Traditionally speaking, most people assume that hospice care is for humans who have a life-limiting illness or someone who is towards the end of their life and needs 24-hour care. That being said, this was the case until a few years ago when people began using pet hospice care, and now this is an increasing trend that pet owners are choosing for various reasons. However, many still don’t know what pet hospice care is and when to use them. Therefore, today’s article will discuss everything you need to know about pet hospice care and the right time to put your pet into hospice care, so read on to learn more.
What Is Pet Hospice?
A pet hospice is not unlike a human hospice. It’s a place where your pet will be safe and stress-free, either in his final days or during a long-term illness like cancer. The idea of a pet hospice is to have the best possible conditions for your pet, and for him to live out his last days as comfortably and pain-free as possible. Keep in mind that pet owners cannot always deal with the idea that their pet is going to die or that he has a long-term illness that he won’t recover from.
This is understandable because it’s just like finding out that a family member has an irreversible illness, like cancer, and knowing that a loved one won’t be with us for much longer is a challenging situation for everyone. Our pets are the same because they are a family member who may have been with us for 15 years or more, and to find out we are going to lose our best friend, a close family member who we dearly love, can create a huge mixture of feelings and emotions that can be hard to deal with. Therefore, speaking with your vet about a pet hospice may help in this type of situation, even if it’s just to give you time to work out some decisions during this difficult time.
How Do I Know It’s Time To Put My Pet Into Hospice Care?
This is a difficult question to answer because each situation is different, and many scenarios may or may not fit into your life. With that being said, many pet owners that have had some bad news, like, for instance, that your dog may have been diagnosed with incurable cancer, might very well be one of those scenarios that you might now be faced with. Moreover, you can’t just make a rash decision; you need time to think about what to do and talk to someone to help you decide. This may be an ideal time to consider pet euthanasia services until you can decide what’s best for your pet.
Pet euthanasia services used to be the only choice in this type of situation, but more and more pet owners realize that their pet can live out their days in relative comfort and they can make the most of those last days or weeks. Moreover, pet hospice centers have a wide range of programs designed to take the best care of your pet during these difficult times, and most will have educational and emotional help and support for the pet owner, too.
Furthermore, pet hospice care can also provide pain relief, physical comfort, physical therapy, massage, as well as nutritional and dietary therapy for your pet, and you can be involved with this as much or as little as you like. In addition, the staff is there to put your mind at ease and take care of your pet, so do not feel uncomfortable asking them what you would like your pet to receive in their final days while in the care of the Hospice facilities.
What Services Can I Expect From A Pet Hospice?
Although we have touched on a few of the things that a pet hospice provides, each hospice has its own set of services, but if you decide to use a pet hospice, be sure to visit them first to find out exactly what their services include. In addition, ask as many questions as you like. If you’re very worried and concerned about your best friend and want to be sure he will get the best treatment possible, a friendly and sensitive staff who can answer any questions is what you need. Read on so you can look out for some or all of the services we list to give you some idea of what to look for in a pet hospice.
Pain management should be one of the top things on the list to check in a pet hospice care because many pets, either at the end of their natural life or with an incurable illness, will probably be in a certain amount of pain, so this pain must be properly managed to make him as comfortable as possible. Other services that a pet hospice should be able to provide are medication administration, whether oral or injection, fluid therapy, diet, and nutrition therapy.
Moreover, wound care, mental stimulation, and a stress-free environment should be provided. Most importantly, the staff should be able to educate the pet owner and family on the medications for their pet and how to cope with this difficult time, especially if the hospice care is going to be at home.
With that being said, there should also be a certain amount of education regarding assessing the patient’s comfort level and quality of life, as well as talking about the realistic expectations for the remaining lifetime of the patient and grief support. Moreover, physical comfort for the patient and emotional comfort for the family should be the top priorities in a pet hospice service. However, you should only consider this after talking with your vet because he will be the one to recommend a good hospice service, and he will also be able to discuss the various options for you and your pet.
When given bad news about your pet, you need time to decide exactly what to do. With the wave of emotions that come with the bad news comes the possibility of making rash decisions, so a hospice can allow you to take some time to prepare, think about what you really want to do, and then plan accordingly.
Most hospice care is done at home, so he is surrounded by loved ones in his time of need. This will show him that you are there for him just as he’s been there for you in all the previous years. In addition, choosing pet hospice care can give you the time you need to make decisions, take the time to say goodbye to your best friend, and plan for his passing in a way that may be easier to deal with than a sudden choice to euthanize.
Finally, if you want to spend more time with your pet during his final days and have the time and resources to support comfort care, talk with your vet about hospice care because the most important thing to do is what’s best for your pet. You can’t just make that decision alone; sometimes, you need a little help, so do not be afraid to ask for it should you be placed in this situation.