Home to Heaven Pet Hospice Care

07/23/2024

02/14/2024

Spoil your 4 legged love for Valentine's Day.

02/03/2024

07/31/2023

This has some really good tips.

Now we know how to pet-proof a house, keep dogs active, and minimizing pet expenses at ease

05/16/2023

Old dogs are beautiful too ❤

10/24/2022

If a peaceful, loving, in-home end-of-life experience is what you wish for your pet, then you will probably need to make the euthanasia decision a little sooner than you want. Making that decision should not be about ceasing any suffering that has already occurred, but about preventing suffering from occurring in the first place.

10/19/2022

When my yellow Lab died last spring, I was flattened by an overwhelming sadness that’s with me still. And that’s normal, experts say, because losing a pet is often one of the hardest yet least acknowledged traumas we’ll ever face.

10/12/2022

Dogs are family ❤

03/13/2022

As a dog ages, several changes may occur besides a greying muzzle. Senior dogs have more health concerns than younger dogs, but they can still make playful, loving companions. Harmony Peraza, a veterinary technician and the study subject manager for the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Bio...

01/28/2022

❤

(Courtesy of Suzanne Clothier)

01/26/2022

How to handle grief after a pet’s death—and why we all need to change our attitudes about it

12/18/2021

Dogs with physical differences on the outside are still one-hundred percent dog on the inside. Maybe they’re missing an eye, or a leg, but they’re not missin...

12/03/2021

I know this is meant for people but sometimes losing a beloved pet during the holidays is just as difficult. Please remember to be kind to people during this season and always.

Holiday host etiquette: If you’re inviting someone to your home and they’re grieving, be sure you’re inviting their grief to attend, too. It will be there, anyway.

Don’t invite someone with the goal of cheering them up for the holidays. Don’t expect them to put on a happy face in your home. Don’t demand they fake it til they make it or do something they don’t want to do, either.

Invite them with the loving intention of offering cheer and companionship and unconditional care during the holidays. To do this, you will need to honor and be responsive to their needs and emotions.

You can do this by privately acknowledging their grief when you make the invitation:

“I know this season is extra hard and your heart is hurting. You and your grief are welcome in our home. Come as you are, we’d be honored to have you with us.”

It’s also incredibly loving to honor the reality that it’s often hard for grieving folks to know what they will want, need, be up for, or able to tolerate at the holidays.

Giving them an invite without the need for commitment and permission to change their mind is extra loving:

“You don’t have to decide right now. If it feels good to be with us, we will have plenty of food and love for you-just show up! I’ll check in again the day before to see if you’re feeling up to coming over and if there’s anything you’d like me to know about how we can support you.”

Your grieving friends and fam need attentive care and responsiveness at the holidays, not plans to keep them busy, distracted, and happy.

If they’re laughing, laugh with them.

If they’re weeping, ask if they’d like your company or your help finding a quiet place to snuggle up alone for awhile.

If they’re laughing while weeping, and this is more common than you’d think, stay with them - this is a precious moment of the human experience that is truly sacred.

We don’t need to protect ourselves or each other from grief at the holidays. In fact, the more we embrace grief as an honored holiday guest, the more healthy, happy, and whole our holidays will be. 🙏

In solidarity,
Sarah Nannen

11/26/2021

Sorry about all the ads but this is a great article. This is some of the things I’m trying to offer our senior pets.

The growing fields of veterinary palliative care and pet hospice provide dog owners with options that can extend your companion's quality of life .

11/24/2021

Red and Howling gets it right every single time . . . ❤

09/16/2021

This is a really great article showing a different way of looking at quality of life.

Even as a trained hospice veterinarian, I kept thinking things like “I can’t euthanize a healthy dog because he’s acting weird”.

02/20/2021

Wow!!!

Many years ago, my across-the street-neighbor and friend, Preston Dyer — many in Waco know Preston as the founding director of Baylor University’s Social Work Program — called and asked

01/31/2021

It’s difficult to think about, but the more you know, the better off you'll be able to make a decision for your pet.

12/24/2020

With an extended absence away from a senior or geriatric dog, owners may feel guilty or stressed about asking someone, even a close friend, to watch him/her. In some cases, they may even be considering saying a final goodbye before they leave town simply because the stress is too much on their elderly dog, and/or an immense burden on a caregiver.

No, this is not a selfish decision, and sometimes this holiday time away from home is a safe, supported environment to grieve with family and friends.

12/15/2020

Safety items are a must for homes with older pets.

Well-placed throw rugs, and even yoga mats, give senior dogs the confidence to walk across slippery tile, hardwood, and laminate flooring. Ramps are quite helpful to help dogs go up and down stairs and to get in and out of the car. And, stairs designed for pets can help your Grey Muzzle safely enjoy sitting on the sofa or napping on your bed.

12/11/2020

This has some great information.

As our dogs age, the risk of cognitive dysfunction increases--much like it does in people. Here are 7 things things you can do to help your pup (and you) manage the effects of these cognitive changes.
https://bit.ly/3oAMlzc

12/10/2020

Beautifully stated . . . 💔💕

(Courtesy of loveliveson.com)

12/09/2020

I love this info graphic. It really helps make us aware that are beloved pets may be in pain.

Recognizing pain in our pet companions can sometimes be difficult. Symptoms are often subtle. But, pain is something that most of our senior/geriatric pets deal with on a routine basis.

Here is a great infographic courtesy of the IVAPM on recognizing pain in your pet so that you can reach out to your veterinarian when you recognize these symptoms.