One of the least spoken about and hardest times in your pet’s life is old age. We all know that pets age faster than humans, and that makes for some very special times in both lives as newborns are nurtured through adolescence and into the geriatric years of life.
We have examined veterinary care in its current state and realized that end of life care is very minimally discussed. Some of the biggest challenges facing us in the care of older pets are pain management for chronic issues, management of multiple disease processes, behavioral issues including anxiety and phobias, quality of life issues and end of life decisions.
Hopewell Animal Hospital is proud to offer palliative and hospice care for your pets. This program takes a team approach to managing your pet during this emotional and difficult phase of life. Our team consists of dedicated doctors, technicians and an animal communicator to make the transition a positive and meaningful part of life.
Hospice and palliative care involve the care of your pet for different conditions. Hospice care involves the end of life care that ensures that you and your pet are comfortable and have all the information available to make all of the decisions that you will face during this difficult time. One of our goals is to make this difficult time a positive and peaceful transition to what comes next.
Palliative care is designed to “hide” clinical conditions that are affecting your pet’s quality of life. This may include pain management for chronic arthritis, manipulating multiple medications to ensure good control of chronic diseases, or ensuring comfort when diseases cannot be cured.