Welcome to National Pet Wellness Month!
By Tracy Brad
Director of Marketing & Communications, Animal Hospice Group
What does “pet wellness” mean to you? Throughout the month of October, we’ll be providing articles on our blog about pet wellness topics. For all of us at Animal Hospice Group, “pet wellness” means providing care for our animals across their lifespans, including regular veterinary appointments, additional modalities such as massage therapy or hydrotherapy, nutrition, and seeking out specialists, when appropriate. From puppy or kittenhood until they are grayed with sweet “sugar faces,” our animals can lead happy, healthy, active lives. Animal hospice and palliative care play a key part in an animal’s end-of-life wellness. The human hospice and palliative care model focuses on choices, dignity, comfort, love; animal hospice follows a similar model. Animal hospice care often includes an interdisciplinary team that supports the animal patient and their human family members. This team can include, but is not limited to, veterinarians, veterinary nurses, behaviorists, social workers, counselors, Reiki practitioners, massage therapists, nutritionists, acupuncturists, hydrotherapists, physical therapists, and end-of-life doulas. Each member of the team is dedicated to your animal’s wellness, whether they’re three months, three years, or thirteen years old.
As you consider pet wellness month, have you been wanting to learn more about what to expect when your pet becomes a senior citizen?
Have you wondered how you would handle your pet’s terminal diagnosis?
We know that the final days, weeks, and months of your pet’s life can be filled with unique joys and challenges, which is why we’re so passionate about providing tools and support to help you through this final stage of your pet’s journey.
While death and dying are topics that many of us fear or avoid, hospice care can provide support and reassurance during one’s end-of-life – and we often recommend that pet parents consider their wishes for their pet’s end-of-life in advance. One way that we can prepare for this time is with support and continuing education programs, such as our specialized animal hospice certification.
You can learn more about our educational programs by clicking here.
You can also help us continue to provide educational resources for hospice care. (And if you have a matching donation program from your company, you can double your impact today!)
Please click here to donate to our work – and help us support pet wellness throughout our pets’ lifetimes – including their end-of-life journeys.
Please show us all that you like this article by sharing, commenting, and/or giving this a "LIKE" on Facebook. Photo in post (header): Handsome canine friend at Brighthaven Center Animal Rescue, Hospice, and Holistic Education.