EUTHANASIA

Euthanasia is a term that comes from the Greek language and translated into English means “good death.” 

Our compassionate team of veterinarians and veterinary professionals are here to support you and your horse through quality of life and humane euthanasia decisions. If you are unsure if euthanasia is the right decision, consider booking an appointment with our team for a Quality of Life Assessment. We have the ability to perform a euthanasia at our facility or at your horse’s location.

The most common reasons for a planned euthanasia are old age and a decline in quality of life.  Whether due to a chronic disease (such as arthritis or Cushing’s disease) that has become too difficult or costly to manage, or the horse is doing poorly and there is worry about how it will do over another winter, the owner often has the best judgment when it comes to their horse’s quality of life.  However, sometimes changes in a horse can be subtle, and partnering with your veterinarian is invaluable in assessing an aging horse’s quality of life.  A veterinarian may also have additional ideas for management that allow your horse to be comfortable for longer.  Euthanasia does not always apply to aged horses alone; chronic and costly diseases can affect younger horses as well as older ones.  Laminitis is a prime example of one such disease that frequently becomes a reason for euthanasia when the pain and discomfort become unmanageable.

QUALITY OF LIFE

EMERGENCY EUTHANASIA

Another common reason for euthanasia is when a veterinary emergency occurs that is either not treatable, or very costly to treat, such as a severe colic or fracture of a long bone.  While in some cases euthanasia is the only option, due to the severity of the problem, in other cases, the owner must decide between pursuing treatment or electing humane euthanasia.  This decision is typically based on the cost of treatment, prognosis (or chance of a favourable outcome), and value of the horse. 

As a horse owner, planning ahead for an emergency can save agonizing over a decision when an emergency is occurring.  This is often a very emotional time and the ability to think clearly can be affected.  Some factors to consider include formulating a budget for how much money you can afford to spend treating an emergency (and then setting aside money in an emergency fund or purchasing insurance) and knowing which problems you would be willing to treat.  If you have more than one horse, consider what you would treat in each horse (for example, colic surgery may be an option for a younger horse, but not for an older retiree).  Having this plan ahead of time can greatly reduce stress over treatment decisions at the time of an emergency. 

Each veterinarian has their own protocol they follow when euthanizing an animal.  In general, the horse is typically heavily sedated in order to decrease stimulation from the environment and allow the procedure to go smoothly.  Once the horse is sedate, the euthanasia solution is administered.  The administration of the euthanasia solution causes the horse to become unconscious and within a few moments, they will become recumbent (lay down).  Because the horse is unconscious, they are unaware of what is happening and do not feel any emotional or physical pain. Once the horse is down, their heart stops beating and their brain function will shut down. The time for this to occur is variable, but often takes only a few minutes once the horse is down.  As the brain function ceases, the horse may take a few breaths, have some muscle twitching, or have some involuntary movement of the legs.  As the horse is either unconscious or already passed it is unaware of these processes.  The veterinarian will then listen to the horse’s heart to confirm that it has stopped and often touch the eye to confirm a lack of blink reflex to ensure the horse has passed away. 

There are alternative acceptable methods of euthanasia.  These are acceptable in special circumstances or when performed by a well-trained person and can produce just as peaceful of death as the administration of a barbituate drug.

THE PROCESS

OUR PARTNERS IN AFTER-CARE

We are fortunate to work closely with Just Passing Horse Transport and Bereavement and Mountain Meadows Equine Crematorium.

  • Animals that have been euthanized via a lethal IV injection pose a risk to scavengers and farm dogs/cats if they ingest any parts of the remains.  Appropriate disposal is mandatory.

    If you plan to bury on farm it is important to know the bylaws surrounding burial on private property within your district.  Being aware of local bylaws and planning ahead of time for disposal will make the process much easier should an emergency euthanasia occur.

  • If you would like your horse to be buried, but cannot do so on your property, you can elect to have Just Passing Horse Transport & Bereavement collect your horse to be transported to a burial location.

  • You can opt to have your horse cremated. General and Private cremation options are available. When you choose private cremation, you will receive the ashes back in an urn of your choice.

    Receiving ashes back may take several weeks to months as the processing time is variable and based on demand.