Background
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Some dogs may experience little stress during routine procedures (such as veterinary procedures) due to habituation or familiarity. All shelter dogs would have some veterinary experience, including stray dogs due to the intake exam performed by shelters. Handling and restraint stress of the euthanasia procedure may be reduced, in this case.
Normal situations can be perceived as threatening when a dog is stressed – perhaps traditional shelter employees should focus on reducing stress immediately prior to the euthanasia procedure.
Dogs may become stressed or anxious in the perioperative period, due to a strange environment. This supports the idea that stress should be reduced prior to euthanasia, to make the procedure humane and easy.
Recommendations
The person performing the euthanasia is in a good position to reduce or add to a dog’s stress during the procedure. This position should not
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be abused, and care should be taken to minimize stress for the dog.
Gradual introductions into the euthanasia room, possibly using food rewards, help slowly habituate the animal to the strange environment. Starting the introduction when the dog is calm is key to preventing elevated stress and anxiety levels.
Petting and talking to the dog in a soothing voice can prevent cortisol levels (indicative of stress) from rising. Perhaps an additional staff member present, tasked solely with petting and calming the dog, would be ideal.
Sedating the dog before the actual euthanasia procedure begins may be helpful to keep the dog calm.
Allowing plenty of time for each euthanasia prevents the shelter staff from rushing through the procedure. A rushed, time-aware experience may result in elevated stress for the dog.
Humane euthanasia with the intent to minimize the stressful effects of the procedure is certainly more ethical than a rough procedure focused on speed. If a traditional shelter follows the above recommendations, and succeeds in soothing the dog to a calm state, perhaps the actual euthanasia procedure is not particularly stressful.