Posts in Category: Pet Loss and Bereavement

The Pet Quality of Life Survey is designed to help owners by providing objective criteria they can use to decide if treating cancer is the right choice. Veterinarian Maria Iliopoulou developed the survey for dog owners but has plans to revise it so cat owners can use it too. Business Insider (9/19)

More than 73 million U.S. households own a pet and altogether they spend $53 billion per year to care for them.

More than half of that budget goes toward medical treatment, with money spent on supplies and OTC medications rising by more than 7% in 2012.

But where do you draw the line between keeping Fido healthy and compromising your finances to give him a few more months of playtime?

“It’s a very difficult situation [for both patients and veterinarians],” said Dr. Kristen Frank, an internist with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.  “I’ve had pet owners who don’t necessarily have $15,000 to spend to treat a terminal illness, but they’ve done it anyway through borrowing money or credit cards.”

Emergency treatments can range from $1,500 to $4,000 for dogs, according to Frank, with cancer treatment sometimes costing twice as much or more.

Sometimes, the decision to forego medical care has more to do with the emotional cost of watching a beloved pet go than the potential financial burden.

“Recently I saw a woman who specifically said that her other cat passed way from cancer and she did everything including chemo and she said she did not want to go through that again,” Frank said.

Unlike hospitals for humans, vets don’t typically have the same flexibility to work with pet owners who can’t afford treatments. Pet insurance can be handy, but it often comes with maximum coverage limits, steep deductibles, and pre-existing conditions clauses.

“Payment plans are also hard to come by,” Frank said. “The financial aspect of veterinary care is toughest thing our people have to deal with on a daily basis …We all wish we could provide free care but unfortunately it’s just not possible.”

But how does a pet owner decide whether to pay for treatment or let their pet go?

There is no one-size-fit-all answer, but a Michigan State University research may have found a simple way to help pet owners through such difficult times.

“Pets are like surrogate children,” said Maria Iliopoulou. “In some cases, when a human bond evolves, it makes the decision more difficult.”

Iliopoulou, who owns a small menagerie of pets herself, set out in 2009 to create a “Quality of Life Survey for Canine Cancer Patients” that dog owners can use to look at medical treatment with an unbiased eye.

Before each visit, Iliopoulou suggests dog owners complete the survey, which asks basic questions to help them track major quality of life indicators for canines — play behavior, signs of illness, and overall happiness.

“What we were trying to do with the research was to isolate the emotions to help people make the best decisions for their pet and for themselves,” she said. “It helps the owner to pay attention to specific observable changes and transfer this info to the veterinarian.”

So far, the survey is applicable only to dogs, but Iliopoulou plans on continuing her research in order to create similar tools for a range of animals, like cats, birds, etc.

CLICK HERE to view the survey.

In an effort to assist other pet owners struggling with end-of-life issues regarding their animals, Tina Ferner developed a package of information designed provide guidance for decisions during a pet’s final days. Ferner consulted with veterinarian Alice Villalobos, a founding member of Veterinary Cancer Society who developed an end-of-life assessment for owners. “The scale offers some objectivity while remaining sensitive to the caregiver’s wishes,” Dr. Villalobos writes on her website. “It will relieve guilt feelings and engender the support of the veterinary team to actively help in the care and decision-making for end of life.” The Blade (Toledo, Ohio) (7/8)

She provided him with hospice care, including pain management, and she had a going-away party for him before she had her veterinarian euthanize him in her home.

“My main goal for him was to find the highest level of comfort for as long as possible, and when that was no longer possible, I wanted him to have a peaceful, painless passing,” Ms. Ferner said. “He was a good friend, and we shared a very strong bond. He deserved all of this.”

End-of-life decisions for pets are difficult to think about, but there are options. Pets suffering from a terminal illness or a combination of age-related illnesses can be euthanized at a veterinary clinic or at home. Their remains can be cremated, or their bodies can be returned to owners for home burial.

Owners who stay with their pets during the procedure can comfort the pet, but some find it too difficult and prefer that the vet does it without their presence.

Clifford was diagnosed with osteosarcoma at the end of December. He was 9 years old when he was euthanized on Feb. 11, barely six weeks after the diagnosis.

