Pet Hospice Care

[Catherine]

I was just reading about pet palliative care and pet hospices services that are starting to open up in different areas. I can see why there is a need. People want a little more time with their pets and they want the end to be comfortable.
I know it was a big step when vets started coming to the home for euthanasia.


http://news.google.ca/news/url?sr=1&ct2=...438&at=dt0

Definitely there is a need for this kind of care. I hope the idea spreads. After you have lived with a pet for years, you want the end to be peaceful for you and the pet.

[Tobi]

It's good that a service like this exists. Not only for the animal who is transitioning, but for the human as well. With guidance, good palliative care and expert advice, this can be a good and peaceful time albeit with some sadness.
I did 'hospice care at home' for both my dogs. There was almost no support, except of course, home vet visits if needed. And a vet could be called for home euthanasia. But absolutely no after-care or advice offered for grief support. With my other dog, the young vet who came to put him to sleep ran away crying after she had checked his heart finally.

Many of us are not really geared up to the passing of a loved one -animal or human. At times like that we could do with a hospice service or hospice care advice from a supportive team.

[Catherine]

Many people would benefit from some kind of hospice help. Few people deal with death and dying on a regular basis. It is not just the actual nursing of the pet that is a problem. It is hard to know how to react and what to do to make it easier.

I really feel for people who have had the same pet for twenty years and now have to let go. I hope there are many more people doing this service because there are certainly people experiencing the loss of a pet.

It was good you could keep your dogs at home. I am sure you felt better about the actual passing. It is a lonely time when they go because there are no rituals and customs to help us deal with the loss of a pet. We need new words and customs to help us deal with the loss.