Veterinary Hospice
While hospice care for animals is in the process of being defined in the veterinary profession, dealing with the end of an animal’s life is very familiar. Most people have experienced the loss of a pet, and have had to make difficult decisions on an animal’s behalf prior to and leading up to death – whether via euthanasia or unassisted death. Because euthanasia is deeply integrated into end of life care for animals, veterinary hospice care is often distinct from its human counterpart. Similarities exist in the overall philosophy of hospice, that is: respect for the family unit as “patient” in addition to the dying individual, acceptance that additional medical interventions are unlikely to change the outcome of a disease, desire to alleviate pain and emotional suffering, and focus on comfort and quality of life, rather than aggressive treatment to extend it.
Hospice for animals is not a place, it is a philosophy.
Veterinary hospice care can include all, or some of the following: end-of-life options counseling, education regarding death & the dying process, regularly scheduled home visits with administration of pain medications and nursing care, provision of palliative care within a veterinary hospital, palliated but not intentionally hastened death, personalized in-home euthanasia services, aftercare, memorialization, and bereavement support. The approach of Whole Animal Veterinary Hospice Services is to completely evaluate each patient and discuss the caregiver’s goals so that an individual care plan may be created. The plan will serve as a framework for care that is tailored to each animal and caregiver(s). It may be referred back to or updated at any time.
Hospice Services provided by A HouseCall Vet include:
While hospice care for animals is in the process of being defined in the veterinary profession, dealing with the end of an animal’s life is very familiar. Most people have experienced the loss of a pet, and have had to make difficult decisions on an animal’s behalf prior to and leading up to death – whether via euthanasia or unassisted death. Because euthanasia is deeply integrated into end of life care for animals, veterinary hospice care is often distinct from its human counterpart. Similarities exist in the overall philosophy of hospice, that is: respect for the family unit as “patient” in addition to the dying individual, acceptance that additional medical interventions are unlikely to change the outcome of a disease, desire to alleviate pain and emotional suffering, and focus on comfort and quality of life, rather than aggressive treatment to extend it.
Hospice for animals is not a place, it is a philosophy.
Veterinary hospice care can include all, or some of the following: end-of-life options counseling, education regarding death & the dying process, regularly scheduled home visits with administration of pain medications and nursing care, provision of palliative care within a veterinary hospital, palliated but not intentionally hastened death, personalized in-home euthanasia services, aftercare, memorialization, and bereavement support. The approach of Whole Animal Veterinary Hospice Services is to completely evaluate each patient and discuss the caregiver’s goals so that an individual care plan may be created. The plan will serve as a framework for care that is tailored to each animal and caregiver(s). It may be referred back to or updated at any time.
Hospice Services provided by A HouseCall Vet include:
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