A home hospice journey often begins with a telemedicine visit with a hospice nurse to evaluate your pet’s condition, your expectations, and the care environment.
After a review of your pet’s medical records, a home visit is scheduled with a hospice veterinarian.
“This includes a thorough physical examination and observation of your pet within their familiar surroundings. The team also discusses your expectations, hopes, and concerns before crafting a personalized plan that will also be shared with your primary care veterinarian, if applicable,” said Dr. Laurie Brush, founder of Heaven at Home Pet Hospice.
Personalized Care Plans
Building on the IAAHPC guidelines, a proper hospice plan is tailored to the individual pet and caregiver(s). It considers:
- Caregiver goals and preferences
- Physical, emotional, social & spiritual needs
- Timeline expectations, follow-up plan, and additional costs involved
Proactive, Multimodal Comfort & Symptom Management
Central to hospice care are comfort-oriented interventions. Pet Hospice Vets rely on a multimodal approach that may include:
- Medications for pain and nausea
- Fluid therapy, wound care, nutritional support
- Environmental adaptations (e.g. raised bowls, ways to create non-slip surfaces, support harnesses)
- Non-drug therapies like use of an Assisi Loop, massage, cold laser, red light therapy
Emergency Preparedness: Comfort Kits & Crisis Planning
The IAAHPC highlights the importance of preparing for “what if” scenarios. Heaven at Home often prescribes families with comfort kits—emergency medications (often injectable) used if the pet experiences acute distress.
Caregiver Education and Empowerment
Caregivers are guided every step of the way. Education includes:
- Recognizing signs of pain and decline
- Learning to provide home therapies such as SQ fluid administration
- Regular communication with a Hospice Nurse
- Follow up visits as needed, in person or via telehealth
Emotional Support for Caregivers
Hospice guidelines highlight support for caregiver grief—not just after death, but throughout anticipatory loss. Heaven at Home Pet Hospice offers grief support resources, referrals for Pet Loss Grief Support, and assistance with cremation and memorial items.
Thoughtful Transition to Euthanasia
If it becomes clear that the best gift you can give your pet is saying goodbye, hospice seamlessly transitions to in home euthanasia, if desired. This allows your pet to pass where they are most comfortable, surrounded by loved ones, and with a dignified goodbye.
A home hospice plan for your pet is built on compassion, customization, and empowerment—creating a sanctuary in your own home where your pet’s quality of life can be enriched and comfortable, for as long as possible.