What Is Dog Hospice Care? Understanding End-of-Life Care for Dogs

During the end of a pet’s life, many pet parents will navigate an intense emotional maze during their beloved dog’s final life stage. Veterinary hospice care helps ailing dogs continue to live their fullest life possible and reach a peaceful goodbye.

It’s important to understand what to expect as you begin this journey and knowing what types of services and care are available. Seeking veterinary guidance for hospice can map a smoother path for any pet parent and ease the steps of their dog’s final days.

What Is Dog Hospice?

Hospice care for dogs encompasses:

• Pet palliative care

• Home environmental advice

• Guidance for pet parents as caregivers

• Pet and caregiver quality-of-life assessments

• Planning for the dog’s end of life

Veterinarians tailor hospice care to help pet parents thoughtfully manage their pet’s symptoms and health challenges. It’s important to note that hospice care does not include therapies directed at a cure—it is to provide comfort during the end stage of a dog’s life.

Hospice care also supports a dog’s peaceful passing, whether pet parents choose euthanasia or natural death.  

Like human hospice, veterinary hospice provides supportive medical care for patients near or at the end of life, as well as family-centered guidance for the patient’s caregivers.

Veterinary hospice incorporates quality-of-life support measures that relieve a dog’s symptoms and are compatible with the pet parent’s time, as well as their physical, emotional, and financial resources.

During dog hospice care, vets can help guide pet parents on how to maintain the bond they share with their dog while caring for their declining health. This can include:

• Recognizing their dog’s discomfort and learning how to alleviate it

• Continuing to share cherished activities while also tailoring these moments depending on dog’s mobility and health

• Acknowledging and managing the grief they may feel in anticipation of losing their beloved dog

What Is Palliative Care for Dogs?

Palliative care aims to improve quality of life for dogs with serious ailments that may or may not be life-threatening, and care can start at any stage of a serious illness.

Vets will recommend palliative care:

• When dogs have a serious condition that diminishes their quality of life
• When a disease progresses despite attempts to treat it
• If pet parents elect not to pursue curative treatments for their dog’s serious illness

Palliative care for dogs can be given along with attempts to cure the underlying ailment for many months or years to help a dog continue to live their best life with their families. It isn’t limited to end-of-life care, as is dog hospice care.

Palliative care includes medications and other supportive measures that may include:

• Managing pain

• Controlling anxiety

• Supporting calorie intake

• Controlling nausea

• Maintaining hygiene

• Preventing infection

Palliative care is an important element of hospice care, but hospice care starts when curative treatments for the underlying ailment are stopped and care is focused on comfort during a pet’s end-of-life stage.

What Types of Illnesses Lead to Dog Hospice Care or Palliative Care?

Common ailments or circumstances that lead to hospice care for dogs may include:

• Late stage or aggressive form of cancers

• Heart or kidney failure

• Severe mobility issues

• Nervous system impairment

• Lung disease or other causes of breathing disorders

• Trauma such as a severe accident

• Any health condition that requires extended intensive care

• Severe cognitive dysfunction

• Overall physical decline with increased vulnerability to stressors such as minor illness

• When pet parents elect not to pursue curative treatment for any reason, and when curative treatments have failed

What Treatments Can You Expect for a Dog in Palliative Care or Hospice?

Alleviating and preventing pain and anxiety are primary components of palliative and hospice care for dogs to help improve quality of life.

Medications

Many medications are available to relieve pain and decrease anxiety, including various categories of anti-inflammatory drugs, topical anesthetics, pain relievers, sedatives or tranquilizers, and anti-nausea medications.

Always ask your veterinarian which medications and other therapies are safe for your dog and appropriate considering your dog’s ailments. Do not give your dog your medications or another pet’s medications without direction from your vet.

Physical Therapy

Your vet may recommend physical rehabilitation, which can provide comfort and enhance or maintain mobility or function. This is especially beneficial for dogs with nerve, muscle, or joint conditions.

Physical therapy may include:

• Massage

• Passive or active exercises

• Laser therapy

• Cooling or warming packs to help with inflammation and help reduce pain

• Hydrotherapy

Home Environment Improvements

Adding comfort around the home is equally important for a pup during this time in their life.

Depending on your dog’s mobility, you can look into the following modifications to help your pup with getting around the house or when having to travel outside of the home. These options include:

• Pet steps or ramps to help with getting in and out of bed or out of a car

• Mobility-assisted harnesses

• Wheelchairs

• Dog strollers, wagons, or carts

• Non-slip carpet runners

It’s important to still provide social interaction so long as its safe for the dog and guests. You can invest in a dog gate or pen to help provide alone time for your dog when necessary. Monitor children when interacting or playing with dogs.

When it comes to dog beds, supportive and easy-to-clean bedding is ideal to help with hygiene and maintaining comfort.

Keep dog potty pads, dog diapers, and cleaning supplies handy to help manage urine and fecal incontinence and to keep your dog clean and comfortable.

Nutrition

Nutrition for dogs in hospice focuses on making food tasty, easy to eat, and providing enough calories, protein, and water, rather than focusing on meeting specific nutrient needs related to their health issue.

If your dog turns down their regular food or veterinary therapeutic diet, talk with your veterinarian about changing the diet to one your dog will eat or what new treats or dog food toppers to include that may kickstart your dog’s enthusiasm for meals.

Keep in mind that many diseases cause decreased appetite, so a dog’s lack of interest in food may stem from unmanaged pain, nausea, or dehydration. Your veterinarian can help determine the cause and assess what therapies and medications are necessary.

Despite creative diet enticement efforts, it’s important to know that there often comes a point when dogs completely refuse to eat and drink, and this is a natural part of the late end-stage of life.

While it’s OK to gently offer food and water and ensure these are easily accessible to dogs in hospice care, never force a dog in hospice to eat or drink, because this can be distressing to them.

Does My Dog Need Hospice or Palliative Care?

Work with your veterinarian to determine the best course of action for your dog, based on their health.

Regardless of the type or extent of care you choose, it’s also helpful to work with your veterinarian to construct an end-of-life plan for your dog. Take comfort in knowing that this plan can be adjusted as your dog’s health circumstances shift or your resources change.

Dogs nearing the end of life often show much less interest in their previously beloved activities, such as retrieving toys, going for a walk or ride, socializing with friends, or being brushed. Dogs may become more clingy or more aloof, sleep much more during the day and have restless nights, and have little or no interest in food. 

Part of planning for the end involves knowing how to assess your dog’s quality of life and tracking your dog’s good days and bad days. Many pet quality-of-life assessments are available, and Lap of Love’s resources provide more information and quality-of-life assessment tools during this time.

Pet Hospice or Euthanasia?

Be honest with yourself about whether your ailing dog is still enjoying life. If you wonder whether your perceptions and observations are accurate, talk with other trusted friends about their impressions of your dog’s quality of life, and consult with your veterinarian.

If your dog is no longer enjoying life or if your dog is suffering, choosing euthanasia is an appropriate and humane option.

Partner with your hospice veterinarian or primary care veterinarian to learn what to expect with euthanasia or with natural passing.

Veterinarians are instrumental in providing the information you need to assess when it is time to whisper your final “thank you for being part of my life” in a peaceful farewell to your dog.