“I searched for resources to help us with end of life care and there was nothing I could find locally,” said the Holland resident.

She put together “Resources For End of Life Care,” a guide that she plans to offer to clients at Canine Karma, the Holland dog-training facility she co-owns. She hopes to find local veterinarians to offer the guide to clients.

Ms. Ferner held a party to celebrate Clifford’s life on Jan. 27. She invited those who knew him to “come for a short pat or stay for the whole time.”

His quality of life continued to decline, and on Feb. 10, Ms. Ferner and her husband, Michael Plewa, decided to end his suffering. On Feb. 11, her veterinarian, Dr. Sue Savage, came to her home and euthanized the “big red dog” who had converted her from a “cat person” to a “dog person.”

Dr. Savage gave Clifford a drug to relax him before administering the euthanasia drug. Ms. Ferner and Mr. Plewa comforted Clifford during the process, including singing to him.

“Being his guardian and advocate and protector, he needed me to find the strength to allow him a peaceful passing,” Ms. Ferner said.

During her work with terminally ill humans, Ms. Ferner developed the Integrative Medicine Program at Mercy Cancer Centers that provides massage, yoga, guided imagery, and relaxation techniques for cancer survivors and their families.

Canine Karma has hired a licensed social worker and plans to offer grief counseling, support groups, and consultations for pet owners facing end-of-life decisions.

“If we can do it for people, we can do it for dogs,” she said.

When researching options for easing Clifford’s suffering, Ms. Ferner consulted with Dr. Alice Villalobos, a veterinarian who practices in Hermosa Beach, Calif., by phone.

Dr. Villalobos is a pioneer in the field of cancer care for companion animals and a founding member of the Veterinary Cancer Society. She has developed a quality-of-life scale for cats and dogs to help owners decide when it is time to euthanize.

The word euthanasia comes from the Greek, with “eu” meaning easy or good plus “thanatos,” meaning death. Euthanasia is literally the “easy or good death.”

Its intention is to end suffering and to do so in a peaceful, kind, and loving manner, Ms. Ferner said.

“It becomes the final act of love,” she said.

A quality-of-life scale may help everyone, especially those who are in denial about their pet’s illness, to face difficult issues, writes Dr. Villalobos in an article on her web site, pawspice.com.

Caretakers can use the scale to ask themselves if they are able to provide enough help to maintain an ailing pet properly, she writes.

“If we can create or restore a satisfactory level for our ailing companion animals, then we are justified in preserving the life of the ill pet during its steady decline toward death,” Dr. Villalobos writes.

The scale is designed to provide an easy guideline for assessment of the pet so that family members can maintain a rewarding relationship and nurture the human-animal bond.

“The scale offers some objectivity while remaining sensitive to the caregiver’s wishes,” she said. “It will relieve guilt feelings and engender the support of the veterinary team to actively help in the care and decision-making for end of life.”

Things to consider on the scale include hurt, hunger, hydration, hygiene, happiness, mobility, and more good days than bad. Adequate pain control and breathing ability are of top concern. If the pet can’t breathe properly, nothing else matters, according to the scale.

When bad days outnumber the good, quality of life might be too compromised. When a healthy human-animal bond is no longer possible, the caregivers must be made aware that the end is near.

The decision for euthanasia needs to be made if the pet is suffering, Dr. Villalobos writes.The complete scale for both dogs and cats can be found at: https://tinyurl.com/qualityoflifescale.

Ms. Ferner said she hopes to pass on what she learned during Clifford’s end-of-life care and euthanasia.

“I hope all of this heartache and research can help others,” she said.

Contact Tanya Irwin at: tirwin@theblade.com, 419-724-6066, or on Twitter @TanyaIrwin.

Chase the golden retriever entertained fans of the Trenton Thunder, a New York Yankees affiliate in New Jersey, for years before his death from lymphoma on Monday. The team and fans threw Chase a retirement and birthday party last week, and last month he was honored at Yankee Stadium. Chase is succeeded by one of his offspring, Derby, who’ll carry on the family tradition of retrieving bats, carrying water bottles to umpires and catching discs in the outfield. The team posted a tribute to Chase on its website.

