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Services » At-Home Pet Hospice Care

We’ll Help Your Pet Live Life to the Fullest

Hospice care is compassionate care focused on comfort, not cure, and meeting the unique needs of your pet at any stage of life-limiting disease or decline. Home hospice care for your pet helps prepare you for what’s ahead and ensures that the remainder of your journey together balances living well with dying well. We’re with you every step of the way to meet the challenges of caregiving in the final chapters of your pet’s life story. We provide tools, guidance, and support for families going through this difficult stage of pet ownership.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to our current case load, we are not able to schedule new Hospice Consultations or Palliative Care Consultations. We will continue to help families say goodbye in their home and we can help families with end of life decisions through a virtual Quality of Life Consultation with one of our specially trained Veterinarians.

Ways We Can Help with Home Hospice

We help create an environment for stress-free final chapters for your pet’s life story in the comfort of their familiar home setting. Our hospice service is designed to be holistic and includes support for your pet, and for you as the caretaker. This may include:

  • Pain Recognition and Management
  • Palliative Medical Care
  • Fluid Therapy
  • Wound Care
  • Nutrition Management
  • Medication Administration
  • Assessment of the home environment
  • Mobility Management
  • Hygiene Management
  • Caretaker Disease Education
  • Quality of Life Assessments
  • Emergency Planning
  • and when it’s time, if desired, In-Home Euthanasia

In-Home Hospice Assessments

  • During an in-home hospice assessment, we will perform an examination on your pet
  • We will review your pet’s medical records
  • We will discuss medical questions and concerns
  • We will develop a plan of care
  • We will provide a written summary of your consult emailed to you and your veterinarian
  • We may prescribe new medications to treat conditions, control pain or nausea or improve appetance
  • If desired, we can provide a Comfort Kit for your pet for emergency use
  • We may recommend a schedule of hospice visits as desired
  • We follow all COVID protocols to protect you, your family, and your pets

What To Expect During Our Initial Visit

An initial home visit will typically include a thorough physical exam, review of the pet’s medical records, observation of your pet and their environment, an in-depth discussion of your expectations, concerns, and hopes for your pet’s final chapters. Within a few days you will be presented with a comprehensive plan for your pet’s care. The care plan may involve medications to relieve pain and nausea, fluid therapy, and nutritional guidance. It may include suggestions to improve the pet’s immediate surroundings, such as raising food bowls, laying carpet runners to help traction or changing litter box style to make it easier for older kitties to get in and out. We will share tools to help you assess pain levels and quality of life, with an emergency plan in place. Follow-up visits are based on the needs of the family.

Coordinated Care

We will work with your routine veterinarian and veterinary specialists as desired to provide cohesive continuity of care. We are also able to coordinate additional home therapies from both in-house and selected partner therapists, such as acupuncture, chiropractic, cold laser therapy, and Assisi loops for pain management.

Pet hospice is actually similar to the hospice provided to humans. Both revolve around the idea that when the end of life is near, specialized care and comfort will be provided by the family or caregiver in an environment that is familiar and relaxing to the patient. Our goal is to find the perfect balance of therapies to provide the highest level of comfort for your pet.

Get Started on a Home Hospice Plan for Your Pet

Home Hospice Care Topics

Managing Pet Incontinence

This short article will get you started on addressing hygiene issues that accompany life with a senior pet.

Elements of Animal Hospice Care

This primer will help you understand the goals of home hospice for your pet.