Category Archives: Euthanasia

Claire recently shocked fans when she admitted she would consider euthanasia when she gets older

CORONATION Street star Claire King hit headlines recently when she admitted she would consider euthanasia when she got older.

However, her comments led to her being dropped as a spokesperson for Smart Energy and shell appear on Loose Women on Tuesday, July 18 to discuss the topic.

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Claire, 54, hit headlines after admitting she would consider euthanasia after being diagnosed with a degenerative disease.

The actress is divorced with no children and worries about becoming a burden on people when shes older.

Claire suffers fromrheumatoid arthritis, which is an autoimmune disease where the bodys own immune system attacks the bodys joints.

As a result of her condition, she has had the joints in her fingers removed and replaced with plates.

Speaking to the Sunday Mirror, she said: I do worry about when Im older and becoming a burden on people around me.

I can understand why people choose assisted dying and its getting to the point where I would consider it myself.

Most of my family will be gone. Its not a selfish thing. Its a decision at a certain age, when youre becoming a burden to others.

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The Sun exclusively revealed Claire was sacked from her role as Smart Energy spokesperson and may even lose her fee after she claimed she would consider assisted suicide.

Sources close to the company have said that her comments which were given during a promotional interview for the company upset bosses, leading to her being given the boot.

A source said: They couldnt believe her comments and definitely dont want to be associated with any of that.

This could even lead to her losing her fee entirely.

A spokesperson for Smart Energy GB declined to comment.

ITV

Claire who plays Erica Holroyd is leaving Corrie this summer after three years, but the role is expected to be kept open for her to return in the future.

She said: Its been a dream come true to tread those famous cobbles. I was only meant to stay for six weeks initially, so for Erica to be so popular that she stayed for three years and even worked in The Rovers was a real compliment to me as an actress.

Ive had such a great time with the cast and crew, so its fabulous that they have left the door open for Erica to return in the future.

Who knows what adventures shell be getting up to away from the Street? Shes certainly not boring.

As for me, Im ready for another challenge. Im not leaving the screens anytime soon, so watch this space.

Corrie boss Kate Oates revealed her exit will involve an affair with Kevin Webster.

Kevin is in a serious relationship with Anna Windass, while Erica has been involved with Dev Alahan for over a year.

ITV

Claire was originally known for her role as Kim Tate in Emmerdale until she left the soap after 10 years in 1999.

She was then cast in Bad Girls in 2000 and played Karen Betts until she left in 2004.

In 2006, she took part inthe fourth series of Strictly Come Dancing finishing in sixth place.

King also appeared on the 14th series of Celebrity Big Brother in August 2014 but left the show on Day 16 due to illness.

The Sun also revealed that Claire has signed up for the next series of In Therapy.

The new series of the Channel 5 show will see a string of famous faces undergoing therapy as they give viewers an unprecedented insight into some of their deepest and darkest emotions.

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Who is Claire King? Coronation Street and Emmerdale star sacked from Smart Energy role after 'euthanasia' comments - The Sun

Momentum is building to legalise voluntary euthanasia in Australia. A state, most likely Victoria, could soon be the first jurisdiction to do so since the Northern Territory in 1995. National intervention scuttled the Northern Territory law, which begs an important question. Would a state euthanasia law also be short lived?

Several nations permit people to end their lives with medical assistance if they are terminally ill and suffering pain or incapacity. The first country to allow this was the Netherlands, with Canada authorising physician-assisted dying last year. New Zealand is expected to vote on the issue after its September 2017 election.

By contrast, state laws in Australia criminalise the practice. For example, the NSW Crimes Act makes a person liable to 10 years' imprisonment for helpingsomeone end their life. No exceptions are made for medical practitioners, although it has become accepted that palliative care that hastens a person's death is permissible where it eases pain and suffering. People may also end their lives by refusing medical intervention or sustenance.

Decades of activism have sought to change these laws. Every state, except Queensland, has seen attempts to introduce medically-assisted dying since 1995. More than 40 bills have been introduced, with 15 put in South Australia alone. That state has come the closest to passing such a law. Last November, its most recent attempt was backed by the state Premier and Opposition Leader, and resulted in a 23-all tie in the lower house of Parliament. The bill was defeated on the casting vote of the Speaker.

The next battlegrounds are NSW and Victoria, with both likely to see bills introduced in August. The NSW bill has cross-party support, but the Victorian proposal is more likely to pass. It is sponsored by Premier Dan Andrews and Health Minister Jill Hennessy, has supporters within government and the opposition, and has been backed by former premiers Steve Bracks and Jeff Kennett.