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — He doggedly did his work, this pinstriped pooch who faithfully served minor leaguers of the New York Yankees while providing big league entertainment.

Chase, the bat-retrieving golden retriever for the Double-A Trenton Thunder who made highlight reels all across baseball for a decade, has died at 13.

“Chase was there a long time. He put a lot of smiles on people’s faces,” Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain, who played in Trenton, said Tuesday night.

“You know it’s going to be sad, but his lineage is carried on. You know it’s something that people are going to miss, but it was fun to be around Chase,” he said.

Chase lived just long enough to be thrown a retirement party by the Thunder last Friday night — featuring Chase bobbleheads, no less. The team said he died Monday.

Chase had been diagnosed in February with a form of lymphoma and had arthritis.

The Thunder’s website Tuesday featured a photo of their late mascot with a bat in his mouth and the caption, “In Loving Memory, Chase That Golden Thunder.”

His bat-retrieving legacy will live on with his son Derby, who continues to be part of the Thunder’s home game entertainment. Another son, Ollie, performs with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

Chase made his debut with the Thunder in 2002. He would trot out in the bottom of the first inning to the batter’s box to pick up bats with his mouth and bring them back to the dugout. He also carried a woven basket with bottles of chilled water to the umpires and entertained fans by running down flying discs in the outfield.

At Friday’s celebration, which coincided with his birthday party, fans were encouraged to bring their dogs to the game.

Last month, he was also honored on the field at Yankee Stadium. Chamberlain petted Chase before the game and infielder David Adams came over to greet his old friend.

Adams recalled Chase retrieving his bat, doing it without leaving teeth marks in the wood.

“He’s not chomping at the bit,” Adams said then. “Or at the bat, either.”

Dogs of all shapes and sizes were at Trenton’s game Friday night against Reading, sitting in the stands with their owners. As fans filed in, Chase lounged on the grass outside the Thunder’s dugout on the first-base side.

A tribute to Chase’s career was shown on the video board. Chase was in position near the bench when Eduardo Nunez — who has since rejoined the Yankees — led off for Trenton in the bottom of the first inning. After the at-bat, Chase trotted out, picked up Nunez’s bat and returned to the dugout to a big cheer from the crowd.

Advances in veterinary medicine and pets’ status as family members in many households mean people are willing to go to great lengths to treat illnesses in their animals and prolong their lives, but some observers say the trends raise important and tough questions about resources and the difficulty many people have with facing end-of-life issues — for their pets and themselves. “Death is part of the cycle of life, and we have to accept that,” said veterinarian Phillip Nelson, dean of the College of Veterinary
Medicine at Western University of Health Sciences. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (3/25)

I COULDN’T begin to add up the number of times my husband and I have had the Talk. We know illness and death are two of life’s certainties. And we’ve taken care of the issue when it comes to ourselves. We’ve signed medical directives saying we want no extraordinary measures taken to extend our lives if we become incapacitated to the point that we’re a burden, emotionally and financially, to our families.

Veterinarian Julianne Miller writes that seeing the pain of pet owners who must euthanize a pet because they can’t afford emergency medical care is the toughest part of her job. Dr. Miller points out that good medical care inevitably carries a cost, and veterinarians can’t render services for free, so owners should be mentally and financially prepared for a pet before they commit to ownership. One way owners can be prepared is to purchase pet insurance, Dr. Miller writes. The Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff)

As I think about my life as a veterinarian here is Flagstaff, first and foremost, I feel incredibly lucky to be part of such a diverse and wonderful profession in which I get to meet terrific people who love animals. It is also fulfilling to be able to support the local animal charities.

The hardest part of my job is watching the emotional suffering of pet owners as they try to deal with an emergency with their pet. My clinic deals with a large number of animal emergencies and these are highly charged, emotional situations that no owner can possibly be mentally prepared for.

The hardest part of my job is watching the emotional suffering of pet owners as they try to deal with an emergency with their pet. My clinic deals with a large number of animal emergencies and these are highly charged, emotional situations that no owner can possibly be mentally prepared for.

