A Vet Tech’s Experience With Pet Loss & Euthabag
I’m no stranger to euthanasia and patient loss as a licensed vet tech. With a background in emergency and critical veterinary care, the euthanasia process is something I grew quite comfortable with. I even found myself achieving compassion satisfaction during euthanasia appointments, a feeling in which you walk away knowing you supported the patient and the owner to the best of your ability.
However, the recent loss of my own pet shook me to my core and emphasized the importance of ritual and control in these situations. Euthabag could have made this experience much less painful for my family and I, and I’d love to discuss how.
The Plastic Bag
When our beloved pets or animal patients pass away, their bodies are stored in a plastic contractor bag before they are transferred to a crematorium. The plastic bag was all I ever knew during my time in practice, and though it was the standard, it was never a tool that I felt comfortable using. I could never shake the feeling that our patients deserved better, and this feeling followed me through the loss of my own pet.
Losing Ellie
Ellie was in our lives for almost 10 years. She was a surrendered patient at the ER I worked at years ago, and I was lucky enough to be on shift when she came in. She was a six week old puppy that had just been attacked by two dogs, and her injuries ranged from broken bones to deep lacerations. She had the sweetest eyes that pulled you in, and I knew immediately that she was meant to be a part of our family. After a hospital stay and a couple surgeries, she was on the mend and ready to head home with me.
Ellie went on to be the very best companion our family could ask for. She was so deeply loved that I actually shared custody of her with my parents, and she would split her time between both of our houses. She had a loving tribe around her at all times, and she enriched our lives in so many ways.
Almost 10 years after adopting her, I got a hysterical phone call from my mom. I was in Cambodia for a mass canine vaccination drive, and it was clear from the moment I answered the phone that something was very wrong. My mom shared that Ellie had passed away at home. They found her laying on the kitchen floor, just next to her food bowl. She was gone.
Processing Pet Loss With The Plastic Bag In Mind
Once the initial shock had settled, I knew I needed to guide my mom through these next moments. I talked her through what to do next, and how to get Ellie to the nearest ER for her aftercare. My mom then asked me a question I will never forget. She asked if the ER she was taking Ellie to carry anything other than plastic bags.
Now that my mom was aware of the fact that most clinics still use plastic bags for deceased patients, she wanted Ellie to be handled with dignity. I called around to all the pet hospitals in the area to see if any carried a more dignified option, and unfortunately, the answer was no. The only option was the plastic bag.
The thought of Ellie being placed in a plastic bag has haunted us as we’ve moved forward in our grief. We know her veterinary team treated her with as much care and respect as they possibly could, but there’s no way around the pain of imagining your pet in a plastic bag. She deserved better, just as all pets do.
What is Euthabag?
Euthabag is a dignified pet body bag that offers respect in death. It allows the pet to be gently placed on their side and remain in a dignified position, and it is safe for both cremation and home burial. Euthabag not only offers our pets and our patients the respect they deserve in death, but it also supports the mental health of the animal care team. Plastic bags hurt the heart of anyone who is forced to place a patient inside of them.
I’m now lucky enough to be part of the Euthabag team, and I’ve made it my mission to educate veterinary professionals on how the euthanasia experience can be elevated. I’ve known this was an important cause, but the recent loss of my own pet proved just how important it is.
Euthabag Is The Change We Need In The Vet Space
I truly believe the only reason that most of the veterinary industry feels comfortable using plastic contractor bags for deceased patients is because their clients don’t see the process. Placing our patients in plastic bags after death immediately devalues the compassionate care we offer when they are alive. I felt passionate about this fact before I lost Ellie, but I feel even more invested in the cause now.
Our patients deserve better, the pet parents deserve better, and the veterinary team deserves better. Euthabag is the change we need in the vet space, and I look forward to the day that they are the standard.
