FAQs for Professionals

What is animal hospice and palliative care?

Animal hospice is care for animals, focused on the patient’s and family’s needs; on living life as fully as possible until the time of death with or without intervention

“Palliative care is the active total care of patients with a life-limiting illness that is not responsive to curative treatment. Control of pain, of other symptoms, and of psychological, social and spiritual problems, is paramount. The goal of palliative care is achievement of the best quality of life for patients and their families.”  [The World Health Organization, 1990.] Palliative care can go on as long as needed, for months and even years.

Hospice exists to provide support and care for patients in the last phases of incurable disease, or at the natural end of life. Hospice definitely incorporates all of palliative care; and is defined as a philosophy, a specialized program of care, and in some instances, an actual place for the dying.

Hospice recognizes dying as a normal process, whether or not resulting from disease, and sees the end of life as an opportunity for growth. Hospice exists in the belief that patients in the last phases of life deserve such care that they may live as fully and comfortably as possible, and through appropriate care and the promotion of a caring community sensitive to their needs, patients and their families may be free to attain a degree of mental and spiritual preparation for death that is satisfactory to them.

In most human hospice organizations, services are limited to patients who have decided not to undergo any further curative treatments, and have a limited life prognosis of 6 months or less.

Hospice Care for animals has been described as “management of palliative care patients who have progressed such that death will likely occur within a period of days to weeks”; however, the distinction between hospice and palliative care for animals has not yet been clearly defined.

What kind of diseases or conditions would warrant hospice and/or palliative care?

The diseases that most frequently warrant hospice or palliative care for animals are:

• Cancer.
• Progressive organ failure.
• Osteoarthritis.
• Progressive neurological conditions, including dementia.
• Senior pets reaching the end of life.

What is the first step when starting hospice care?

Hospice care begins with the formulation of an individualized plan, based on a comprehensive assessment of the patient’s and family’s needs s well as taking into consideration:

• The patient's diagnosis, prognosis and available treatment options.
• The family's values, beliefs and resources.
• The hospice team’s philosophy and capabilities.

What’s included in a hospice plan?

There are four components of the hospice plan:

• Medical care includes recognizing pain and other symptoms, administering medications, anticipating complications and learning what side effects may be associated with medications and treatments.
• Nursing care includes all aspects of nursing care as well as offering comfort care to the patient.
• Support for the family consists of actively listening to owners elaborate their feelings,
• Validating the family's experiences and showing empathy; providing information and other resources; and facilitating coping and decision making in each particular case.

What services are available to clients who want hospice care for their pets?

Services for patients and their families' offered by the hospice team may include efforts to:

• Assess and treat based upon how the patient feels, more so than on the patient's physical appearance or diagnostic test results.
• Aggressively treat symptoms, including dyspnea, pain, nausea, in appetence, dehydration, constipation, diarrhea, and mental distress.
• Recommend alternative therapy options when available.
• Aggressively treat secondary problems in order to better assess the status of the progression of the presenting problem.
• Provide in home medical and nursing services.
• Communicate empathically.
• Provide 24/7 accessibility for patients who are actively dying or are in need of euthanasia.
• Guide family members to review their opinions and beliefs regarding death and dying.
• Encourage clients to reflect on the options and discuss them with other family members prior to making decisions.
• Consider benefits and costs, (physical, psychological and financial), of treatment, diagnostics, monitoring and continuing hospice care.
• Provide the optimal physical and social environment to maximize the patient’s comfort.
• Train family members to perform medical and nursing care at home.
• Train family members to assess and monitor quality of life of the patient.
• Encourage realistic expectations for the patient's remaining lifetime and the process of dying.
• Raise the family's awareness of the limitations facing proxy decision makers.
• Help families prepare for the loss by addressing in advance questions like:
  • Where will the patient be during his or her last moments? Who will be present?
  • What circumstances will justify medical assistance to the dying process?
  • Will the pet's body be cremated or buried? When, where and by whom?
  • Will there be any ritual or ceremony at the time of or after the pet’s death?
  • How will the pet be memorialized?
• Offer information and guidance about normal and complicated grief.
• Recognize grief - especially anticipatory grief - as a healthy process. Respond compassionately.

Who offers animal hospice and palliative care services?

Hospice and palliative care services are offered by interdisciplinary professional teams consisting of veterinarians, veterinary nurses/technicians and social workers. Hospice teams may also include pet sitters, chaplains, pet life specialists and volunteers from the community.  It is important to have a variety of support services available via a team approach because hospice care is a time-consuming and emotionally demanding process. 

With time, as the philosophy of hospice care for pets becomes more wide-spread, knowledgeable providers will offer more hospice services.  IAAHPC is dedicated to promoting hospice care, establishing hospice practice guidelines and helping to educate both the public and professional so that hospice care will become more available.

What are the primary caregiver’s responsibilities in Hospice Care?

The primary caregiver's responsibilities are monitoring the pet's comfort, communicating effectively with the hospice team about the care of the pet, and making decisions about the progress and continuation of the hospice experience.

The clients are trained to monitor the comfort of their pet during the hospice care period and consult with their veterinarian and other professionals to ensure the highest level of comfort can be provided.  The primary caregivers and animal nurses administer medications and other therapies as directed.  The clients should enlist help around the clock to take care of the physical needs of the pet and give the pet company and support.

The clients should also make sure that their own personal needs can be met during the hospice experience; both physical and emotional.  A team should be in place to talk to, as well as to give the primary caregivers needed respite. 

The primary caregiver must also be in touch with the progress of the hospice experience to allow the choice of hospice care to be evaluated continually to ensure it is in line with their wishes and beliefs.
Philosophy of hospice care for pets becomes more

Does choosing hospice mean necessarily that the pet will not be euthanized?

Hospice recognizes that making decisions for an animal approaching the end of life is the right and responsibility of the animal’s primary caregiver or pet parent.  The hospice team helps the decision makers assess the progression of disease in terms of symptoms and quality of life, and helps them make the best decisions for the remaining time left given the unique situation of each case.

With early intervention, pain and symptom control, and armed with the knowledge of what to expect, many patients can be kept comfortable until an unassisted or “natural death” occurs.  In the event a natural death would be considered too uncomfortable or painful for the patient, or the family’s needs and decisions warrant, an appropriately-timed and compassionately performed euthanasia is the optimal way to relieve suffering and provide comfort.

The decision to offer hospice care does not necessarily rule out euthanasia.  Hospice offers the option of a natural death assuming that the pet can be kept comfortable and that hospice care can be available.

How do I know if hospice care is the right decision for my clients and their pets?

Hospice care may be the right decision for those who consider the end of their pet’s life to be an important enough matter to make an effort to understand all the options, to be as prepared as possible, to have support available and seek help in making the best decisions if needed.  Many clients will choose hospice care in order to have the time to say goodbye to their companions and to plan for their death.  If you have the resources to support comfort care, the time and desire to care for your clients and help them provide nursing care during the last days or weeks of their pet's lives, and a good support team in place, then hospice care may be the right choice for you to offer your clients.

End FAQ