It is the financial toll, however, of these situations that are the most devastating for most owners. Speaking for the profession, most of us did not enter this field to make money but rather to fulfill some deeper need to help and treat animals. Unfortunately, medical care is not free and we must charge for our services, and in an emergency situation, this can be devastating.

If I could give all pet owners one piece of advice it would be that when they adopt a pet they need to be mentally and monetarily prepared for the possibility of an emergency medical situation with their pet. This could mean getting pet insurance or putting money in their budget every month for pet expenses.

Emergencies never happen when you are expecting them and to have to euthanize a pet because of financial reasons is devastating. Trying to emotionally support an owner through this horrible decision is the worst part of my job.

Veterinary care is not free and good veterinary care is not cheap. Make sure you’re prepared for emergency care by budgeting or purchasing pet insurance now and not regretting it later when you need it. Contact your veterinarian to find out more about pet insurance.

Veterinarian Linda Randall notes that at-home euthanasia of pets has steadily increased in recent years, and about 25% of the euthanasia procedures she performs are carried out at the owner’s home. Dr. Randall creates a quiet, soothing environment and gives the pet a sedative before the euthanasia injection. “It’s very painless and very peaceful,” Dr. Randall said. “We wish more people would do it at home.” However, it’s not for everyone, Dr. Randall says, because the cost is roughly twice that of in-office euthanasia and some people do not want their home associated with the pet’s death. The Medina County Gazette (Ohio) (1/16)

When Hotshot, a 12-year-old Labrador, became seriously ill in 2007, his owners realized they had a dilemma to face: Was it time?

“When he stopped eating, we decided he had had enough,” Robin Walker said.

When the day came, Hotshot excitedly greeted their guest, Dr. Linda Randall, like it was any other day.

Randall, a veterinarian from Cloverleaf Animal Hospital in Westfield Township, came inside their home and set up a comfortable environment — blankets and soothing music. She gave Hotshot a sedative. Once it set in, she injected him with an anesthesia.

Within 90 seconds, Hotshot had fallen asleep for the last time.

Walker said the decision was tough to make, but she couldn’t see it happening any other way.

“I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again,” Walker said. “It was good for us, and it was good for the dog.”

Randall said Walker isn’t the only one who approves.

Although euthanizing pets is commonplace, Randall said opting to have it done at home is a growing trend.

“In the past couple years, we’ve seen in-home pet euthanasia upswing 50 percent,” Randall said.

Randall said her clinic, at 7777 Greenwich Road, euthanizes 100 to 150 pets per year, and a quarter of them are done at home.

While she always has offered home euthanasia, she believed it was becoming more common because pets are seen more and more as members of the family.

And just like end-of-life discussions about human family members, pets are subject to similar talks and practices, she said.

Home euthanasia can be calming for the animal because it avoids the anxiety of a trip to a foreign environment, Randall said.

“It’s very painless and very peaceful,” she said. “We wish more people would do it at home.”

Randal practices what she preaches: Her own pets were euthanized at home.

She said there are a couple downsides to the procedure.

Some families might not want to have a pet euthanized where they live, she said, much like some people don’t want to live in the home where a loved one died.

The cost also may deter some families.

Euthanizing a pet at the clinic usually costs between $50 and $150, she said, depending on the animal’s size.

“It’s about twice as expensive to euthanize at home,” she said. “We shut down shop while I’m out on call, and it takes longer than an in-house appointment.”

On average, the clinic euthanizes two animals per week.

She said it’s a tough job because she often gets to know the pets and the owners.

“It takes its toll,” Randall said. “It’s hard, but I have to separate myself a little bit. If I thought of every animal like my own, I’d be depressed all the time.”

To contact Randall at Cloverleaf Animal Hospital, call (330) 948-2002.

Contact reporter Nick Glunt at (330) 721-4048 or nglunt@medina-gazette.com.

Veterinary at-home hospice services provide end-of-life care for ill pets, improving quality of life for animals and potentially extending life, albeit only for a few days in some cases. Hospice care must be administered by a veterinarian who works in conjunction with the pet’s regular veterinarian to provide palliative treatment such as pain management and catheter placement. San Francisco Chronicle

Shea  Cox has spent her 11-year career as a veterinarian fighting to save  animals’ lives.

