Influencia de los médicos veterinarios en la eutanasia.

Abstract

Euthanasia is a clinical procedure through which the life of the animal is ended. Veterinarians practice euthanasia regularly. The decision to euthanize is made by the owner. However, it is usual for veterinarians to impact owners' decision making. This research aims to establish the influence of veterinarians on owners in making decisions about euthanasia. The location of the research is the city of Guayaquil. Two groups will be surveyed: a) veterinarians registered at the Veterinary Medical College of Guayaquil (235 respondents) and b) pet owners (384 respondents). The questionnaires contain closed-ended and estimation questions, consisting of 16 questions for the veterinaries and 20 questions for the owners. The Likert scale will be used to rate the estimation questions. This research has a completely randomized design with a non-experimental correlational analytical approach with a mixed approach. To verify the hypothesis, Cronbach's Alpha formula will be used to validate the reliability of the measurement mechanism. Subsequently, an analysis of variance will be used to assess the differences between veterinarians and owners. In addition, the X2 test will allow the assessment of the variables considered for the final decision of both veterinarians and owners. According to several authors, decision making can be influenced by several factors such as communication, emotions, reflection time, accompaniment, among others.