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Veterinary hospice: a compassionate option at the end of a pet's life?

02 October 2017
Education
14 mins read
02 October 2017
Volume 8 · Issue 8

Abstract

In veterinary medicine, palliative care is a relatively recent topic, with the demand for high quality hospice and palliative care for terminally ill companion animals increasing and more owners being attracted to practices that offer such services. Death of an animal is a common occurrence in veterinary practice witnessed by veterinary professionals on a daily basis; despite this, veterinary staff remain apprehensive about approaching the subject of end-of-life care with owners. End-of-life care can be a challenging period for veterinary personnel as most staff have not had any comprehensive training to consistently deliver the best possible end-of-life experience. The complex and delicate issue of end-of-life care can be introduced to the owners following the diagnosis of a terminal illness, allowing the owners to explore alternative veterinary care to euthanasia. It is important that the owners understand that palliative care is not curative but may increase the amount of time that the owners have with a pet following a terminal diagnosis. Owners can experience spiritual conflict when faced with the impending death of a pet and require support from veterinary professionals for assistance during this difficult period. Following the bereavement of a pet, grieving owners often experience disenfranchised grief as it is often trivialised in society, it is understandable then that owners seeking understanding and validation often turn to the veterinary profession for support.

Following the diagnosis of a terminal condition of a pet, or once an owner declines further invasive procedures, many owners no longer accept that the only option is that of early clinical euthanasia (Villalobos, 2011a; Gregerson, 2016a). Veterinary palliative and hospice care are emerging specialities that offer end-of-life care which is a comfort orientated option outside of aggressive treatment and premature euthanasia (Gregerson, 2016b). Pets are considered by many owners to be more than just animals (Tottey and Sheridan, 2016); a recent study by Petplan Pet census (2011) found that 99% of pet owners regard pets as integral family members (Figure 1) (Shir-Vertesh, 2012; Chur-Hansen et al, 2014; Rook, 2014), it is unsurprising then that owners seek a compassionate option at the end of a pet's life (Gregerson, 2016b). The special owner–animal bond means that in addition to the clinical care of the patient, veterinary professionals must also address the emotional needs of the owners (O'Dair, 2015). Palliative and hospice care allows the owner to spend valuable time with a loved pet and gives the owner the opportunity to prepare for the pet's passing (Gregerson, 2016b). The aim of palliative care is to achieve the best quality of life for the patient by providing relief from pain and other distressing symptoms (Kerrigan, 2013). Client education and support is also an important aspect of palliative care, informing owners regarding the disease process so that owners can make informed decisions (Teachout, 2012). Patients with chronic diseases such as chronic renal failure or congestive heart failure are palliative patients, the care and advice that veterinary personnel deliver for these patients on a daily basis is palliative as cure is not possible (Kerrigan, 2013). An extension of the palliative approach is hospice care which is a patient-centred palliative approach, usually delivered at the animal's home (Hewson, 2015), and aims for the patient to be free from pain and anxiety and for the animal to peacefully die once the appropriate time arrives (Dyson, 2015).

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veterinary
end-of-life care
animal
hospice