The passage of a state voluntary euthanasia law will lead church groups and other opponents to call for national intervention. This occurred in response to the 1995 legalisation of voluntary euthanasia in the Northern Territory. A private members bill introduced by Kevin Andrews overrode that measure, and withdrew power from the Northern Territory and ACT to ever pass such a law in the future. Kevin Andrews remains in Parliament, and might lead a second national debate to prevent voluntary euthanasia.

The constitution enables the federal Parliament to override any territory law. Parliament's power is not so clear in the case of a state, with federal interventions often ending up in the High Court.

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Nonetheless, it would seem likely that federal Parliament could overturn a state euthanasia law as the constitution grants it authority over the provision of medical services. Parliament could also use its power over external affairs to legislate for the right to life under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The key question is whether Parliament would exercise this power. This would seem very unlikely. One reason is that the Commonwealth has always been more prepared to intervene in territory rather than state affairs. It has done so not only by overturning a euthanasia law, but by vetoing a 2006 attempt by the ACT to recognise and celebrate same-sex civil unions. The federal government also brought a successful High Court challenge to the ACT's recognition of same-sex marriage in 2013.

The Commonwealth has on occasion intervened to overturn a state policy or law. A famous example was the decision of the Hawke government in 1983 to make the Franklin River in Tasmania a World Heritage area to prevent the damming of that system. Such interventions though can come with a high political cost. Labor failed to win a single seat in Tasmania in the 1984 general election.

In this case, the cost of intervention could be felt across Australia. Community attitudes have moved on from when the Commonwealth last overturned a euthanasia law in the 1990s. Polls show that around three-quarters of Australians support the legalisation of physician-assisted dying, with many people feeling strongly about the issue.

The views of our politicians have also shifted. Kevin Andrews' bill secured support from an overwhelming number of parliamentarians, including the prime minister and leader of the opposition. He would not gather such support today given changing opinions on social issues. For example, two decades ago it was hard to find a parliamentarian willing to support same-sex marriage, yet today this could become law if Coalition MPs are given a free vote.

The bottom line is that the federal Parliament could seek to overturn a state law that authorises physician-assisted dying, but is unlikely to do so. This means that the push for a state to legalise euthanasia should result in a law that endures.

George Williams is Dean of Law at the University of New South Wales.

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Battle over voluntary euthanasia about to reignite - The Sydney Morning Herald

ACT leader David Seymour says a 1 NEWS Colmar Brunton poll showing three quarters of respondents support voluntary euthanasia should be a wake-up call for MPs undecided about his assisted dying bill.

Asked do they think a terminally ill person should be able to receive assistance from a doctor to end their life, 74 per cent said "yes" and 18 per cent said "no".

MPs will vote soon after the September election on Mr Seymour's End of Life Choice bill.

Most parties will have a conscience vote and a number of MPs are yet to make up their minds.

"Too many MPs have ignored public opinion and in a democracy you do that at your peril," Mr Seymour said.

However anti-euthanasia campaigner Renee Joubert of Euthanasia-Free NZ says poll respondents "were not asked to consider the practical implications in the real world of dysfunctional relationships, domestic and elder abuse, mental health issues".

His faith has helped former parish minister Dave Mullan come to terms with the fact he's dying, but he wants to be able to choose when that happens.

"When my time comes and the cancer really hits me, I want to say enough. Let's gather the family, have a celebration, say our goodbyes and then goodnight," Mr Mullan said.

After being diagnosed with prostate cancer he became an active blogger, and now a pro-euthanasia campaigner.

Mr Mullan's message to MPs is: "The country is crying out for choice."

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Poll support for euthanasia a wake-up call for undecided MPs says Seymour - TVNZ

General News of Saturday, 15 July 2017

Source: Starrfmonline.com

The dog in question attacked and bit Bismark Adzie, a six-year old class six pupil to death

The Western Regional Branch of the Veterinary Service of Ghana has killed an Alsatian dog after establishing it poses serious threat to human life.

The dog in question attacked and bit Bismark Adzie, a six-year old class six pupil to death on June 20, 2017 at New Amanful in the Ahanta West District of the Western region.

The dog was quarantined by the Veterinary Service for two weeks for monitoring to establish whether it was suffering from rabbis.

It was, however, released to its owner after the expiration of the period upon establishing it was free from the said disease, however upon further investigation, it was found that the dog poses a very serious threat to human life.

