How can an aspiring vet get used to the idea of euthanasia when it seems so impossibly unnatural?

Hi there, thanks so much for your question. It’s really thought-provoking and had me sitting down to think deeply about my response to you.

I think the way you feel stems from compassion and concern—both character traits in veterinary medicine. However, we also need to remember that our mandate as veterinarians is to prevent and relieve suffering, and despite the advances in practice, there’s still a lot we can’t treat.

I had a similar question to you when I was a vet student seeing practice in a different country, where euthanasia was very taboo. The specialist I was shadowing said that was his greatest struggle working there, seeing animals suffering deeply without being able to pass peacefully. I remember asking if we could just keep caring for them palliatively, like pain relief on tap as we do in humans, but he reminded me of a great number of conditions where analgesia doesn’t help, like chronic kidney disease, a large space-occupying mass, and cancer pain.

Clients always say to me that they couldn’t be a vet because they can’t bear to euthanize animals. I have found that euthanasia is one of the things I feel a deep sense of honor and responsibility about. I take pride in doing euthanasias, and doing them well.

I think you’ll find that as you progress on your vet journey, you’ll meet some animals on the way that you’ll do your absolute best for, and you’ll reach a point where nothing you can do will help any more. That’s where you get to send them to a peaceful sleep, surrounded by the people who love them, and they love. Maybe one day the meaning of euthanasia—a good death—will sink in.

Until then, keep thinking, keep questioning, and all the best with vet school!