Experiences of End-of-Life Decision-Making in Equine Veterinary and Charity Teams.

ABSTRACT: Veterinary and charity teams are frequently involved in equine end-of-life decisions. These can cause ethical dilemmas and emotional burdens and complicate communication with owners. Semi-structured focus groups explored experiences of making decisions about end-of-life care and euthanasia at three UK equine veterinary practices and one charity. There were 26 participants in a mix of roles. Inductive coding was conducted during thematic analysis. Major themes generated were 'Equine Welfare', 'Relationships', 'Decision-Making', and 'Emotional Toll and Coping Strategies'. Communication, finances, and chronic vs. acute cases were key issues featured within multiple themes. The individual horse's welfare was the participants' priority during decision-making. However, there were barriers to com

SUBMITTER: Cameron A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11898496 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature