Silver Sands Veterinary Center Celebrates the Human Animal Bond Part II
Connecticut Pet Hospice
Milford,CT-South Central District
Milford,CT-South Central District
Donald H. DeForge, VMD
September 26, 2013
Silver Sands Veterinary Center in Milford, CT has been a General Practice of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery for 40 years. Recently, Dr. DeForge added Urgent Care to assist families who need an ER room that does not necessitate 24/7 care. 24/7 patients are referred to local specialty centers as necessary.
In 2012, Dr. DeForge opened a new area of care at Silver Sands, Connecticut Pet Hospice. It is modeled after Pawspice, the first pet hospice in the United States, created by Dr. Alice Villalobos. Dr. Alice Villalobos was the 2005-2006 President of the American Association of Human-Animal Bond Veterinarians. She is Director of Animal Oncology Consultation. Dr. Villalobos is, also, Director of Pawspice, an end of life care consultation clinic in California. She writes and lectures on animal cancer care at national and regional veterinary conferences worldwide, sharing her unparalleled 40 years of experience in the field. It is my honor to call her mentor and friend.
Dr. Villalobos quotes Dr. Fred Myers from the University of California, Davis School of Medicine who states: "Palliative care should not be the last resort.....or about giving up. It's about increased quality of life and enhanced coordination of care. It is not about dying. It is about living with cancer. It's not less care. It's more care."
Dr. Villalobos continues, "The Pawspice-Pet Hospice option gives pet owners more time to let go of their geriatric cancer pet or {terminally ill patient} slowly and peacefully. Many tender moments of quiet emotion and sweet conversation are shared between the family members and their dying pet."
Dr. Villalobos also created the HHHHHMM Quality of Life Scale which has been adopted at Connecticut Pet Hospice in Milford, CT. at Silver Sands Veterinary.
Attending doctors and nursing staff at Silver Sands Veterinary share this Quality of Life Scale with the owners of aging, very ill, debilitated, and/or terminally ill pets. It is strongly applicable to the cancer patient.
I would like to personally thank Dr. Villalobos for the creation of this Quality of Life Scale. I share it below, with you, as a starting point for any individual that has a pet at home that is very sick or aged and not doing well. I encourage taking a few moments to review the Scale carefully and then discussing it with your primary care veterinarian.
Hurt-Pain assessment daily
Hydration-fluid intake monitoring daily
Hunger-nutrition and calorie intake monitoring
Hygiene-clean and free of contaminants from soiling multiple times per day
Happiness-every day....every hour
Mobility-Is your pet moving well without discomfort and going about routine activities
More GOOD days than bad-VERY important....a series of bad days is a red light to call your Pet Hospice practitioner or your LDVM for immediate help
Dr. Villalobos continues, "The Pawspice-Pet Hospice option gives pet owners more time to let go of their geriatric cancer pet or {terminally ill patient} slowly and peacefully. Many tender moments of quiet emotion and sweet conversation are shared between the family members and their dying pet."
Dr. Villalobos also created the HHHHHMM Quality of Life Scale which has been adopted at Connecticut Pet Hospice in Milford, CT. at Silver Sands Veterinary.
Attending doctors and nursing staff at Silver Sands Veterinary share this Quality of Life Scale with the owners of aging, very ill, debilitated, and/or terminally ill pets. It is strongly applicable to the cancer patient.
I would like to personally thank Dr. Villalobos for the creation of this Quality of Life Scale. I share it below, with you, as a starting point for any individual that has a pet at home that is very sick or aged and not doing well. I encourage taking a few moments to review the Scale carefully and then discussing it with your primary care veterinarian.
Hurt-Pain assessment daily
Hydration-fluid intake monitoring daily
Hunger-nutrition and calorie intake monitoring
Hygiene-clean and free of contaminants from soiling multiple times per day
Happiness-every day....every hour
Mobility-Is your pet moving well without discomfort and going about routine activities
More GOOD days than bad-VERY important....a series of bad days is a red light to call your Pet Hospice practitioner or your LDVM for immediate help
In these trying economic times there are many of our companions with debilitating diseases including-cancer; liver and kidney failure; pancreatic disease; severe orthopedic pain; and spinal problems. Connecticut Pet Hospice will work with your primary LDVM or oncologist to make sure that the increased quality of life and enhanced coordination of care that Dr. Myers writes about is in place and functioning. Nutrition, fluid therapy, and pain control will be reviewed. Working together your pet's journey can be comfortable and happy. Connecticut Pet Hospice is not about death but respecting the love of the Human-Animal Bond.
Dr. DeForge looks forward to seeing the establishment of Pet Hospices by other veterinarians in north east CT; south east CT; south west CT; north west CT; central CT; and north central CT.
With this regionalization, there will be a coordination of Hospices with LDVMs and the local 24/7 emergency rooms closest to that patient. It can happen and will happen if we place the importance of the Human-Animal bond above all else. Hospice is about returning unconditional love and nothing more!
Questions or Comments:
Call or write Dr. DeForge
1-800-838-3368
DoctorDeForge@yahoo.com
Animal Doc AM Multi-Media
http://animaldocammultimedia.blogspot.com
Silver Sands Veterinary Center
17 Seemans Lane
Milford, CT 06460
Dr. DeForge looks forward to seeing the establishment of Pet Hospices by other veterinarians in north east CT; south east CT; south west CT; north west CT; central CT; and north central CT.
With this regionalization, there will be a coordination of Hospices with LDVMs and the local 24/7 emergency rooms closest to that patient. It can happen and will happen if we place the importance of the Human-Animal bond above all else. Hospice is about returning unconditional love and nothing more!
Questions or Comments:
Call or write Dr. DeForge
1-800-838-3368
DoctorDeForge@yahoo.com
Animal Doc AM Multi-Media
http://animaldocammultimedia.blogspot.com
Silver Sands Veterinary Center
17 Seemans Lane
Milford, CT 06460
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