Hospice for Dogs
Veterinarians are listening and adding hospice and palliative care to their services. These services are a great way to provide comfort for older, chronically ill or terminally ill dogs and their grief stricken pet parents.
Hospice and Palliative Care
Hospice care focuses on terminal illness and comforting a patient, not necessarily curing a patient. Palliative care focuses on treatments for chronic illnesses, such as cancer, Cushings Disease, kidney and heart disease with specialists, and the process can begin after a diagnosis. When facing chronic disease, it’s important to look at the big picture and try different modalities, such as essential oils and acupuncture, which can boost the immune system to continue fighting. Make sure you have a veterinarian to guide you in the right direction.
Dr. Denise Mankin DVM, emergency veterinarian at Iowa Veterinary Specialties, says, “We hope to aid our aging pets toward happier lives as they move into old age, with the potential for greater mobility, less pain, so their families can have more quality time with their beloved pets, with less use of the pharmaceuticals which may cause side effects.” Dr. Denise’s team will offer Hospice and Palliative Care at Iowa Veterinary Specialties soon, which “utilizes acupuncture and essential oils to address medical concerns of our furry friends as they age.” Bravo Dr. Denise!
When should dogs enter hospice or palliative care?
This is a personal decision between you and your vet, and it’s wonderful to have additional options now. If you’re worried about costs, rest assured most pet insurance companies will cover hospice and palliative care. Be sure to take a look at your dog’s policy.
After a diagnosis of a chronic disease, your vet can refer you to a palliative care center. Having a special focus on palliative care opens new doors with additional treatment plans most general veterinary practices are unable to offer, as they are busy seeing everyday patients.
If, unfortunately, your dog’s chronic illness becomes terminal, your dog can enter hospice.
Finding hospice care for dogs
While most veterinarians offer end of life care, ask your vet for a referral to a veterinarian whom specializes in hospice or palliative care. As a pet parent, you will have lots of questions about pain control, diet, exercise, immunity, personality changes and the dreaded decision — when is it time to let him go. Hospice and palliative care veterinary specialists can evaluate your dog’s needs, create a plan of care which controls symptoms while providing the best quality of life for your fuzzy one.
Not only will your dog be in the best hands possible so will you. We tend to forget about ourselves during this terrible process. We try so hard to be brave and do what’s best for our beloved ones until they pass away, then we fall apart. We need support too from someone who understands the process and can provide answers to heal our hearts. We need closure. As a pet parent, I’ve struggled to find support. In the past, I’ve reached out to my dog friends, but painful past memories of losing their fuzzy ones flood their minds, so they are at a loss for words.
Hospice and palliative care provides opportunities to surround yourself with experts and other pet parents going through this very difficult time. It’s amazing how quickly you can bond in a veterinary waiting room. I’ve been there!
I look forward to hospice and palliative care growing in the veterinary field. This can only mean good things for our pets and hearts. I wish with my entire being that this existed many years ago. Maybe I would not have so many scars on my heart. I miss my past dogs with every fiber of my soul.
It’s your turn. What do you think about hospice and palliative care for our precious dogs and cats?
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