The Service therefore ordered the owner through the police to return it to the Veterinary Service to be put to rest.

The process, known as Euthanasia which took place at the Headquarters of the Regional Veterinary Service on Friday lasted for about five seconds through an injection of a chemical by name T61 administered by the veterinary service personnel.

After the exercise, Dr Simon Gbene, the acting Director of the Service in the Western region told Skyy Power FM the process was the first time Ghana has destroyed an animal through Euthanasia though it is very common in the Western Countries.

He gave a word of caution to dog owners, School Authorities and the general public to be very wary of dogs wherever and whenever they come close to them since some could be very unpredictable.

He says the Veterinary Service will soon come out with new guidelines on dog possession and ownership in the country.

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Ghana performs first animal euthanasia - GhanaWeb

KAROLINE TUCKEY

Last updated05:00, July 16 2017

Warwick Smith/Stuff

Jeanette Parsons veterinarian with Totally Vets, Feilding talks about cat health and euthanasia.

Deciding when to send Fluffy to the hereafter is not a pleasant prospect, but many Kiwis drag their heels too long when it comes to euthanasing their elderly cats.

Massey University's Kat Littlewood is studying how her fellow vets can offer better guidance, sayingmany owners put off the decision and regret it later.

"It's such an emotional time, they can see their animal going downhill and they just don't want to make that decision.With animals we can make that decision."

KAROLINE TUCKEY/STUFF

Massey University veterinary researcher Kat Littlewood with her own cat Malibu. She hopes to provide better guidance to vets helping cat owners decide when to euthanise their pet.

The questions are similar to those forMPs debating Act leader David Seymour'sEnd of Life Choice Bill.

READ MORE: *He's NZ's top cat * Euthanasia: How is it done *A friendly cat leads two separate lives

Is medical technology prolonging life beyond natural life expectancy? And at what point does a life become so painful and miserable doctors should be allowed to end it?

WARWICK SMITH/STUFF

Veterinarian Jeanette Parsons, of Totally Vets in Feilding, with Sam the cat.

Lisa Poulson, of Feilding, took her cat Sam for a senior cat vet exam on Friday. Sam passed muster, but she saidthere is some trepidation as he gets older.

"He was sick a few years ago, and the vet said if we have to come in again for that treatment then we'd really have to think about euthanasia.

"They are not human, but they are such a huge part of your life."

WARWICK SMITH/STUFF

Cat owner Lisa Poulson with Sam, the family cat.

Palmerston North vet Malcolm Andersonsaidmakinglife and death decisionsfor a pet wasnot something any owner wasprepared for.

"I had to say goodbye to my cat recently, and it was still pretty hard."

His catMillielived to 17 years, and still hadquality of life, but on balance he felt the decision had to be made.

"You're ending your pet's life, but you're still helping them. People think they are terminating a life, so you have to help them with that too."

"Euthanasiadoesn't have to be scary. They just gently go to sleep".

Chief SPCA scientific officer DrArnjaDalesaid if an elderly cat was suffering unnecessarily and veterinary advice was not followed, including for euthanasia, it could be an offence under the Animal Welfare Act.

Feilding senior vet Martin Aldridgesaid most owners wanted the best for their pets, but the number bringing elderly cats in for regular check-ups was"relatively low".

"Sometimes there's a lack of knowledge. Some people are quite proud their pet's never been to the vet, or they feel we're going to push them towards euthanasia when there's a lot more we can do.

"A lot of people feel guilty about ending the life of an animal, and that's part of what we do we offer advice and talk people through it."

Littlewood agrees owners want to feel they've tried their best, and can vieweuthanasia as betrayingtheir pet.

But pain is particularly hard to spot in cats, and owners often miss signs a cat's quality of life is going downhill.

"Asa vet I found it was really hard to advise owners about the right time, and other vets I spoke to find it difficult."

For her study,Littlewoodhopes tointerview ownerswhohad an elderly cateuthanisedin the past six months to ask about the vets role in their decision making.

Where there is no strong conclusionthe animal is suffering, it is no longer consideredgood practiceto authoritatively tell owners when to put a pet down, she said.

Kiwi vets now try to offer information and advice so owners canmake an informed decision.

International score systems are used tomeasure a cat's quality of life. These take into account physical indications such as whether a pet is eating and drinking well, pain and mobility, but don't consider wider factors, she said.

"I think a vet'srole is to look at the animal itself, but if we know the reason why an owner might be reluctantwe can help them realise or look more at the animal.

