Animal hospice is not always for older or geriatric animals. Commonly hospice care can come after a diagnosis of a life threatening illness such as cancer, organ failure etc. Animal hospice is a method to neither speed up nor slow down death, but it is clear that death is not far off. It is a way to give comfort and peace to both the living family members and dying pet. It is about dying well both emotionally and physically. We use a 5 Step Hospice Plan.
- Discuss concerns, goals of care and expectations.
- Educate owners about disease, if needed.
- Design a plan of care.
- Implement plan.
- Discuss pet loss and support.
The first appointment can take well over an hour depending on the needs and concerns of the family. In this appointment your pet will be examined and a VCPR (vet client patient relationship) will be established. A quality of life assessment will be performed. Any initial treatments will be started. Owners can expect to be asked questions about natural death versus euthanasia, body disposal, limitation to the amount of time and the amount of money available and other wishes and concerns.
Services hospice care may include: