Vet clinic launches hospice for pets

The selection of medical treatments available to cats and dogs has grown tremendously in recent years. But when a pet reaches its final stages, owners are often left with few options.

That’s why Iowa Veterinary Specialties in Des Moines has launched a hospice and palliative care program.

An internist on staff at the 24-hour emergency veterinary clinic can diagnose maladies, such as cancer, and a team of doctors can dictate a treatment plan. But when those treatments stop working, the clinic now offers hospice services to ease the pain and discomfort as a pet reaches the end of its life.

Dr. Leah Braas, a graduate of Iowa State University’s college of veterinary medicine, has trained in traditional Chinese veterinary medicine. She performs acupuncture and other alternative therapies. Her fellow veterinarian Dr. Denise Mankin uses essential oils to help with the aches, pains and problems that occur in an ailing pet.

The goal of the new program is to ease suffering and allow pet owners an opportunity to cope with losing a beloved family member.

“The period of time a pet is in hospice and palliative care could be a day, weeks or months, just whatever length of time the owner and pet needs before they can let go,” Braas said.

“After a diagnosis, some owners and pets are left hanging, and the pet suffers for a few days until the owner finally grasps that euthanasia is necessary,” she said. “Or sometimes an owner is forced to make a decision on the spot and ends up euthanizing the pet right there without having that precious time to say goodbye.”

Working at an emergency clinic she has seen firsthand the trauma the sudden loss of a pet can bring an owner.

“We seek to manage the symptoms of the disease and make the time in between the end of active treatment and death as comfortable as possible,” Braas said. “Another important component is the discussion with the client and mentally preparing the owners for the death process and the fine details of their pet’s end stage with the disease.”

She likens the process to that seen in human hospice facilities.

“With human hospice, it’s been proven that families and patients in hospice who have conversations early on in the process live longer and better as they head toward their end of life. We seek to do the same with our clients and their pets,” Braas said.

Eventually, Iowa Veterinary Services hopes to provide in-home services for clients. The clinic is also considering in-home euthanasia services.

“We believe strongly in integrative medicine — to use Western medicine with Eastern medicine,” Braas said. “Some of the Eastern medicine options can end up decreasing the need for Western medications and thus the side effects that come along with them.”

Elizabeth Matney of Des Moines noticed a lump on the side of her pet Prezley, a 7¹/₂-year-old husky mix, last spring.

“It ended up being a hemangioma sarcoma, a tumor that develops around blood vessels,” Matney said. “We knew the time Prezley had left with us would be compromised by the side effects and recovery of surgery.”

Matney took Prezley on vacation to Colorado, Wyoming and South Dakota, but when they returned, she took him to see the oncologist at Iowa Veterinary Specialties, who started Prezley in the hospice program.

“He benefited from acupuncture for pain control,” Matney said. “I kept a journal of how much he was eating and his quality of life, then met weekly with the veterinarian to see how he was progressing.

“It was a terrible experience made better because of the hospice program. He was able to stay home up until the day he was euthanized.”

Iowa Veterinary Services also offers hospice and medical boarding for pets enrolled in the palliative care program. It’s an option for owners who don’t feel comfortable leaving a pet at home while they are at work or out of town.

“We are a 24-hour clinic and have an area set up to be quiet with music, a water fountain and a comfy orthopedic bed for those pets who need it,” Braas said.

Iowa Veterinary Specialties

WHAT: The 24-hour emergency pet hospital offers a range of veterinary services from dentistry to cancer treatments and surgery. It recently launched its hospice and palliative care program.

WHERE: 6110 Creston Ave., Des Moines.

CONTACT: 280-3100; www.iowaveterinaryspecialties.com.