Visiting Vet Service
In-Home End of Life Care and Euthanasia for Pets
Melissa Shapiro, DVM
Services
In-Home Senior Pet Care
Elderly, disabled, and terminally ill patients that are difficult to move benefit from house calls. Many find a house call to be a much more comfortable experience than a trip to the vet hospital. In-home visits allow us to focus on quality of life, maintaining dignity, and specific medical needs of older dogs and cats.
Palliative and End of Life Care
We offer end of life services for elderly, chronically ill, and disabled dogs and cats. As dogs and cats age, their needs change dramatically. Some require adjustments to their environment while others benefit from a variety of medications, supplements, and special diets. We visit with families and their pets to assess quality of life in the home environment for geriatric, chonically, and terminally ill pets.
Quality of Life Consulting
We are available to consult with families when they have questions about quality of life and maintaining dignity, and the timing of euthanasia for their dogs and cats. We offer short and long term in-home palliative and hospice care.
In-Home Euthanasia
Many families eventually must make the decision to have their beloved pet euthanized. This is a very personal issue and we take great care to assist pet parents as they navigate this phase of their pet's life. We support families and help ease the burden of this difficult decision making process, creating a compassionate approach to the final phase of their pet's life.
When necessary we perform euthanasia for pets in their home or make arrangements to meet at another preferred location or at the vet hospital. We are sensitive to the concerns and emotions of the family during this difficult time and will work closely with the regular veterinarian as the need arises. Since euthanasia appointments can't be planned far in advance, we are accommodating with flexible hours in these situations.
Virtual Consulting
We offer virtual initial consults and followups to monitor response to palliative care, quality of life in chronically progressive conditions, and overall progress, with minimal stress for the patient. Once a diagnosis is made, we are able to adjust dosages, add new treatments, and manage overall treatment plans in elderly and terminally ill patients. Our goal is to maintain dignity, comfort, and quality of life for our patients and their people for as long as possible. And when the end is approaching, we guide and support, and advise pet parents in end of life decisions about choosing and scheduling euthanasia. We use e-mail, phone, or zoom, depending on individual preference. Continual contact with a veterinarian gives pet parents peace of mind in these very emotional senisitive situations.
Virtual Consulting for pets that are not local patients of the Visiting Vet Service. Do you have concerns about your elderly pet's quality of life, or would like an outside objective opinion on managing current health issues? Or maybe you have questions about general pet care, adopting a new pet, or managing chronic illness in your pets? In addition to regular in-person veterinary care, sometimes an objective, professional point of view and discussion can be extremely helpful in processing overwhelming situations we are experiencing with our pets. While I can't legally diagnose or prescribe specific medical treatment to animals I have not examined in person, I am able to offer virtual consulting via phone, e-mail, Facetime, and Zoom, to caring, committed pet parents. The goal of this type of virtual consulting is to provide objective input, guidance, and to answer questions about pets with disabilities, complicated medical issues, end of life decisions, and other basic pet care.