Animals Unfolded

Recently, I was meeting with a family to get up to speed on their dog’s hospice care plan. They had lost another dog, Sal -- one that they had adopted well into his senior years -- only a couple of years earlier, and that experience was still quite fresh in their memory. In the time since their sweet boy, Timo, had developed a life-limiting illness, we’ve set time aside to talk about the changes that have been occurring, how the family is feeling about what’s happening, how well they feel they’re all managing and bouncing ideas around about comfort care and safety. “I really wish that I could do more for Timo,” said my client, someone who I might add isn’t shy about administering care, no matter how challenging or messy the task is. “I get the feeling that you mean a little more than what you’re saying,” I replied. This, after getting the update on my charge’s updated prescription regimen and hearing how he gave the clear indication that he wouldn’t be accepting of acupunc...

One of the first things that I notice when meeting a family with an older pet, or one receiving palliative and hospice care, are the ways that the humans have implemented ideas to address the animal's changing needs. It's typically a combination of things designed to enhance mobility, prevent any falls and comfortable rest. I'm always happy to see the creative and thoughtful strategies that families use to accommodate their pets with time-tested tricks, and even some terrific new products on the market. Safety first, is the mantra when it comes to our pets, but something that is too often overlooked—and vital nonetheless—is the need to ensure the safety of the persons handling and interacting with the pet. I’m happy to say that in all of my years caring for pets professionally, especially geriatric companion animals and those in end-of-life, I’ve not been bitten. But it’s not luck: I’ve employed safe rules of engagement. The truth is that animals that are living w...