2016 AAHA/IAAHPC End-of-Life Care Guidelines.

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Animal Welfare
• Palliative Care

Background:

• End-of-life (EOL) care is a critical and meaningful final stage in a pet's life.
• EOL care requires maximizing patient comfort and minimizing suffering.
• Effective client support hinges on timely, empathetic, and nonjudgmental communication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To emphasize the importance of comprehensive EOL care and decision-making in veterinary practice.
• To highlight the integration of animal hospice care addressing emotional, social, and physical needs.
• To outline essential components of a collaborative EOL treatment plan.

Main Methods:

• Focus on palliative and hospice care principles for EOL patients.
• Development of a collaborative, personalized, written EOL treatment plan.
• Client education and evaluation of caregiver needs and goals.

Main Results:

• EOL care should prioritize patient comfort and minimize suffering.
• Veterinarians must consider euthanasia and palliative measures for EOL patients.
• Animal hospice care addresses holistic patient needs.

Conclusions:

• A dedicated team for palliative and hospice care is essential in primary care practices.
• Client support and grief management are key factors in client loyalty.
• Referral to professional grief counseling can be beneficial for grieving clients.