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Written by Paul
Dr Paul Manktelow is a vet who’s worked for almost 20 years on the front line in some of the UK’s busiest veterinary hospitals. As Chief Vet in the Charity Sector, he leads a team of vets and nurses that treat thousands of pets every year. Paul also appears regularly in the media as a TV and radio presenter, writer, public speaker and podcast producer.
Euthanasia is one of the most profound responsibilities a vet carries. It is a decision made out of compassion, to prevent suffering, and to ensure a dignified end. But while it is considered a necessary part of veterinary care, it comes with a significant emotional burden—one that many outside the profession don’t fully appreciate.
In human medicine, the assisted dying debate continues to evolve, with ethical, legal, and emotional complexities at its core. As a veterinary professional, I’ve often wondered—what can human medicine learn from vets when it comes to making end-of-life decisions?
The Weight of Compassion: A Vet’s Role in Euthanasia
Unlike doctors, who are trained to preserve life at all costs, vets are accustomed to making quality-of-life decisions that sometimes lead to euthanasia. We assess suffering, deterioration, and the likelihood of improvement, always striving to balance medical judgment with empathy.
However, this doesn’t mean the decision is easy.
- We form deep connections with the animals we treat.
- We support grieving owners through one of the hardest days of their lives.
- We face moral dilemmas when an animal’s suffering is clear, but the owner is not ready to say goodbye.
For many vets, performing euthanasia is an act of kindness, but it also leaves an emotional imprint that builds over time.
When End-of-Life Decisions Become a Moral Burden
Vets experience moral distress when they are put in situations where the right decision is unclear. Some common challenges include:
- Behavioural euthanasia – Where otherwise healthy pets are euthanised due to aggression or unmanageable behaviour.
- Financial constraints – When an animal’s condition is treatable, but the owner cannot afford care, leaving euthanasia as the only option.
- Owner reluctance – When an animal is suffering, but the owner refuses euthanasia, leading to prolonged distress.
These ethical dilemmas take a mental and emotional toll, contributing to burnout, compassion fatigue, and distress among veterinary professionals.
The Parallels with Assisted Dying in Human Medicine
As the UK Parliament debates the Assisted Dying Bill, doctors are being asked to consider a role that has long been part of veterinary practice—helping a patient end their life to prevent suffering.
Many medical professionals express concerns that assisted dying would create an emotional and ethical burden, as doctors are primarily trained to save lives rather than facilitate death. While the contexts are vastly different, there are lessons that could be learned from veterinary professionals who have long navigated these difficult conversations.
What Can Human Medicine Learn from Veterinary Euthanasia?
- Support for Practitioners – Vets often seek support from peers when making difficult euthanasia decisions. If assisted dying is introduced in human medicine, robust support structures for doctors will be essential.
- Guidelines for Suffering Assessment – Veterinary medicine has well-established quality-of-life scales to assess suffering holistically. Could similar models be adapted to human healthcare?
- Emotional Resilience Training – Vets are taught to balance clinical detachment with empathy. For doctors faced with assisted dying cases, training on managing emotional impact could be vital.
Final Thoughts
Euthanasia is a deeply emotional experience, not just for pet owners but for the vets who perform it. While human assisted dying carries its own complexities, there are valuable lessons that can be drawn from how veterinary professionals handle end-of-life care, ethical dilemmas, and emotional resilience.
If assisted dying becomes part of human healthcare, how will doctors cope with the burden that vets have carried for decades? It’s a question worth exploring, and one that could benefit from greater cross-professional discussion.
🎧 Want to hear more? Listen to my podcast episode: Should Vets Have a Voice in the Assisted Dying Debate? where I discuss these ethical challenges and share my experiences in veterinary end-of-life care.
