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1630 Niagara Stone Road, Virgil, Ontario
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Palliative Pet Care – Virgil Animal Hospital
Caring for a terminally ill pet poses a unique set of challenges for your family. Virgil Animal Hospital is dedicated to providing you with amenities to make this life stage as full of peace and love as possible for you and your pet.
Veterinary palliative treatment is a route wherein the decision to withdraw curative therapy has been made in the best interests of the pet. It provides a compassionate alternative to early euthanasia while still addressing the pet’s suffering. It offers different methods than isolating an animal to intensive care units or the standard alternative of insufficient home-based treatments.
Most often, the situations which lead to the decision to commence palliative care are:
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Diagnosis of a life-limiting illness
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Progression of a terminal sickness
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Deciding against pursuing curative treatments
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Disease impacting pet’s daily life
Cancer & Organ Failure
Incurable organ failure or cancers are some of the leading causes for families to choose palliative medical care. In order to gain an understanding of how this course of action will impact the disease’s progression and the animal’s quality of life, the first step is to consult with your veterinarian. Coupled with an understanding of your pet’s lifestyle, the vet will be able to create a proper course of action to make the transition as easy as possible. Our veterinarians will discuss with you the ramifications of palliative treatment, the nature of quality of life, and help you generate goals for care. We are dedicated to supplying comprehensive knowledge and helpful tools so that you can best manage the situation as your pet approaches the end of their life.
Palliative Care & Comfort
The chief goal of palliative care is pain management; where, by using combined approaches of pharmaceutical and non-medication techniques, we assist your pet in achieving maximum comfort. Chemical approaches are often used in conjunction with the following methods:
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Acupuncture: Releasing muscular trigger points thus reducing abnormalities in nervous system functions.
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Therapeutic laser: Modulates the nervous system, thus reducing pain while improving circulation and lessening overall inflammation.
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Massage: Most often performed by a qualified therapist, many methods can be taught for home-based applications.
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Physical therapy: Addresses mobility issues while offering pain management and prevention.
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Chiropractic treatment: Restores skeletal movement after the occurrence of restrictions.
In-Clinic End of Life Care
Handling the loss of a pet is an incredibly challenging task, posing one of the most difficult situations a pet-parent will ever have to manage. In order to make this time as easy on you as possible, Virgil Animal Hospital does everything possible to assist you in ascertaining the correct time to apply euthanasia. This course of action is a true act of affection towards your pet, as it means an end to great pain or illness that can no longer be tolerated due to the diminishment of your pet’s overall quality of life.
During the procedure, your pet will be administered a sedative to give them a feeling of calm, which is then followed by a specialty medication. This process is entirely painless and allows your pet to painlessly and peacefully transition out of this life.
At-Home End of Life Care
Choosing to provide in-home euthanasia is a way to undergo the end of life transition in a familiar and comforting setting. Often, it is a good solution for pets with anxiety or those with limited mobility. This allows simplified access for families to have a personalized and intimate ceremony with family and friends as your pet’s life comes to a close.
To learn more about palliative care options, contact the Virgil Animal Hospital and speak with our team of experts who will gladly answer your questions and provide you with all the necessary information during this challenging time.
