|
|
Hospice Care
| Pages: |
Pages |
|
After months (or more) of caring for a dog in declining health, it can often be difficult to decide when the end has come, which is why it is helpful to determine ahead of time at what point you feel your dog’s quality of life is no longer acceptable. This may be when he or she ceases to find joy in eating, no longer enjoys interaction and connection, can no longer stand or walk, or when pain begins to be difficult to control. It is often helpful to consider good days versus bad days; more bad days than good is another indicator that the time is near. By establishing these criteria in advance, you are better prepared to make the appropriate decision, since emotion can cloud your thinking during the difficult final days of your dog’s life. Hospice can be a wonderful, caring option. Regardless of how you choose to navigate this stage, it is good to know that it exists. Whether we opt for a natural death or a peaceful euthanasia, hospice care not only allows our dogs to live out the remainder of their lives as fully as possible, it also allows them to embark upon their final journey with dignity while surrounded by love in the comfort of their familiar home environment. Hospice care is truly a gift, both to our dogs and to ourselves. |
| Pages: | Pages |
This article first appeared in The Bark, Issue 73, Spring 2013
Illustration by Jon Krause
| Comments | Post a Comment |
More in Healthy Living:
For gift subscriptions, 
Copyright © 1997-2013 The Bark, Inc. Dog Is My Co-Pilot® is a registered trademark of The Bark, Inc
I have been an RN for almost 50 years, longer than hospice has existed in the USA.
I am now working part time with a local hospice agency, and have several years hospice experience.
My dream last job is to be a pet hospice nurse. However, i am not aware of a local pet hospice.
If any veterinarian in the NW suburbs of Atlanta, GA, offers hospice service, or is interested in starting, I would like some information as to how I can get involved.
This is the work I have in my heart.
Thank you for any information.
Clara
Hi Clara~ I don't know of any pet hospice practitioners personally in the Atlanta area, but a first place to start may be with the In Home Pet Euthanasia Directory (http://www.inhomepeteuthanasia.com) and "click" on your state. It will list those veterinarians who perform in-home euthanasia, and they may also offer hospice care as well. I hope this helps and good luck! ~ Shea
I appreciated Dr. Cox' article in the (just now received, eagerly read) current Bark issue. May I suggest further considerations for hospice based on my personal experience with providing hospice care to my forever horse lost to cancer in 2004 and to my 16-year-old Jack Russell, lost to cancer in 2010?
First - with due respect to Dr. Cox, not all veterinarians are on board with hospice care and some are so adamantly opposed to it that they will actually threaten the animal guardian with attention from the authorities for "cruelty." It is vital to have a pro-hospice care veterinarian be part of your team and it is much easier to find such a veterinarian among the holistic/complementary care ranks of DVMs.
Second, assuming you have a veterinarian open to hospice, you need to learn from your veterinarian and from self-educating what the end of life stages are. This information is readily provided to caregivers in human hospice care. You really have to dig for it in animal hospice care.
Third and finally: Dr. Cox is mostly right in opining that hospice is rewarding but I would like to add this caveat: being thankful you did it and understanding the rewards from having done so often comes long after your beloved pet's passing. At the time, you will sometimes feel it is the hardest thing you have ever done in your life. I did it - twice, once with my heart horse and once with my forever Best.Dog.Ever, and I do not regret having provided hospice to these two wonderful souls, one old and one not so on in years. But the emotional roller coaster especially when the animal rallies briefly and you are climbing the sky emotionally because today's acupuncture treatment was startlingly effective - only to crash when the effects wear off in less than 24 hours - that is really, really hard. And, although at some level you are more prepared for a passing and committed to the path chosen for your dog's end of life (and yes, they do "tell you" when it's time and sometimes once you let them know it's okay to leave you and cross the rainbow bridge, they will choose to do that on their own without awaiting the blessed needle), you just do not cry any less. And it is sometimes quite a while before you are able to remind yourself, I am glad I did what I did for my dog.
Thank you, Bark, for your attention to veterinary hospice care. It is my sincerest hope that your readership & staff will be inspired to support comprehensive end of life care for their beloved pets, and spread the word. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help with community outreach or additional coverage in this regard.
With gratitude,
Katherine Goldberg, DVM
Whole Animal Veterinary Hospice Services
Ithaca, NY
www.wholeanimalvet.com
Board member, International Association for Animal Hospice & Palliative Care