{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.01755348326933626, 'fraction_numerical': 0.009873834339001646, 'mean_word_length': 5.141414141414141, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Elements of and factors important in veterinary hospice.

JAVMA, Vol 238, No. 2, January 15, 2011 P veterinarians often face situations in which a client is dealing with the imminent death of a beloved pet. Veterinarians have long practiced end-of-life care, palliative care, and euthanasia and are able to communicate the medical realities of a pet’s disease while remaining sensitive to the strong emotional bond between client and pet. Recently, more clients may be inquiring about hospice for terminally ill pets. Thus, veterinarians and support staff—especially front desk personnel and staff who may field initial telephone inquiries—should be familiar with the term and with methods to meet these clients’ needs. In veterinary medicine, the term hospice typically refers to the veterinary care provided after a condition likely to cause death within weeks to months is diagnosed, regardless of whether the animal’s condition is incurable or the owners have elected to not pursue specific treatment of the underlying condition. Hospice care involves a personalized plan of care that embraces palliative treatment of the animal, supports family members as they prepare for the imminent death of the animal, and enables the animal and family to share quality time together. Veterinary hospice is based on the same basic tenets as human hospice, which were developed during the late 1960s in the United Kingdom and during the early 1970s in the United States as an alternative to aggressive treatment or nontreatment of terminally ill people. For both humans and animals, the most common condition necessitating hospice care is cancer. One key difference between humans and animals with regard to hospice care options is the availability of euthanasia for animals. Elements of and factors important in veterinary hospice