End-of-Life Pet Care
Having a pet in your life is a joy, but eventually, you’ll need to make plans for their end-of-life care. This can involve some difficult decisions, but you won’t have to make these decisions alone. Our exemplary veterinary staff here in Hugo will be by your side to help you and your pet through this challenging time and make the process a little easier. It’s tough to see your pet grow old and we understand how important our companion animals come to be over the years. That’s why they deserve the kindest, most respectful care to see them to the end of their life’s journey, which we provide in abundance.
Senior Pet Care:
End-of-life pet care can involve extra vet visits, treatments, and medications. Like people, our pets grow more susceptible to disease and a multitude of other conditions as they get older. Our geriatric patients may not be as active as they used to be, but they still have plenty of love to give. To keep a close eye on your senior pet’s health, we like to see them twice a year for a wellness visit and routine blood testing. Scheduling more frequent visits allows us to detect illness or injury in your pet and find the proper treatment.
If we ever feel that your ailing pet might benefit from further treatment, we’ll let you know. We want you and your companion to have as much time together as possible, and if we have hope of improving their quality of life, we’ll do what we can to help them.
Pet Euthanasia:
Discussing euthanasia for your pet can be very emotional, we’ll go over your options in detail. We do like to keep our clients well informed, but we also understand that all pet owners manage their grief differently. We’ll let you know if we believe that euthanasia is the most humane course of action for your pet, but we won’t force you to make a decision—that is entirely up to you.
Whatever your wishes during this time, we’ll do all that we can to respect them. We offer cremation services through our clinic, you can have your pet cremated communally or privately, simply let us know. Just know that we’re here for you and will be happy to answer any questions you have about our end-of-life pet care services. Please reach out to us at (651) 400-1180.
Determining Your Pet’s Quality of Life:
It’s not always easy to judge your pet’s quality of life just by looking at them, especially if their condition seems to fluctuate up and down. Below, we’ve included a Quality of Life scale to help owners better understand their pet’s current condition, and determine whether euthanasia is the best option. We recommend using this scale to observe your pet’s behavior and habits, and evaluate your own concerns about their well-being. Once you’ve made an assessment, we suggest discussing your observations and concerns with your veterinarian.