When is the right time to put your sick pet down? episode artwork

EPISODE · Apr 16, 2025 · 13 MIN

When is the right time to put your sick pet down?

from What in the World · host BBC World Service

A pet can bring so much joy to a person’s life. Usually, the owner will outlive their pet. But advances in modern veterinary care has made more treatments available to keep animals alive for longer. It can be expensive, with owners spending thousands of dollars to keep their beloved pet alive. But are these treatments worth it? And when does medical care for pets cross a line?BBC Brasil journalist Julia Braun joins us in the studio to discuss animal euthanasia and why pet owners face such difficult choices. We also speak to Springer Svenja, a veterinary medicine professor at the University of Vienna and we hear from a vet in California, Sarah Cortright, on the work veterinarians do in navigating people through these sad times.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Julia Braun, Emily Horler and Emilia Jansson Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

A pet can bring so much joy to a person’s life. Usually, the owner will outlive their pet. But advances in modern veterinary care has made more treatments available to keep animals alive for longer. It can be expensive, with owners spending thousands of dollars to keep their beloved pet alive. But are these treatments worth it? And when does medical care for pets cross a line?BBC Brasil journalist Julia Braun joins us in the studio to discuss animal euthanasia and why pet owners face such difficult choices. We also speak to Springer Svenja, a veterinary medicine professor at the University of Vienna and we hear from a vet in California, Sarah Cortright, on the work veterinarians do in navigating people through these sad times.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Julia Braun, Emily Horler and Emilia Jansson Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

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When is the right time to put your sick pet down?

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This episode was published on April 16, 2025.

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A pet can bring so much joy to a person’s life. Usually, the owner will outlive their pet. But advances in modern veterinary care has made more treatments available to keep animals alive for longer. It can be expensive, with owners spending...

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