Az állatok eutanáziájának kérdésköre a tulajdonosok és az állatorvosok szempontjaiból megvizsgálva

Abstract

Background: At the Department of Laboratory Animal Science and Animal Pro- tection of the University of Veterinary Medicine, research was carried out on the topic of euthanasia. In connection with the subject, it is important to review the historical and religious background, human aspects, its types, and the products that can be used during its implementation. Objectives: The primary purpose of the questionnaire is to clarify the relationship and views of the owners and veterinarians regarding euthanasia. Materials and Methods: During the study, two questionnaires were prepared, the questions of which could be answered by pet owners and veterinarians. The primary purpose of the survey is to gain insight into the owners' and veterinarians' attitudes and views on euthanasia, in order to compare the results. The research included the analysis of 759 completed questionnaires (pet owners filled out 548, veterinarians 211). Results and Discussion: Pet owners from every age group participated in the study, most of them (32.5%) are between 18 and 30. Despite that most pet owners are familiar with the meaning of euthanasia, approximately half of them do not know the difference between active and passive euthanasia (63% and 58%). Furthermore, more than half of them find euthanasia acceptable in the case of animals (53.6%), and in the case of humans (56.8%). The pet owners are certainly influenced by the veterinarians' opinion regarding euthanasia, since 92.7% of them accept the procedure, if that is the veterinarian's suggestion. One third of the participating veterinarians (39.8%) belongs to the age group ranging from 31 to 40. Three quarter of the participants (75.8%) work with small animals. Among the participating veterinarians, 2.8% do not perform euthanasia, and 67.8% of those who do, are more or less affected by the procedure. Only 60.7% of the veterinarians who filled out the questionnaires, make pet owners sign a statement of consent before performing euthanasia. Moreover, 5.8% of them do not use any premedication before the procedure, which causes controversy from the aspect of medical morality and safety.