In-home hospice provision — a viable option for veterinary palliative care?

As pets are living longer and better than ever before, their place in the home is increasingly more integral to the fabric of family life (Downing et al, 2011). The continued advancement of medical knowledge, including the availability of more sophisticated diagnostic testing and newer therapeutic options, has better positioned veterinary practices to provide the high quality care that many pet owners demand (Fortney, 2004). It seems prudent to suggest that UK veterinary personnel follow the lead of the US and expand their veterinary services to include palliative and hospice care for their patients, considering all the diverse aspects this level and style of care requires.

The term hospice comes from the Latin word hospitium, which means to host. Hospice is defined as a facility or programme designed to provide a caring environment for supplying the physical and emotional needs of the terminally sick (Shearer, 2011). The term palliate comes from the Latin word palliare, which means to cloak or conceal. Palliate refers to alleviating symptoms without curing the underlying medical condition (Shearer, 2011). Hospice care is an extension of palliative care that tends to patients that are nearing death (Kerrigan, 2013).