Telos Companion Animal Services, LLC

04/01/2025

WFH today as I tend to Animal Hospice Palliative Care (AHPC) concierge families afar, via Zoom. These cards are what I see just off screen, & are reminder of the legacy I’ve been part of. 🩵🐾

04/01/2025

Pet guardians enrolled in a concierge plan in-person or remotely benefit from 5 on-demand support videos as part of their plan.

The videos are also available a la carte to everyone else, & from now until April 5, each can be on your screen for $5 off by entering ‘spring5’ at checkout. 🩵🐾

Assessing pain, nausea, breathing difficulties & key vital signs in pets, including those on hospice Course • 1 lesson Being able to assess signs of nausea, pain, breathing difficulties & other key areas with subjective & objective observations promotes mastery in caregiving, & a pet's well being,...

03/29/2025

Writing prompts are a useful tool for those experiencing grief after a pet’s death. One of those is:

“Describe the emotions you are experiencing in your grief journey and why you think you feel that way.”

(To be clear, emotions—including joy, sadness, acceptance, disgust, anger, surprise, fear, anticipation—begin as sensations in the body, while feelings are our interpretation of said emotions, or how we ‘feel’ them.)

03/28/2025

03/27/2025

After my walking with families through their pet’s hospice, end-of-life, death & aftercare, they often say they’ve no regrets & they had ‘the best worst day ever’.

The majority opt for planned euthanasia care at home—even if this was a first for them—& often the vet only handles aftercare arrangements (*usually* cremation), but not always transport. I normally assist with aftercare to varying degrees.

I’m curious to know your questions & concerns on how all this works as I prepare an upcoming presentation.

If you’re not comfortable sharing here openly, you can do so privately at: [email protected]

03/27/2025

Not crazy about the options for feeding your pet? Accessing the guidance you need isn’t out of reach.

Food is one of those most important topics that is discussed in the focus of my work, and it’s not surprising. I use it as a positive reinf...

03/26/2025

I find what Tabitha has said to be relatable.

Are you concerned about your pet’s behavior? Chirrups and Chatter offers Virtual Training and comprehensive behavior solutions for dogs and cats – contact us!

03/25/2025

Tactile transitional objects are a useful way to navigate through a loss, like a death of a pet. You can learn more on that with the link directly below.

https://www.centerforloss.com/2023/12/youre-not-going-crazy-youre-grieving/

Some of my families have found the ones made by this company to be appreciable.

Discover the perfect stuffed animal that looks like your pet with Cuddle Clones! Our realistic stuffed animals that look like pets, custom dog plush, and plush pets capture your pet's unique features for a one-of-a-kind gift. Order your custom pet replica today!

03/24/2025

Trying to sort out appetite issues in your pet? From identifying where they fall from dysrexia, hyporexia & anorexia, to understanding how other symptoms can affect appetite to simple strategies to try before having a conversation with the vet, it’s all here, on demand👇🏻

Understanding appetite changes in pets who are in delicate health & how to navigate them is one of the most important skills for pet guardians. Lorrie Shaw, CAHP CHPA shows you how.

03/20/2025

03/18/2025

I had to have a conversation recently with a vet team on behalf of a family whose geriatric dog has fear aggression, complicated pain (DJD + nerve pain) & some occasional GI issues. They’re on an appropriate pain management protocol. They need grooming every few weeks, especially from a hygiene perspective. Sedation is needed in order for these interactions (groomer is within the vet’s clinic).

Did I mention aggression?? This dog gets very stressed out and will bite in situations like this.

The vet asserted that they weren’t comfortable with administering the required sedation to achieve what I thoughtfully & firmly made the case for being a part of the dog’s health care. Yes: hygiene grooming is health care. This includes trimming those nails as needed during these professional grooming sessions.

The family understands the possible impact of the drugs that need to be administered to their dog, whose blood work etc is stable. A consensus that the vet team & the guardian feel good about was reached, thankfully.

