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Today's VeTerinary PracTice | January/February 2016 | tvpjournal.com PracTice BUiLdinG 132 administration of medications, this is the time to explain them if/when they occur (see Euthanasia Practice Building Suggestions for phrases to use if this happens, page 130). STAGE 3. Memorial Items The paw print is the most traditional and cherished memorial item—sometimes even more than cremains (Figure 3, page 131). With air dry clay like Model Magic (crayola.com), this is inexpensive and takes very little time. Many clinics make the paw print after the clients leave, but you are missing a huge opportunity to make the owners feel a little bit of joy by giving them one to take home (at no charge). Here's how we suggest providing the paw print. • as soon as the owners hear their pet has passed, grief washes over them and they typically begin to cry. Give them a few minutes as you quietly prepare to make the paw impression. • When it's appropriate, let them know you will be making a paw print for them to keep. as you delicately push each phalange into the clay, the clients focus on the creation in front of them. • carefully hand them their new treasure and tell them how to store it. STAGE 4. Body Care if owners need time alone after the euthanasia, allow them that time and hand them the wireless doorbell again. This way, a technician can come back into the room as they leave. once the owners have left, the team can handle the body. if it is a large pet, always treat the pet respectfully and cover them with a nice blanket. discreetly carry the pet to the treatment room. no other client should be privy to what's going on and by no means should anyone see a pet in a plastic body bag! STAGE 5. Following Up: Ensuring the Client's Return s ympathy cards are a given, and handwritten messages are worth the time. every support team member who knew the pet and family should have an opportunity to write in the card, not just the veterinarian. owners like to see that their pets were loved by the veterinary team. IN SUMMARY if we had to emphasize one thing that improves your end-of-life care for pets and their families, it's the provision of the best from the get-go. MarY gardnEr & dani McVEtY Mary Gardner, DVM, and Dani McVety, DVM, have focused on geriatric medicine, hospice, and in-home euthanasia since 2010 and founded Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice, the nation's largest group of veterinarians dedicated to end-of-life care. Lap of Love helps over 1500 families per month and has been featured on The Doctors and in the New York Times , USA Today , and the Associated Press , as well as numerous veterinary trade publications. Drs. Gardner and McVety speak frequently at national and international conferences and veterinary schools on many topics, including body language, communication techniques for doctors, and care of geriatric veterinary patients. The Practice Building s uggestions presented in this article are part of the authors' Platinum Level Communication sessions that have been presented at national and international veterinary meetings and through veterinary school courses. Posteuthanasia Practice Building suggestions • Many owners will want their pet's collar and leash. Have a lovely bag that they can place these in so that they don't have to walk through the clinic with the leash in hand. Some owners appreciate a locket of fur. We provide special containers for the clippings that are available at any craft store. • The veterinarian making these memorial items has a return on the time investment that is priceless. Encourage all the veterinarians in your clinic to provide these few tokens of respect. • How the support team handles the body is a reflection of respect for the life around us. Everyone should handle the body as if it were his or her own pet. • Many veterinary distributors carry colored body bags that steer away from the "trash bag" appearance of black body bags. This is another way to help the veterinary health care team feel more respectful of the body and, therefore, more respectful of euthanasia in general. • A call the next day from the veterinarian is a way to exceed clients' expectations. Do not shy away from euthanasia follow-up. This one display of empathy can impact the client enough that he or she never considers using a different veterinary clinic. • Ask the family to send a photo and/or memorial for a "Rainbow Bridge" wall in your office. This is a wonderful way to honor the pets you treat and help maintain your bond with the family (Figure 4).