-Sunday Star Times

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Euthanasia debate: Vets helping pet owners decide when their cat's nine lives are up - Manawatu Standard

EDITORS NOTE:This article originally appeared in Sightings, a publication of the Martin Marty Center at the University of Chicago Divinity School. Sign uphereto receive Sightings in your inbox on Mondays and Thursdays.

Those (of us) who value the ethical but are not ethicists have good reason to pay attention to those philosophers, theologians, and, yes, ethicists, whose vocation dignity, and spirituality lite it is to deal with values, whether these have to do with ordinary problems and dilemmas or with extraordinary ones, such as matters of life and death. These are not, and cannot be, right all the time, or in agreement with each other much of the time, but they gain credibility in the eyes and minds of ordinary and extraordinary people when they follow their vocation and subject themselves and each other to criticism.

Few problems or issues are more troubling than those code-named euthanasia. When The New York Times (May 25) placed a story about euthanasia on page one and followed through on more pages, there were many reasons for the public to take special note. The story, At His Own Wake: Celebrating Life and the Gift of Death by Catherine Porter, was attention-getting enough, for it followed the career toward death of a particularly engrossing candidate for euthanasia, John Shields, a former Roman Catholic priest who, in the language of the church, left the faith. Among those who read the story of the end of his trail was Gilbert Meilaender of Valparaiso and Notre Dame universities. From their fields in Indiana, this professor has figuratively walked with people in the valley of the shadow of death and reflected on its realms.

He did not think much of the Times piece, and said so in an important response in Commonweal (June 30). Assuming that fewer people read that Roman Catholic magazine than read the Times, well commend both articles to all but concentrate on the little-magazine response. For the title of his article on Porters account of Shieldss end, Meilaender came up with Pathos, Bathos, and Euthanasia: Clearly intended to elicit pathos the account is, by my lights, drowning in bathos. He does not admire the euthanized John Shields nor those who chose to orchestrate and choreograph the homemade rituals, drawn from countless different (and incompatible) cultural and religious traditions

Meilaender scores Porter and the Times for seeking sympathy for Mr. Shields, but sees the article as a puff piece aimed at evoking support for one side of a complicated moral argument. Not humble, Shields became a spiritual cosmologist, who announced, I come forth at this precise moment to contribute my unique gifts to the great unfolding. Not quite Hegelian, thinks Meilaender, who may be sympathetic to Shields, but not to his way of coping with always terminal amyloidosis, as he profited from Canadas newly legalized medical assistance in dying.

The whole scheme of the Canadian law, the self-advertising of Shields, and the awe-full account by Porter and the colleagues whom she quotes, is based on a concept of self-determination, which Meilaender effectively critiques. For this critic the virtue of compassion, which motivates support for euthanasia, has a shape and has limits: the imperative that governs this virtue is not minimize suffering, but maximize care. The self-invented rituals patched together by Shields and executed after his death lead Porter to create traditions which are not likely long to survive; this sort of spirituality lite cannot sustain us in the face of death.

Meilaender ends with a particular and particularized Christian affirmation and response, arguing that in the face of a culture intent on teaching that to experience decline and loss of capacities is to lose dignity, we need to insist that each of us, whatever our capacities, is equidistant from eternity, and that no one for whom Christ was content to die can lack human dignity. Christianity is not the only anti-bathos-faith, but it is representative of values unlikely to be surrendered by those in any community or tradition who celebrate dignity more than advertised self-affirmation. One suspects.

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Euthanasia, dignity and 'spirituality lite' - Religion News Service

Physician-assisted suicide is legal in five states and Washington, D.C., and supporters of the practice say they have plans to push for legalization in a dozen more states. The number of Americans who ask doctors to prescribe lethal doses of medication is relatively small, but support for the practice is growing. End-of-life issues have garnered attention north of the border, as well. Last year, Canadian lawmakers legalized euthanasia, a practice that differs slightly from physician-assisted suicide in that doctors administer the drugs rather than simply prescribe them. The law allows individuals whose deaths are reasonably foreseeable to request lethal doses of medication to end their lives early, though some lawmakers want to expand the law to include those who are suffering but who are not near death.

With Canadians now free to request euthanasia, some Catholic bishops there are grappling with a difficult question: Should those who end their lives with the assistance of medication be given a Catholic funeral?

