-1.
    doi: 10.1136/vr.c226pubmed: 20305297google scholar: lookup
  7. Yeates J. Ethical aspects of euthanasia of owned animals. InPractice 2010;32:70–73.
    doi: 10.1136/inp.c516google scholar: lookup
  8. Rollin BE. Euthanasia, moral stress, and chronic illness in veterinary medicine.. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract 2011 May;41(3):651-9.
    doi: 10.1016/j.cvsm.2011.03.005pubmed: 21601753google scholar: lookup
  9. Yeates JW, Main DC. Veterinary opinions on refusing euthanasia: justifications and philosophical frameworks.. Vet Rec 2011 Mar 12;168(10):263.
    doi: 10.1136/vr.c6352pubmed: 21498175google scholar: lookup
  10. Batchelor CE, McKeegan DE. Survey of the frequency and perceived stressfulness of ethical dilemmas encountered in UK veterinary practice.. Vet Rec 2012 Jan 7;170(1):19.
    doi: 10.1136/vr.100262pubmed: 22084032google scholar: lookup
  11. Fernandez-Mehler P, Gloor P, Sager E, Lewis F.I, Glaus T.M. Veterinarians’ Role for Pet Owners Facing Pet Loss. 2013.
  12. Yeates J. Animal Welfare in Veterinary Practice. 2013.
  13. Dickinson GE, Paul ES. UK veterinary schools: emphasis on end-of-life issues.. Vet Rec 2014 Feb 15;174(7):170.
    doi: 10.1136/vr.102152pubmed: 24477471google scholar: lookup
  14. Hartnack S, Springer S, Pittavino M, Grimm H. Attitudes of Austrian veterinarians towards euthanasia in small animal practice: impacts of age and gender on views on euthanasia.. BMC Vet Res 2016 Feb 4;12:26.
    doi: 10.1186/s12917-016-0649-0pmc: PMC4743177pubmed: 26847551google scholar: lookup
  15. Sandøe P, Corr S, Palmer C. Treating sick animals and end-of-life issues. 2016.
  16. Knesl O, Hart BL, Fine AH, Cooper L, Patterson-Kane E, Houlihan KE, Anthony R. Veterinarians and Humane Endings: When Is It the Right Time to Euthanize a Companion Animal?. Front Vet Sci 2017;4:45.
    doi: 10.3389/fvets.2017.00045pmc: PMC5395644pubmed: 28470002google scholar: lookup
  17. Mullan S, Fawcett A. Animal Death. 2017.
  18. Kipperman B, Morris P, Rollin B. Ethical dilemmas encountered by small animal veterinarians: characterisation, responses, consequences and beliefs regarding euthanasia.. Vet Rec 2018 May 12;182(19):548.
    doi: 10.1136/vr.104619pubmed: 29445010google scholar: lookup
  19. Passantino A, Fenga C, Morciano C, Morelli C, Russo M, Di Pietro C, Passantino M. Euthanasia of companion animals: a legal and ethical analysis.. Ann Ist Super Sanita 2006;42(4):491-5.
    pubmed: 17361075
  20. Sandøe P, Corr S, Palmer C. Introduction. 2016.
  21. Buelke DL. There's no good way to euthanatize a horse.. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1990 Jun 15;196(12):1942-4.
    pubmed: 2365617
  22. Endenburg N, Kirpensetijn J, Sanders N. Equine Euthanasia: The Veterinarian’s role in Providing Owner Support. Anthrozoös 1999;12:138–142.
    doi: 10.2752/089279399787000219google scholar: lookup
  23. McGowan T.W, Phillips C.J.C, Hodgson D.R, Perkins N, McGowan C.M. Euthanasia in Aged Horses: Relationship between the Owners’ Personality and Their opinions on, and Experience of Euthanasia of Horses. Anthrozoös 2012;25:261–275.
    doi: 10.2752/175303712X13403555186091google scholar: lookup
  24. Brackenridge S.S, Shoemaker R.S. The humane/horse bond and client bereavement in equine practice. Part I. Equine Pract 1996;18:19–22.
  25. Springer S, Auer U, Jenner F, Grimm H. Clinical Ethics Support Services in Veterinary Practice. 2018.
  26. . AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals: 2013 Edition. 2013.
  27. . AAEP Guidelines for Euthanasia. 2011.
  28. Voss M. Untersuchung der Sozialen Kompetenzen von Tierärzten beim Einschläfern von Hunden. 2002.
  29. . Bundesgesetz über den Schutz der Tiere (Tierschutzgesetz—TSchG). 2004.
  30. Mullan S, Fawcett A. Veterinary Treatment. 2017.
  31. Fettman MJ, Rollin BE. Modern elements of informed consent for general veterinary practitioners.. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2002 Nov 15;221(10):1386-93.
    doi: 10.2460/javma.2002.221.1386pubmed: 12458604google scholar: lookup
  32. Ashall V, Millar K.M, Hobson-West P. Informed Consent in Veterinary Medicine: Ethical Implications for the Profession and the Animal ‘Patient’. Food Ethics 2017;1:247–258.
    doi: 10.1007/s41055-017-0016-2google scholar: lookup
  33. . Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons: 11. Communication and Consent. 2018.
  34. . Gesamte Rechtsvorschrift für Tierärztegesetz. 1974.

Citations

This article has been cited 1 times.
  1. Linder E, Grimm H. What Is Wrong with Eating Pets? Wittgensteinian Animal Ethics and Its Need for Empirical Data.. Animals (Basel) 2023 Aug 29;13(17).
    doi: 10.3390/ani13172747pubmed: 37685011google scholar: lookup
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join 99,344 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.