Coping with Animal Loss in the Research Environment

Michael S. Rand, DVM, DACLAMUniversity Animal CareUniversity of Arizona

Necessary characteristics of an animal care worker:

• Kindness and concern for animals

• Compassionate

• Patient

• Sensitive

Why are these characteristics necessary?

• More skilled at applying restraint and More skilled at applying restraint and other procedures with animals.other procedures with animals.

• Leads to earlier recognition of signs of Leads to earlier recognition of signs of disease and distress.disease and distress.

• Reduction of stress.Reduction of stress.• Ensures that the animals live in Ensures that the animals live in

conditions that provide for their health conditions that provide for their health and comfortand comfort..

• IncreasedIncreased job satisfaction.job satisfaction.

Historically:

• Stigmatized as subjective

• Naming of subjects rejected

Coping with Laboratory Animal Morbidity and Mortality

Grief and Guilt

These emotional responses are not individual isolated incidents but happen to everyone doing this work!

Caused by:Caused by:

• Providing health care and environmental Providing health care and environmental enrichmentenrichment

• Then, inducing disease or carrying out Then, inducing disease or carrying out euthanasiaeuthanasia

Human-Animal Bonding:• Centers on the capacity to empathize• Highly developed sense of social awareness• Demonstrated by our ability to:

– reach out to another– ease each other’s sorrow– share in each other’s joy– identify with animals & want to care for them– anthropomorphize

Grief may result in:• High staff turnoverHigh staff turnover• Loss of workdaysLoss of workdays• Decreased moraleDecreased morale• Diminished productivityDiminished productivity• Stress-related burnoutStress-related burnout• A callous attitude toward the animalsA callous attitude toward the animals

Grief can lead to:Grief can lead to:Grief can lead to:Grief can lead to:

• Disassociation

• Anticipatory grief

• Compassion fatigue

Disassociation

• Also called detachment• Isolation of feelings• Placing physical and emotional distance between

actions, including:– Intellectual and professional responses– Intuition

• Used to prevent internal conflict, feelings of guilt, sadness, bonding

Danger:

• Unable to feel empathy and compassion→

• Failure to recognize behavioral changes in animal →

• Increased pain or distress →

• Jeopardy to research project

Anticipatory Grief

• Early mourning →

• Detachment →

• Feelings of grief and guilt return at death of animal

Compassion fatigue (caused by excessive and long-term stress) may lead to:

• Headaches• Stomachaches• Inability to sleep• Poor appetite• Impatience• Difficulty concentrating or staying on task• Severe mood swings

• Irritability

• Impaired social relationships

• Hopelessness or frustration

• Fatigue

• Depression

• Nightmares

• Substance abuse

Methods to increase toleranceto stress

• Regular exercise and relaxation

• Developing interests outside of work

• Having pets

• Religious involvement

• A healthy diet• A good sense of humor• Open communication with friends,

family, and coworkers• Concentrate on the benefits of

research

Seek out professional help if:

Feelings of frustration, fear, or a sense of having no control persist!

Additional resources for staff and faculty are:

• The Employee Assistance Counseling Service

• The Pet Grief Support Service

• For students, the Counseling and Psychological Services