Now, as a provider of pet hospice, she shepherds her patients through death,  tending to their needs and those of their guardians, relieving animals’ pain so  they can live out their final days surrounded by loved ones, not in the sterile  confines of a veterinary clinic.

Modeled on human hospice, the growing field of pet hospice offers palliative  care to animals in their homes. It ushers in a profound shift in how people care  for dying and elderly pets, providing an option that falls between aggressive  medical intervention and immediate euthanasia.

For pet owners, in-home care gives solace as they make painful  end-of-life decisions.

Jeff  Aoki of Oakland was in Colorado for his father’s funeral when he got a call  that would only deepen his grief. His yellow Labrador, Sunny, had cancer that  had spread throughout her body.

“I was devastated,” Aoki said. “Sunny was my rock, my best friend and  constant companion.”

Aoki and his fiance, Sandy  Wong, arranged for Sunny to receive pet hospice care from Cox. The care,  which included a urinary catheter (a tumor had made it impossible for her to  urinate), gave her a few extra days at home.

Aoki flew home, and for several days the couple showered Sunny with love,  trips to the beach and park – and filet mignon.

When it was time to say goodbye, Cox put her to sleep in their backyard. “It  was a sad, sad time but this made it so much easier,” Aoki said.

Missing plans

Cox – who was a human hospice nurse before becoming a vet – got the  inspiration for her newly launched Bridge  Veterinary Services while working as an ER/critical care vet at Pet  Emergency Treatment and Specialty Referral Center, a Berkeley  animal hospital.

“Working in that setting, I kept seeing nothing about making a plan if a  patient had an incurable disease,” she said. “The choice was between either  being in the hospital to get better or having to euthanize. It seemed like a  disconnect; there had to be a way to offer something in between.”

With almost two-thirds of American households owning pets, it’s not  surprising that attitudes toward animals’ final days have evolved from the rural  past, when they were unceremoniously put down. The overwhelming majority of pet  owners consider their companion animals to be family members, according to a  2011 Harris poll. At the same time, more and more people have witnessed their  loved ones using human hospice.

Extending care

“We’ve decided as a culture to support human passing as compassionately as  we’re able to, with hospice and palliative care,” said Oakland resident Erika  Macs. As a hospital chaplain, she is intimately familiar with end-of-life  issues. “It’s a natural progression that we would extend that to the animals in  our lives that we’re caretakers for.”

When her 17-year-old cat, Mittens, became critically ill last year, Macs  turned to Dr. Anthony  Smith, a Hercules vet whose Rainbow  Bridge Vet Services has offered hospice and home euthanasia for a  dozen years.

“Dr. Smith was able to bring both a medical model and a sense of respectful,  compassionate presence,” Macs said.

“The beauty of human hospice is it gives time to have (final)  conversations,” Macs said. “With pets, it also gives time to say goodbye. The  better the closure, the more quickly a person is able to heal and  move on.”

Medical supervision

Pet hospice must be provided by a veterinarian because it involves medical  assessments and pain medicines. Pet hospice vets coordinate with the animal’s  regular vet. As in human hospice, if pets get better, they can transition back  to regular medical treatment.

The costs pencil out to be more than regular check-ups but much less than  invasive medical intervention. Bridge Veterinary Services, for instance, charges  $250 for an initial appointment that includes a two- or three-hour at-home  assessment and such initial care as inserting IV tubes or catheters.

Read more: https://www.sfgate.com/pets/article/Hospice-for-pets-comforts-owners-too-3958378.php#ixzz2FxpiHcoa

D.O. McComb & Sons’ Tribute Center in Indiana includes services for deceased pets such as burial, cremation and a private room for viewing by owners, reflecting pets’ modern status in many homes as family members.

Memorials to pets prove it’s more than puppy love

AHF Board Member Dr. Alice Villalobos is an expert in an animal’s Quality of Life.

Read More about Dr. Villalobos’ work and compassion for your pet’s end of life issues