Cardinal Grald Lacroix, the archbishop of Quebec, where euthanasia has been legal since 2014, told America that it is difficult to know why a patient chose to end his or her life early. As a result, the church should err on the side of mercy when it comes to funerals. He said that many elderly people are made to feel burdensome, are afraid to be alone in their final days or are nervous about experiencing pain. Increasingly, he said, society tells them that an early death is preferable.

Culturally, theyre bombarded with this [message] all the time, he said. So who are we to judge why they are like this? he asked, referring to patients who decide they want to take advantage of what proponents have dubbed medical aid in dying.

We do the best we can and leave the rest to the Lord. If the Lord accuses us of being too merciful, well, Ill take it, he said.

But not all bishops in Canada are on the same page when it comes to how the church should proceed for people who end their lives with the assistance of doctors.

Last fall, six bishops from western and northern Canada signed a statement that suggested some individuals who use euthanasia would not be eligible for a Catholic burial, especially if that person was a high-profile figure. The document notes that the church offers funerals for those who commit suicide, as pastors are not able to judge the reason the person has taken that decision or the disposition of their heart.

But when it comes to physician-assisted suicide, the bishops write, there are sometimes more clues about the intentions of the deceased. In such cases, it may not be possible to celebrate a Christian funeral, the statement reads. If the Church were to refuse a funeral to someone, it is not to punish the person but to recognize his or her decisiona decision that has brought him or her to an action that is contrary to the Christian faith, that is somehow notorious and public, and would do harm to the Christian community and the larger culture, it continues.

A few months later, bishops in Canadas eastern provincesreleased their own statement suggesting that the question of funerals was too complex for written guidelines and proposing that each case be dealt with individually.

Persons, and their families, who may be considering euthanasia or assisted suicide and who request the ministry of the church, need to be accompanied with dialogue and compassionate prayerful support, the statement reads. The fruit of such a pastoral encounter will shed light on complex pastoral situations and will indicate the most proper action to be taken including whether or not the celebration of sacraments is appropriate.

Cardinal Lacroix seems to come down somewhere in the middle, suggesting that people who opt for euthanasia could still be eligible for a Catholic funeral, so long as they and their loved ones are not promoting the practice or using the funeral to make a statement about the law.

Plus the family might not support a loved ones decision to end his or her life.

Do you think they need consolation? Of course, he said. We accompany everybody.

Still, he suggested that there are cases where a Catholic funeral would not be prudent.

The only time we will say noit hasnt happened yet but it could happen as far as Im concernedis if somebody says: Im getting euthanasia, and Im going to have a [Catholic] funeral. I deserve this, and at my funeral, those who are going to speak are going to say, Were promoting this, he said. No, no this isnt a show.

Cardinal Lacroix recalled two episodes in which pastors were asked to minister to patients considering euthanasia. In one, a frail woman dying of cancer had decided to end her life early. The hospital chaplain, a Catholic priest, asked her why, and she explained that she feared being a burden to her busy children, now with families of their own. He suggested that she talk to them about her concerns, and when she did, they were shocked and convinced her to change her mind. Accompaniment, he said. The priest didnt do it. But he helped her make the decision. He didnt tell her: What! You cant do that! Thats immoral! He helped her think.

In another instance, Cardinal Lacroix said, he visited a dying woman at the request of a friend. The woman had planned her death, which would include a final meal with her family before doctors administered the drugs. He recalled listening to the patient talk about her life and her family, but she was determined that she did not want to suffer at the end. She went through with the practice, and in her obituary, the cardinal said, the woman thanked lawmakers for legalizing euthanasia. In that case, had the woman asked for a Catholic funeral, he said it probably would have been inappropriate to grant her request.

We accompanied her, we accompanied her family, he said. Thats what we can do. We can harp and harp, and say, This is bad, this is bad, and it is and we do in some ways. But he prefers a more proactive approach, and to that end, he has supported a program that will train hundreds of volunteers to spend time with those in their final days, so that people are not alone when it is time to die.

Thats what we do. We accompany life, in real situations. We propose the best we can offer, which is what the church teaches, Cardinal Lacroix continued. The rest is not in our hands.

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Canadian bishops grapple with legal euthanasia and funerals ... - America Magazine

Euthanasia has long been debated in Australia on both sides, and now former longtime Victorian Premier Steve Bracks has thrown his support behind the Andrews governments campaign to legalise the assisted-dying method.

Mr Bracks, Victorias second-longest-serving premier from 1999 to 2007, is a Catholic and was widely regarded as a conservative during his time in power.

