Whether you’re preparing to navigate your pet’s final months or you’re grieving the loss of your best friend, your veterinary care team is here to help. Because, while this can be a challenging time, there can be truly beautiful moments, too.
And although your veterinarian is the best source of information regarding your specific pet, there are plenty of helpful online resources that may help answer your biggest questions, alleviate your concerns, and help you to have better conversations with your veterinary team regarding your pet’s end-of-life care.
What is end-of-life care?
In veterinary medicine, pet hospice, palliative care, and end-of-life care refer to the services for pets in their final stage of life. This stage may last a day, in the case of a sudden injury or unexpected diagnosis that leads to euthanasia; it could last a year or more for a pet who’s slowly declining. Regardless of the timeline, your veterinary care team is here to help you keep your pet as comfortable and happy as possible as their needs change over time.
To learn more:
- The International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care (IAAHPC): Helpful links
- Lap of Love: What is pet hospice?
How do I know if it’s time to talk about end-of-life care with my vet?
It can be difficult to tell whether your pet is declining or experiencing pain, but quality of life scales can be helpful. These not only help you track your pet’s symptoms over time to see how they may progress, but also give you important data to share with your veterinary team. This will make it easier for them to help you understand your pet’s current condition—and perhaps what to expect.
Several reputable veterinary organizations offer quality-of-life scales. While they all take different approaches, the general goal is the same: To give you objective insight into your pet’s current state by examining how they’re going about their daily activities, and to provide you with a way to track those scores over time to determine whether a pet is declining.
They can also help your family with important conversations, such as what might indicate that your pet’s quality of life is no longer acceptable.
Your veterinarian may direct you to their preferred scale, or you may find that one feels like a better fit for your family than another.
- Lap of Love: Quality of Life Scale, Daily Health Assessment, and Quality of Life Assessment
- JOURNEYS HOME Pet Euthanasia: Quality of Life Scale and Calculator
- Blue Pearl BEAP Scale
Where can I find grief support?
Saying goodbye to our beloved pets is one of the hardest things we’ll ever do—but we don’t have to go through it alone. Your veterinary team may have recommendations for local grief support resources, but there are also some excellent resources you can access online.
- Lap of Love: They offer free support groups, including those offering support for anticipatory grief and other specific forms of grief.
- Colorado State University: CSU provides a plethora of trusted articles covering various pet loss topics.
- Humane World for Animals: An insightful article on handling the death of your canine, feline, or other animal companion.
- HelpGuide.org: Expert tips for coping with the loss of a pet.