From a Hospice Vet: Navigating The Holiday Season with your Senior or Sick pet

With the first few chilly days recently, plus texts from my Mother-in-Law regarding plans already coming in, I am reminded that the busy holiday season will soon be upon us. Despite the fact that I truly do love the holiday season, it also stresses and exhausts me in a way that no other time of year does. For a variety of reasons, our pets can also feel an increased amount of stress and anxiety during this time of year as well. For pets with chronic or terminal illnesses, these stresses could affect their current state in a negative way or even lead to reduced overall quality of life. I am a firm believer that a little forethought and preparation can save you from some of the stress load in the future. Here are a few tips to help you prepare.

1. Prepare for Changes In Your Pet’s Condition and Anticipate Longer Wait Times to Be Seen.

If you know your pet has a chronic or serious disease, be sure to have a full discussion with your veterinarian regarding contingency plans for "if this, then that". For example, “if my pet with chronic illness begins to have diarrhea during our clinic’s holiday hours or we cannot get an immediate appointment, we will give the recommended supplement, medication, and/or diet. We will reach out to notify our vet. If symptoms persist, we will proceed to the ER located at 123 Referral Street”. Or “If my pet begins to show increased pain behaviors (and I know what to look for now!) I may go ahead and begin prescribed medication to layer onto my pet’s current plan. I can let my vet know and monitor for improvements.”

2. Prepare for Changes That May Come With Weather

Cooler outdoor temperatures can be wonderful for some pets, but may be a detriment to others. Colder weather can stress the body and exacerbate diseases, especially osteoarthritis. Be sure to speak with your veterinarian early about your pet's current pain level and pain management protocol. Remember, the best pain management protocols utilize a multimodal technique and should include a combination of targeted supplements, medications, and physical medicine options. I often encourage families to consider using a Pain Scale for Dogs or Pain Scale for Cats, found on our Resources Page, to help assess their pet’s current pain level at home. You may then bring up concerns and findings from the scale more confidently with your veterinarian. ***Many clinics currently have high wait times to set an appointment. Make yours now!

3. Prepare for Changes That May Occur Secondary to Altered Schedules and Environment

One thing families may not think of during the holidays are all of the changes that occur in the home environment such as moving furniture and adding decorations. There may be a higher volume of people in and out of the home. Schedules and routines may be altered. These changes can trigger a stress response in some dogs and cats which may be more pronounced if they are already in fragile condition with a chronic illness.

If you know your older or ill cat or dog may be sensitive to changes, you may consider keeping environmental changes to a minimum this holiday season. You may also speak to your vet about supplements, medications, and/or environmental management strategies that may help alleviate some of your dog or cat’s anxiety associated with these changes. And again, should your pet begin to show signs of decline, I cannot overstate how valuable it can be to have appropriate symptom management and contingency plans in place well ahead of time.

4. Prepare for Travel

Holiday travel can be another factor to consider. Many of us participate in some amount of travel during this time of year. Traveling either with or without your pet can be difficult or stressful.

If you plan to bring your pet along with you on a holiday visit out of town, and you worry they may become anxious, speak to your vet now about a plan of action that may help them to feel better during travel. For pets with mobility issues, travel could even be painful. It can be helpful to take frequent breaks to move, stretch, and use the bathroom. Be sure to have that pain management protocol in place well before you leave and do not forget a full supply of your pet’s medications.

In advance, locate a veterinary office and 24 hour emergency and referral hospital in the location of travel. Bring along your pet’s recent records or have them stored in your email.

If leaving your pet at home during your travels, be sure to make plans for your pet’s care well in advance. For older pets or pets with chronic illnesses, the kennel environment may be too much for them. Staff may or may not be able to give medications and therapies that are critical for your pet’s wellbeing. Start your search as early as possible for reliable in-home pet sitters. Your vet’s office may have a list of trusted pet sitters or even staff technicians who may be able to help.

If you are traveling without your pet and may be out of reach, it is critical to inform caretakers and your veterinarian of your wishes for your pet should their health decline. Do not leave home without an A, B, or C plan in place.

5. Prepare for Making Tough Decisions

If know your pet has a chronic or serious illness, it is smart to have full discussion regarding future euthanasia options. I know this conversation is not an easy one. But what may be harder than having that conversation is finding yourself without a plan and panicking, already stressed during a busy time of year, while your pet is in pain or distress. These conversations can give you the tools you need to look for certain signs or behaviors that may clue you in on a decline before things get to a state of emergency.

This discussion can also serve to prepare you for future euthanasia or natural death and inform you of all options. Perhaps you are more comfortable with euthanasia in a clinic setting. Know your clinic’s policies, procedures, and schedules ahead of time. Perhaps you desire euthanasia at home in order to make the experience as personal and stress-free for your pet as possible. Reach out to your local in-home hospice veterinarian now to make that connection and learn how you would go about setting up the visit. Again, hashing out a logical plan of action ahead of time, instead of waiting until the heat of the moment, can be helpful. Examples: “Based on discussion with my hospice vet, when my sick pet begins to lose the ability to enjoy sitting in the window and bird watching and symptoms progress to create more bad days than good days (and I know what to look for now!), I will reach out to give her a heads up and schedule a tentative euthanasia visit”. Or “If my pet begins to show signs of distress from his end stage hemangiosarcoma, then I will give ‘X’ medication to help him feel better and call our vet to the house to proceed with our euthanasia plan. If we cannot arrange a housecall euthanasia visit within a reasonable amount of time, we will head to the ER”.

6. Prepare to Say No and to take care of you!

Lastly, all of us as caretakers need to remember to take care of ourselves during these busy times as well. Don’t forget to block off time here and there to just snuggle with your pet on the couch and put on some Netflix. My personal favorite holiday movies are Love Actually (sorry!), Christmas Vacation, and The Holiday, among many others. And remember, when communicating with friends and family during this busy time, “No” is a complete sentence.