How far should you go?
- Localización: Veterinary Record, ISSN-e 2042-7670, Vol. 176, Nº. 16, 2015, págs. 396-396
- Idioma: inglés
- Enlaces
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Resumen
A PANEL discussion during a press conference at this year's BSAVA Congress was of interest, not just in bringing into a more public arena a debate that has been going on within the veterinary profession for some time, but also in raising questions about what might happen in the future. The discussion, entitled ‘Just because we can, does it mean we should?’, considered the question of how far vets should go in treating companion animals given the range of options now available. As the BSAVA pointed out before the press conference, ‘Companion animals are living longer, healthier lives than ever before, in large part as a result of advances in veterinary medicine, sophisticated diagnostic tools, new technology and improved nutrition. The growth of the pet insurance industry has also broadened the scope of treatment options available to many pet owners.’ Such developments could clearly benefit animals and their owners, but they also presented a dilemma for veterinary practice teams, not least because owner expectations were higher and, while some owners might be desperate to keep their pet alive, the animal's welfare was the prime concern and, in some instances, euthanasia might be the better option. The panel discussed various aspects of this dilemma, exploring how the veterinary clinical team and their support staff could manage client expectations, make the most of the clinical options available to them and maintain the animal's welfare as their top priority (see pp 400-401 of this issue)....
