Palliative Care for Pets

The goals of veterinary oncology and palliative care have always been well aligned since quality of life has been the overriding concern for animals undergoing cancer treatment. The need for palliative care in veterinary oncology is already great, but will likely continue to increase as the field better defines the indications for curative and palliative therapy and recognizes that some aspects of palliative care can be integrated into curative therapies in order to create a continuum of cancer management. It is becoming more common to encounter owners who refuse to euthanize a pet with terminal illness, making the provision of palliative care for veterinary patients a necessity. Approximately half of all animals with cancer will die because of the disease and most will require symptom or pain control. Supportive medications such as antibiotics, stool softeners, anti-emetics, and analgesics are administered to ease symptoms either with or without primary therapy. Adequate pain management is a priority, but pain can be difficult to interpret in some animals. Therapy for chronic pain is especially challenging when treating cats, as data developed in other species cannot be safely extrapolated to the cat. It is important that dosages of all medications are appropriately adjusted for the size and species of each animal.

Our compounding pharmacy can provide customized dosage forms to simplify medication administration to a compromised animal, easing the anxiety of both owner and pet.

Copyright 2004, Storey Marketing - Veterinary Website Updates. All rights reserved. Questions regarding this article should be directed to the compounding professionals at Thrifty Health and Compounding Pharmacy.