When obligations to animals and clients colide
Ethical question of the month, June 2021
You are a recent graduate and have taken on a new client who has several “rescue” horses. The patient presented is a Miniature horse that is having difficulty walking. You diagnose the horse with chronic, severe laminitis with secondary tendon contrac- ture. The client informs you that the horse had a tenotomy procedure 4 years ago, but it did not improve the condition. The horse can now barely stand. You request the medical record and observe that the horse has not been assessed since the surgery, and the previous veterinary providers have regularly been sup- plying oral tranquilizers as the horse is unable to stand on 1 leg for hoof trimming without sedation.
You advise the client that the horse is in significant pain and that the prognosis is poor. The client challenges this assertion, as the previous veterinary service never commented on this horse’s condition when on farm for other horses. You insist that the horse needs referral to a specialist, or euthanasia. Despite polite follow-up messages, the owner’s husband informs you that your calls are making his wife’s fragile mental condition worse and tells you not to contact them again. What is your next step?
Clare Palmer, Peter Sandøe, & Dan Weary comment on this dilemma and you can read it here: Ethicists’ commentary on veterinarians’ obligations to animals and clients (pdf)