Pets age much more quickly than we do. As a result, making decisions and managing the end of their pet\u2019s life is an inevitable reality that most pet owners eventually have to face. We understand how difficult it can be to care for your pet when their quality of life might be diminishing quickly and how stressful it is to make decisions about your pet\u2019s care and end of life process. Understanding your options and the types of care that are available for your pet can help make this difficult time a bit easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Hospice care for pets is a combination of palliative treatments, end-of-life planning, and sometimes euthanasia. Hospice care is designed to mitigate suffering at the end of a pet\u2019s life while providing comfort and dignity with a peaceful passing. During a hospice care situation, our veterinarians work closely with pet owners to help them evaluate their pet\u2019s quality of life and determine the best choices for their pets as they near the end of their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When a pet is diagnosed with a terminal illness or injury or has simply lived a long, full life and has a body that is shutting down as a result of age, veterinarians shift the focus of care from curative treatments to palliative care (also called comfort care). These types of treatments are intended to mitigate suffering by addressing a pet\u2019s symptoms and maintaining their quality of life with supportive treatments and therapies. Palliative care can help to prolong a terminal pet\u2019s life, keeping them comfortable and happy during their final months, weeks, or days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sometimes, a pet under palliative care will experience a natural death on their own. Other times, palliative care might begin to no longer provide adequate comfort to a pet. In these cases, we typically recommend euthanasia to limit a pet\u2019s suffering at the end of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our veterinarians at Capital Home Veterinary Care are here for you at all times. Whether you need advice, have a question about your pet\u2019s changing condition, or would like to schedule an at-home appointment for your pet, we are here to provide you with expert guidance to help you make the best possible decisions on behalf of your pet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To learn more about at-home pet hospice care or to schedule an appointment for your pet, we welcome you to contact our mobile veterinary clinic in Richmond today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Pets age much more quickly than we do. As a result, making decisions and managing the end of their pet’s life is an inevitable reality that most pet owners eventually have to face.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2629,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[56,55],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2625","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pet-owner-tips","category-pet-wellness"],"yoast_head":"\n