Hospice Care For Your Dogs - What You Need To Know

Hospice Care For Your Dogs - What You Need To Know

When your dog is terminally ill, is hospice care a good option? Here’s what you need to know about this concept, which is sadly surrounded by bad stigma.

What is it?

The concept of hospice care is that dogs deserve to be able to pass away with dignity. It helps provide their last days with as much comfort and care as possible.

What Happens?

A hospice service for animals will provide on-call veterinary care as well as assist their families by providing counseling, decision-making support, and even in-home care. This differs depending on the facility, of course.

Why Do You Say Goodbye?

Once a dog’s quality of life drops heavily, discussing the possibility of euthanasia is necessary in order to ensure they don’t suffer too much. Most hospices will rate a dog’s condition on a scale of 0 – 10 in different areas, or ask you to do so, and discussion of euthanasia will occur when too many factors hit the low end of the scale.

Caring For A Hospice Dog

To help a dog in hospice care, you can:

  • Make sure they have their favorite things
  • Give them an orthopedic bed
  • Maintain old routines
  • Spend time with them outside of hospice care
  • Clean and groom them regularly

Coping With Loss

When it is time to let your dog go, you will find yourself going through a grieving process. To cope, you can:

  • Memorialize your dog
  • Talk about your emotions
  • Find a support group
  • Be patient with yourself
  • Speak to a doctor if you develop depression symptoms

Feature Image Source: Pixabay

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