Pet Hospice Care & Quality of Life Services
We know how difficult it is to watch your pets grow older or manage a chronic condition. During these life changes we are here to offer support and comfort to you and your furry family member.
What Is Quality of Life Care?
Quality of Life Care, often referred to as veterinary hospice and palliative care, centers on maximizing your pet's comfort at home for as long as possible. Our goal is to work with you in developing a tailored plan for your pet's care. We will also educate you about the symptoms to watch for when your pet's quality of life starts to decline, ensuring that you can make a compassionate decision when it's time for them to cross the rainbow bridge. Throughout this journey, we stand by you and offer unwavering support for every decision you make.
What is Veterinary Hospice?
Veterinary hospice for dogs and cats is a compassionate, family-centered, and medically supervised service designed to prioritize the comfort and quality of life for terminally ill or senior pets until a natural passing occurs or the family opts for euthanasia.
Modeled after human hospice care, this specialized service centers on providing comfort, rather than seeking a cure for their illness or disease. Our primary aim is to nurture the bond between humans and their pets while offering comfort and educating families about providing palliative care.
Our Pet Hospice Care Services
During pet hospice care, our primary objective is to alleviate the pet's discomfort and enhance their quality of life. Our comprehensive hospice services for pets may include:
- Education regarding specific stages of disease and what to expect
- Pain recognition and management
- Fluid therapy
- Nutritional support
- Incontinence management
- Environmental assessment and modifications
- Bandage and wound care
How Do I Know When It's Time To Say Goodbye?
There is no perfect moment to make this heartbreaking choice. Rather, there is a time of learning and compassion when our veterinarians will assess your pet's quality of life and help guide you toward a very personal decision. When there is no positive path forward, making the decision for euthanasia allows you to assure comfort for your pet and to control their environment when they pass. When we wait too long, that decision is taken away from us and we are left with potential emergency situations at the end of life.
Symptoms that it may be time to consider a quality-of-life consultation include:
- Your pet has become lethargic
- Your pet has a loss of appetite
- Your pet has difficulty with bathroom habits
- Your pet is experiencing severe pain or mobility issues
- Your pet is no longer interested in their favorite activities or isolates themselves
Should we determine that in-home euthanasia is the next step forward, we will discuss your options and preferences to ensure your pet has a loving and tranquil passing.
We offer both in-person and telehealth care for our pets in hospice care. Your pets deserve a peaceful end, and we will help you honor the bond you have with your pet with empathy and kindness. Call us to discuss your options regarding end-of-life care.