This issue of Veterinary Clinics: Small Animal Practice, guest edited by Drs. Beth Marchitelli and Tami Shearer, focuses on Small Animal Euthanasia: Updates on Clinical Practice. This is one of six issues each year. Articles in this issue include, but are not limited to: historical perspective of euthanasia in veterinary medicine, the science of transitional states of consciousness and euthanasia, the physiology of death, pharmacological methods: an update on optimal pre-sedation and euthanasia solution administration, common and alternative routes of euthanasia solution administration, standardization of data collection to document adverse events associated with euthanasia, factors contributing to the decision to euthanize: diagnoses, clinical signs and triggers, euthanasia decision making: a collaboration between pet owners and veterinary professionals, euthanasia from the veterinary client's perspective: psychosocial contributors to euthanasia decision-making, and communication and euthanasia- beyond open ended questions