The horse stands alone as one of the most challenging of species cared for by veterinary professionals. Their size, strength, and intelligence, as well as the depth of their bond with the humans with whom they share their lives require a different level of attunement, attention, and skill - especially at the end of a horse's life. Unlike end-of-life and hospice / palliative care for small animals, equine end-of-life care is not well-defined; it is an unsettled discipline.

Throughout this series Dave Shuey, LMSW, RVT, CHPT, in part, shares his personal journey in caring for horses, and weaves in pearls from the domains of knowledge and care, all the while drawing on philosophical viewpoints from the domains of inquiry and wonder, to help translate what we know from human and small animal hospice and palliative care into a proposed framework for equine end-of-life practice. 

In this first segment, Dave Shuey shares some personal perspectives to help us understand several objective and subjective considerations that distinguish quality of life from welfare. Aside from the well-established pain scales and body condition scoring assessments readily available to veterinarians, he proposes some common themes that both veterinary caregivers and horse owners can consider when working to assess a horse's quality of life or in contemplating euthanasia.

Running time: 37 mins
Approved for 0.5 hrs of CE credit by AAVSB RACE and NY State

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