Speaking on the topic, Mr Bracks recognised that during his stint as Premier, the timing wasnt right to put forward to the bill, even though he has long been a supporter.

I think it would be a sensible and appropriate change, done well and considered well, Mr Bracks told The Australian.

I think its good timing, it is an appropriate and sensible reform, one which is not without controversy but one which should go ahead.

His comments come as an Independent panel works on recommendations for a framework that will be Australias first attempt at government-supported legislation on assisted suicide.

This panel is expected to hand down its finding within the next few weeks, and The Australian reports a bill could even be tabled in the Victorian Parliament as early as the week of August 22nd.

There has been a parliamentary committee which has worked on this in Victoria and the product of that work will be extremely useful in finding a way forward and one which can allow for the consideration of parliament.

The proposed legislation would contain strict criteria, with eligibility for euthanasia limited to Australians who are suffering from a serious and incurable condition.

It is expected the legislation would be amongst the most conservative euthanasia models in the world, and those wishing to undertake must request three times to die, including once in writing.

Mr Bracks backed a conservative approach to euthanasia, citing concerns over the potential for families to coerce vulnerable patients into assisted-suicide.

If it is done well and effectively with proper and appropriate referrals that will not be the case and I think that is the experience internationally; across Scandinavia that has not occurred, he said.

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Former Premier supports Euthanasia push - Ten Eyewitness News

Shutterstock.comPain and death. Death and pain. They often go hand in hand. But for Dani McVety, DVM, and her fellow veterinarians in the Lap of Love hospice and in-home euthanasia network, the goal is to minimize painand the anxiety that often accompanies itas much as possible before the end. Maybe even to prevent it altogether.

We as veterinarians are very comfortable with the concept of quality of life, she told her audience at a recent CVC. But I want to provide a good quality of death as well. That means no panicky trips to the ER in the middle of the night. Id rather have the family out on the dock with the pet at sunset, everyone saying a prayer before I push the plunger. Whatever it takes to give that family and that pet a peaceful experience.

A major part of creating that peaceful experience is educating and preparing clients for what to expect as their pet reaches end of life, along with helping them know when euthanasia is an appropriate choice. Here are the top six conditions Lap of Love veterinarians see in association with euthanasia (based on data collected by the company) and how Dr. McVety handles each one with clients.

1. Old age

Obviously old age isnt a disease, but it sure is a killer, Dr. McVety says. Its the No. 1 reason Lap of Love clients call to request euthanasia, and what it really means is that the pets medical condition is undiagnosed. That means anything can happen, so client and doctor alike should brace for the unexpected. Problems with cognition, along with stroke, seizures and organ failure, are all possibilities.

2. Osteoarthritis and mobility issues

This painful disease is the second-most-common reason Dr. McVety receives calls requesting consultation on euthanasia for pets. The pain increases with progression, and clients should be instructed to watch for signs of intensifying discomfort. Sundowners syndromeawakeness or awareness in the middle of the night, accompanied by panting, pacing, whining and cryingis very common with osteoarthritis (as well as a number of other end-of-life conditions).

While the pet should be on an osteoarthritis treatment protocol, clients may also need rescue drugs to get the pet through a pain crisis before the euthanasia takes place. Dr. McVety says she leaves rescue medications with clients if theyre not ready to euthanize yet or if theyre trying to make a deadline, such as getting through Christmas or waiting for Mom or Dad to get home to say goodbye.

Along with gabapentin, Dr. McVety uses tramadol for osteoarthritis patients as a rescue drug. Weve learned that tramadol is not necessarily fantastic for pain, but Ill tell you how I use it, she says. Tramadol is like a glass of winesometimes we need one glass of wine to get through the night; sometimes we need three or four. Of course, if were using three or four doses multiple nights in a row, we have a quality-of-life issue and we need to have a conversation about that.

Dr. Dani McVetyAs far as knowing the right time to euthanize, we have the curse and the luxury of time, Dr. McVety says. With osteoarthritis patients there is major variation in when a client and veterinarian can make the decision and have it be appropriate and ethical. Sometimes animals will eat through pain and wag their tail right up to the end, so cessation of these activities is not always a reliable indicator, Dr. McVety says. Tell clients this, and let them know its still OK to say goodbye if pain and anxiety are detracting from the patients life.

3. Renal failure

With chronic kidney disease, pain is variable depending on the patient: It can range from uncomfortable to very painful. Again, its best to educate clients on signs of pain and watch for progression in their pets. Rescue drugs can include buprenorphine, tramadol, fluids, anti-emetics and appetite stimulants.

When is it right to euthanize a kidney disease patient? Again, we have the curse and the luxury of time, Dr. McVety says. The goal for a high quality of death is to make it a peaceful experience and avoid a crisis that leads to an ER trip.

4. Heart failure

As with chronic kidney disease, pain associated with congestive heart failure (CHF) can range from uncomfortable to sufferable, Dr. McVety says. The main thing she tells her clients to watch for is change, particularly changes in eating. If a CHF patient comes in and is still eating, we can usually mitigate, says Dr. McVety, who worked in emergency practice before founding Lap of Love and has seen her share of heart failure. Not at the very end. If the pet stops eating, thats a huge red flag.

Rescue drugs for heart failure include high-dose furosemide, and Dr. McVety will even sometimes leave an oxygen machine with the family if theyre trying to delay euthanasia until a family member can be present.

When is the right time to euthanize? Much sooner than you want to if you want a peaceful end-of-life experience, Dr. McVety tells clients.

5. Hemangiosarcoma

Pain associated with hemangiosarcoma, the fifth-most-common condition leading to euthanasia requests, ranges from uncomfortable (in hypoxic patients) to sufferable (discomfort related to pulmonary metastases and pressure from ascites).

Hemangiosarcoma declines rapidly under most conditions in elderly patients. Thismakes the use ofrescuemedications (those that act rapidly to mitigate pain) not as applicable in these cases. But theyre still useful, if only for their placebo effect with both patient and pet parent, Dr. McVety says. Oxygen may also help certain patients.

A key factor with hemangiosarcoma patients is to educate their owners about what the end will look likeit might be a slow bleed and it might be a fast bleed. We need to let clients know what to expect so they dont freak out, Dr. McVety says. I told one lady about the possibility of a fast bleed, and she said later that because she knew what was happening, her dog died peacefully in her arms and she didnt panic. She gave me a huge hug and a thank you that she knew what to expect.

With hemangiosarcoma, its also important to tell clients that euthanasia sooner rather than later is better for a peaceful goodbye experience.

6. Osteosarcoma

Rounding out the top six end-of-life conditions from Dr. McVety, osteosarcoma ranges in painfulness from discomfort to sufferability. Awareness of progression is key for clients, and rescue drugs for controlling pain are very important. The answer to when should I euthanize? is, again, Sooner than you want to, Dr. McVety says.

Whether its one of these conditions or any other health problem that makes euthanasia a reasonable choice for client and patient, the bottom line is to let pet owners know what the dying process looks like in their pets disease context. This helps them stay calm and make good decisions, with your help, about their pets care. After all, death comes calling for all animals, whether veterinarians step in or not, so everyone involved can release judgment and guilt and focus on the petthe joy it has brought in life, and the peace and love it can experience with its family at the end.

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When death comes calling: Top diseases leading to veterinary euthanasia - dvm360

Euthanasia push: With the push to legalise euthanasia gaining momentum in states across Australia, its a chilling end-of-life strategy, with grave implications according to Catholic ethicists. Photo: CNS

IT happened in our midst an apparent planned and researched triple suicide on the Gold Coast.

With the push to legalise euthanasia gaining momentum in states across Australia, its a chilling end-of-life strategy, with grave implications according to Catholic ethicists.

To choose to limit ones life to choose to miss out on life with its blend of joys and sorrows this is never a reasonable choice, Queensland priest Fr Kevin McGovern, who until last year was the director of a health ethics centre in Melbourne, said.

On June 27, mother Margaret Cummins, 78, and her daughters Wynette and Heather, aged 53 and 54, took their own lives in a luxury residential apartment on Ephraim Island.

Police reported the husband of one of the daughters found the women dead after returning to the apartment.

He was understandably upset, but not surprised at the discovery.

The women were followers of controversial euthanasia advocate Dr Philip Nitschkes group Exit International, having joined the pro-euthanasia group about six months ago.

Dr Nitschke, the man known as Dr Death, confirmed from Amsterdam that he didnt know them personally, but they had subscribed to the groups online Peaceful Pill eHandbook, which provides research and information on voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide.

The handbook includes practical information about end-of-life strategies such as over-the-counter and prescription drugs, gases and poisons.

Dr Nitschke said the triple suicide pact was unusual three members had never ended their lives at the same time before but the planning and research by the women that took place over a number of months indicated that this was a rational decision.

Each of the women involved was said to have had a diminished quality of life recently.

