The First Post/What is iaahpc?

We are here to help with the difficult questions, answers, feelings, decisions, and current lack of information on hospice care for animals.  This means we are here to help anyone concerned with the end of life compassionate care for animals or relieving pain in animals near the time of death or trying to understand and relieve pain in animals.  Whether you are a professional, (Veterinarian looking for information about providing Veterinary Hospice care,a Human Palliative Medicine provider, a Veterinary Nurse, or any Animal Care Professional) or just trying to get answers for your own animal, we are here.  Currently there is not a lot of information out there.  There ARE Veterinarians who have been practicing Animal Hospice (or Palliative or comfortable pain relieving care) for decades.  Unfortunately they are not yet in every city in the world, in every State in the USA, nor do most Veterinarians even know Animal Hospice exists.  There is a great deal of information available from both professional, commercial, owners and breeder sources to easily answer questions you may have about your new kitten or puppy.  We want to make information about Elder pet care just as easy to find when you need it.  Because we are all taking such good care of our animals, they are living longer and longer just like we are.  They are old enough to have more geriatric diseases and we must each ask what we want to do given our personal beliefs, what we can do given our resources and how to make these decisions in the best way we can.  We want to provide a place where those conversations, decisions and consideration can occur.  We also want to educate both Veterinarians and owners as well as other health professionals can get information or find a practitioner near you who can help.  There are both Allopathic, and Naturopathic  and inbetween Veterinarians practicing Palliative Care for animals.  There are those of us who believe in euthanasia and those that don't.  We hope we can provide a place for these debates to occur.  Our forums are open for discussions now, and we hope that you will help us grow this field so that when Jacquie-O needs it, there will be a place nearby that she can go.  Please comment here or contact us through www.iaahpc.org.  We grew out of a need that one dedicated Veterinarian (Dr. Amir Shanan) with a core group of people active in Veterinary Hospice Care and Veterinary Medicine.  This was done after the First International Symposium for Veterinary Hospice Care was held at the University of California at Davis College of Veterinary Medicine March 28-30,2008.  This conference was sponsored by the Nikki Hospice Foundation For Pets and the Assisi International Animal Institute, Inc.  I will talk about this legacy in another post, but in the meantime you can learn more here: www.PetHospice.org (Nikki Hospice Found.)  or www.iaahpc.org, the International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care website for information about what this organization is trying to accomplish.  I say "we" because I am committed to helping this organization get off the ground.  It is very new just having been granted 501c status that allows members to join.  This is not an "official" website, I have just been inspired to add this to the effort.  I have been so humbled and overwhelmed at the amazing conversations that have taken place through Twitter.  I also have been reinvigorated because I see just how important this is for the gentle creatures that we love.  I practiced Veterinary Medicine for a long time before I knew about Animal Hospice.  I struggled years with trying to find the most gentle ways of touching and treating older animals that were in pain.  I spent many years trying to read and communicate with others about euthanasia and it is a sacred and heavy responsibility to decide on and to assist.  I spent many of my working hours counseling pet parents  about their choices and options.  I had a "comfort room" like a living room where I could talk quietly and let parents and kids spend the night with the ill animal members of their family.  I began to understand that some folks just did not feel it was their right to euthanize their pet, and I helped those animals be as comfortable as possible until their time came to leave our world.  I had practiced Animal Hospice for many years without knowing it existed.  No matter what your beliefs are it is wrong for each Vet, each pet owner and each animal to go through this re-inventing the wheel.   It is wrong we are left feeling alone with these wonderful/terrible questions.   Animal Hospice needs to be as much a part of your pets lifeplan as good preventative care and good nutrition.  Hospice needs to be a part of every veterinary practice or Veterinary Hospice Practitioners be available everywhere.  I want this to be easier for Jacquie-O when she grows old BECAUSE I took such good care of her at the beginning of her life so I CAN take better care of her near the end of her life.  Please, comment, here or follow me on Twitter and let me know what you think!  xxxjmedvm