Hospice care for dogs and cats

One of the most significant differences between human health care and veterinary medicine is a veterinarian's ability to end unnecessary suffering. While this final act of compassion is carried out by the vet, it is the owners who are faced with the gut-wrenching decision of when the time has come for euthanasia. Now there is another way to ease a pet's suffering: a form of nursing that has been available to people for many years: hospice care.

Palliative or hospice care for pets is a personal choice

Also called palliative care, hospice focuses on easing pain and improving the quality of an animal's life when curing an illness isn't possible. Just like human hospice care, palliative care for cats and dogs typically involves the use of pain medications, dietary strategies, nausea relief, and hydration to make a pet's final days or weeks more pleasant. Human interaction also plays a significant role. Therapeutic massage, for instance, can improve an animal's blood flow and circulation. It also provides owners with an ideal opportunity to spend valuable time with their beloved pets before saying goodbye.

Of course, hospice is not an alternative in every situation. If an animal's physical condition is so deteriorated that pain cannot be alleviated, an owner must weigh the option of euthanasia against allowing a beloved pet to spend the remainder of his life suffering. Hospice also requires a considerable commitment. Even when an animal's pain can be eased, some owners simply do not have the resources of time, money, or emotional strength to provide palliative care. Just like the issue of euthanasia itself, hospice care for pets is a very personal choice. One's religious beliefs in particular may play a significant role in the decision.

Hospice care for pets vs. Euthanasia

One advantage to hospice care is that it provides owners with some time to consider the entire picture of their pets' declining health. While certain conditions warrant an immediate response, many diseases progress more gradually. In this way palliative care and euthanasia are not necessarily mutually exclusive choices. An owner can always choose to end the hospice period if and when the animal's pain becomes unmanageable.

Palliative care for cats and dogs is becoming increasingly common. If you want to give your animal hospice care, find a veterinarian with a similar mindset. While hospice care can be a blessing, it sadly cannot reverse a fatal condition. Your vet should be a dependable resource of knowledge and compassion for you during this extremely difficult time.