Our caring and compassionate team is here to help you with end of life care. We understand that caring for an elderly pet can be very stressful, and assessing their quality of life can be difficult. We offer hospice services that allow your time with your pet to be comfortable and peaceful. We strive to help you maintain your pet’s dignity and happiness, even up to their final moments.
What is veterinary hospice care?
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), hospice care “focuses on providing the best quality of life possible for a pet with a terminal disease or condition until the pet dies or is euthanized.”
Hospice is not a place; it is a health care philosophy and a choice.
What pets are good candidates for hospice care?
Pets who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness or are struggling in the end-stages of a disease are good candidates for veterinary hospice care.
How does veterinary hospice care work?
Animal hospice care focuses on relieving a pet’s suffering and supporting his caregivers from the time of a terminal diagnosis until death, whether that death occurs naturally or through humane euthanasia.
When a pet begins hospice care, we will avoid any forms of treatment that could have an adverse effect on the quality of life (like chemotherapy or other aggressive treatments), opting instead to keep the pet comfortable and content.
Some hospice treatments include:
- Ensuring the pet is hydrated and receiving adequate nutrition
- Managing symptoms (often with medications or procedures that help to control pain and nausea, improve breathing, etc.)
- Assisting with urination and defecation
- Keeping the pet cleanHelping the pet move safely around his environment
What are my options at the end of my pet’s life?
You have a choice when it comes to how your pet’s life will end.
Humane euthanasia — A final act of love, you can choose to have your pet humanely euthanized according to AVMA-approved methods that minimize the pet’s pain, discomfort, and anxiety. The process is quick, quiet, and peaceful.
Hospice-supported natural death — An alternative to euthanasia, death can occur naturally under the supervision of your veterinarian. Your pet’s comfort will remain a priority throughout the process.
Learn more about our end of life care here. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are here to support you and your pet.