Balancing the needs of pets in advanced age often comes with increased risks, always with reasonable expectations, and revisiting the notion of ‘what is well-being?’. Vet med has done a terrific job of extending pets lives though with that comes the responsibility of keeping pace of how we (families, IDT members) meet the needs of pets whose needs are changing fast.

Consent-based care isn’t optional. It’s everything. And last week, someone I trusted chose to ignore it.

My beautiful, gentle 14-year-old Percy came home from his groomer shaking. She claims to use a force-free, stress-free approach. She does not.

Percy is deaf. He's partially blind. He's frail. And yesterday, someone I trusted to care for him with compassion chose to do the exact opposite.

I can't stop thinking about how scared he must have been.

Here's the thing about operating without force or fear - either you're doing it, or you're not. There's no middle ground. There's no "consent-based and compassionate, except when I'm annoyed or want to get the job done quickly."

We had discussed his boundaries extensively. He doesn't like his paws touched. His nails are sensitive. His muzzle and private areas are off-limits.

She knew I'd rather he come home half groomed than been forced through anything.

She KNEW all this.

And yet, for whatever reason, she did the opposite.

She shaved his entire muzzle. Shaved his private areas. Shaved his feet and clipped his nails. All the things we had explicitly agreed she would NOT do if he showed any discomfort.

To do this she would have HAD to restrain him, to force him, to subjugate him to a process that would have petrified him.

This wasn't an accident. This wasn't a miscommunication. This was a choice.

A choice to prioritize her process over my elderly dog's emotional wellbeing.

A choice to ignore his boundaries because they were inconvenient.

A choice to send a message: "Your dog's comfort doesn't actually matter to me, even though I pretend it does."

When a groomer, vet, trainer or any professional who works with dogs puts the end result above the emotional journey to get there, they are failing that dog.

Full stop.

I would rather have the scruffiest dog in town than know my boy spent even one minute feeling afraid and helpless while someone forced procedures on him.

I'm devastated that I couldn't protect him from this.

That someone who used all the right words - "low stress," "positive," "force-free" - chose to do the exact opposite the moment it became challenging.

When we talk about "consent-based care" for dogs, some people roll their eyes. "It's just a dog," they say. "Sometimes you have to just get things done."

But if you've ever looked into the eyes of a dog who trusts you completely to keep them safe... if you've ever felt the weight of that responsibility... you know.

You know that "just getting it done" isn't good enough. Not even close.

I don't care how perfect a groom looks if it came at the cost of my dog's dignity and trust.

I don't care how convenient it is to force a dog through a procedure instead of taking the time to build trust.

I don't care what anyone thinks about being "precious" with my dog's boundaries.

Because at the end of the day, I'm all Percy has. I'm his voice. I'm his advocate. And I failed him by trusting someone who used kindness as a marketing slogan rather than a genuine commitment.

To every professional working with dogs:
Words matter. Promises matter. But your actions matter most.

If you claim to be "low stress", "no fear" or "force free," but get frustrated when a dog doesn't comply, you're not what you claim to be.

If you advertise gentle handling but prioritize efficiency over emotional wellbeing, you're not what you claim to be.

If you think a result justifies trauma to get there, you're not what you claim to be.

All our dogs deserve better. They deserve practitioners who truly understand that consent isn't optional - it's everything.

You have the right to demand that of every professional in your dog's life.

Percy deserved better. And I'll spend every day making sure he never experiences anything like that again.

Because real love means respecting boundaries, even when it's inconvenient.

Real care means prioritizing emotional wellbeing over results.

Really working without fear isn't just marketing - it's a promise you keep even when no one is watching.

If the process isn’t kind, the result doesn’t matter.

03/16/2025

Updated site layout to make it easier to connect you with the info & support you need—including this nifty library of resources.

My top tips, product recommendations, articles, & free things that you can tap into RIGHT NOW to help you improve your sense of mastery in caregiving a pet with growing needs. 🐾

Families with pets that have age-related decline, life-limiting diagnoses or chronic illness can find it hard to keep up with caregiving and meeting the pet's needs. With the information, ideas, strategies and practical tools curated here, that can be hurdled.