Wynette suffered brain cancer in the 1980s, and Margaret reportedly suffered dementia.

They chose to electively access a peaceful means to end their lives and obviously carried it out very effectively, Dr Nitschke said.

Respecting a persons rational decision to end their life is fundamental.

Fr McGovern fundamentally disagrees.

In Victoria, euthanasia advocates want assistance in dying for those with a terminal condition who are in the last few months or years of life, he said.

This sad story reveals that if euthanasia is ever introduced, it will not remain limited to a small and narrowly defined group.

None of these women were terminal. Yet euthanasia advocates support their choice.

Paul Russell, a Catholic and the executive director of HOPE: Preventing euthanasia and assisted suicide described it as a marketing ploy for Dr Nitschke and others to say that people commit suicide rationally.

Whereas suicide is generally understood to be characterised by anguish, mental health, loss etcetera, Nitschkes claims are a dangerous and entirely erroneous ploy for legitimacy, he said.

He said Dr Nitschke would have us believe that changing the law to allow assisted suicide or euthanasia was not so much about pain, but autonomy and self-determination.

Fr Kevin McGovern: If we take this big step, there will be many little steps which will extend this assistance to more and more people.

Just days after the Gold Coast triple suicide, University of Notre Dame Australia bioethics professor Margaret Somerville, delivered an address entitled End of Life Choices in which she tackled the same issue, but from the opposite pole, describing euthanasia as an inevitable and perilous slippery slope.

She set out the alternatives facing society in simple, stark terms debate on physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia, or PAS-E, involving a conflict between respect for individual autonomy and respect for human life.

Pro-PAS-E advocates give priority to autonomy; anti-PAS-E adherents to respect for life, she said.

Pro PAS-E argue it is an issue of medical treatments, extensions of palliative care.

Anti PAS-E consider doctors killing patients or helping them kill themselves as a disruption of our societal values.

In the Netherlands, psychiatrist Boudewijn Chabot, a PAS-E advocate, now expresses horror at what is happening in his country.

Chabot has written that legal safeguards for euthanasia are slowly eroding away and that the law no longer protects people with psychiatric conditions and dementia.

He recognises we are dealing with a morally problematic act how do you kill someone who does not understand that he will be killed?

We should think of that in relation to vulnerable Australians. The Australian Law Reform Commission has warned that 4 to14 per cent of elderly Australians are abused.

Financial abuse takes the form of early inheritance syndrome the old person lets another person, often their child, handle their financial assets and they use it for themselves.

Imagine early death syndrome added to that.

Professor Somerville described an extreme example of the logical slippery slope unfolding in Canadas Quebec province.

Dr Yves Robert, registrar of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Quebec (the medical licensing authority), was an instigator of the movement to legalise euthanasia, she said.

He regarded it as good palliative care a continuum of good end-of-life care, which included euthanasia.

As in the Australian debate, pro-euthanasia advocates claimed it would be rarely used and estimated about 100 cases a year in Quebec.

In the first year, there were more than 400 cases in Quebec and almost 1500 in Canada.

Some Quebec cases breached the legal requirements in one, the patient probably had just a urinary infection.

But none of this seemed to raise any questions for the College or, I assume, Robert, about whether legalising euthanasia had been a good idea.

Heres what has done so for him. There are now calls to have death on demand declared a constitutional right.

The argument is that if I want to be dead thats my right and having to fulfil certain conditions to access euthanasia breaches my right and is legally actionable discrimination.

Considering this example, does the latest Gold Coast suicide represent a step towards Death a la carte; that is, theres a menu of options for choosing how to die?

Dr Nitschke rejects this latest case was one of death on demand, but rather, acknowledged the womens wisdom in researching the issue so that they could achieved their desired outcome a peaceful, reliable death.

I strongly endorse the words of philosopher Thomas Szasz who said: Suicide is a fundamental human right. That does not mean that it is morally desirable. It only means that society does not have the moral right to interfere, Dr Nitschke said.

Fr McGovern warned against Dr Nitschkes defence of suicide.

Was this choice reasonable? Certainly not, he said.

There are big steps and there are little steps. The big step is to say that its acceptable to help someone to kill themselves.

If we take this big step, there will be many little steps which will extend this assistance to more and more people.

The only way to avoid this is not to take the big step in the first place.

Euthanasia must not be legalised for any circumstance lest it eventually become legal in just about every circumstance.

Originally posted here:

Triple suicide on Gold Coast prompts euthanasia concerns - Catholic Leader