Veterinary Services
Pet Hospice & Palliative Care in Greater Montreal, QC
To learn more about our Hospice & Palliative Care service, please read the information below.
Pet Hospice & Palliative Care
Compassion Vet Montréal’s veterinary staff is passionate about helping pets live their best and most comfortable lives from the moment of diagnosis to their last breath. We will work as part of an INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM to collaborate with you, the caregivers and with your regular veterinarian, veterinary specialists, physical and alternative medicine practitioners, social workers, and grief counsellors, among others, in order to best support not only your pet but your whole family as ONE UNIT OF CARE. We will be here to guide you through every decision you may face along the way.
DID YOU KNOW that it is NEVER too early to enter into PALLIATIVE CARE?
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PALLIATIVE CARE and HOSPICE CARE?
These two terms are DISTINCT but interrelated;
PALLIATIVE care offers comfort and medical care when there are one or more disease processes that require ongoing management but that are not an imminent threat to the pet’s life. For example, diabetes and osteoarthritis are both chronic, incurable conditions that require long-term management, but neither is expected to end the pet’s life in the very near future. The goal is to help them live well for as long as possible.
HOSPICE care, however, comes in when the pet has a life-limiting condition which is predicted to shorten life expectancy to as little as days, weeks or a maximum of a few months. Here there is more discussion about preparation for impending difficult decisions, and care and communication requirements increase exponentially. The focus is on pain and symptom management and caregiver support.
WHAT IS IN INCLUDED?
HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE CARE PROGRAM: within a 20km radius (additional charges if outside radius). This includes:
# 1-1.5hr CONSULTATION in the comfort of YOUR OWN HOME in order to avoid stressful vet visits and moving your pet who may be experiencing pain, nausea or anxiety.
Here we would:
1) perform a full CLINICAL EXAM
2) perform QUALITY OF LIFE and PAIN SCALE assessment
3) review PREVIOUS MEDICAL HISTORY
4) assess the ENVIRONMENT
5) provide a FULL PALLIATIVE CARE PLAN to include: FOLDER WITH;
* disease information
* MULTIMODAL HOLISTIC TREATMENT PLAN with PRESCRIPTIONS for your regular vet or local pharmacy
-including medical, diet, supplements, activity modification, environmental adaptations, alternative treatment and physical modality recommendations such as osteopathy/acupuncture/physio/laser etc
* GUIDES FOR ALL MEDICATIONS
* MONITORING GUIDES – to help track the progression or changes in your pet’s condition
* COMFORT KIT options (additional costs depending on individual needs) – for use in potential CRISIS situations.
* GRIEF RESOURCES AND SUPPORT
6) ZOOM CALL CHECK-INS
7) DAY-TO-DAY SUPPORT for symptom and medication management and adjustments and ongoing assessment and decision making.
8) END OF LIFE CARE AND AFTERCARE OPTIONS discussion and plan and decision-making guidance.
***ALL OF THIS TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION INDIVIDUAL PET AND CLIENT GOALS AND WISHES as there is no one plan that is best for every pet and every family.****
PALLIATIVE CARE CASES: would then have MONTHLY ZOOM follow-ups and then IN-HOME IN-PERSON follow ups every 3-6 months, depending on needs.
HOSPICE CASES: for more complex or acutely life-limiting issues – these require closer, more intense management, and so weekly zoom calls and MONTHLY IN-PERSON follow ups are required.
ADDITIONAL VISITS AND SERVICES such as nursing care (with an Animal Health Technician) and clinical exams for new issues that should arise would be at additional costs available on request.
Each FOLLOW UP VISIT would cover the home visit with a vet and tech, clinical exam, treatment plan review and adjustment along with the ZOOM follow ups – weekly for 1mth for HOSPICE and MONTHLY for 3-6 months for PALLIATIVE CARE and ongoing regular phone/text/email support.