02145nas a2200193   4500000000100000000000100001008004100002260007000043653001900113653002000132653001800152653002000170653002200190100001400212245012000226490000800346520158300354022001401937       2020                            d  c05/2020bSchlütersche Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KGaHannover10aanimal patient10aquality of life10abest interest10aanimal welfare 10aveterinary ethics1 aE Thurner00aAiming at the patient’s good? Considering legitimate and illegitimate forms of promoting health-related interests0 v1333 aThe aim of this paper is to clarify the theory of the animal patient presented in a former paper by Thurner et al. (2018) and use it as an analytical tool in veterinary ethics. By means of the case of an animal’s broken leg, which I assume can be “treated” either by splinting or by euthanasia, I demonstrate that this theory faces a structural challenge. According to the theory of Thurner et al. (2018), the performance of both treatments would make the animal a patient. This follows from the concept of promoting health-related interests as used by the authors. Therefore, in four steps, I specify the concept of promoting animals’ health-related interests with the case of the fracture. In the first step, I point out that different treatment options correspond to differing ends. In the second step, I argue that from the animal’s supposed point of view splinting the fracture is preferable to euthanasia, for this course of action promotes the animal’s best interest. In the third step, I distinguish between a legitimate and an illegitimate promotion of animals’ health-related interests. I argue that an animal qualifies as a patient only if her health-related interests are legitimately promoted. In the fourth step, I present my modified criterion for becoming a patient. In addition, I highlight two benefits of theorising the patient in veterinary ethics. First, the concept can be used to distinguish five categories of veterinary interventions. Second, the concept can stimulate changes in how humans treat animals, thereby improving animal welfare.  a0005-9366