For pets diagnosed with a terminal illness or are at the end of their golden years, it’s essential to calmly minimize any discomfort or distress.

How To Care For An Elderly Pet:

• Consult with us so that we can treat any health problems, and also offer pain medication specifically tailored to your pet to help them cope.
• Make sure your beloved pet is surrounded with the things it loves like their favorite bed, blanket, toy, and a shirt or item of clothing that smells like you as it gives them comfort to have your smell near them.
• Make sure their bedding area has cushioning as dogs with limited mobility can develop pressure sores.
• Do not make them climb or jump and assist them when you need to.
• Older pets can have incontinence and wet themselves, so be sure to check if they have soiled themselves and change the bedding.
• If your pet needs assistance to use the bathroom, you can help carry or assist them with a large towel.
• Talk to your pet and tell them how much you love them. Let them be near you as much as possible. Don’t neglect them.

Palliative Care:

• Also known as pet hospice care, and this is when your pet is suffering from a terminal illness that has no cure.
• The goal is to make the final days or weeks of your pet a little more comfortable with pain medications and human interaction. But remember that you must be careful not to just prolong the suffering of pets in extreme pain. Please consult with us to help you decide when it’s time to let go.
• Also, remember, caring for this pet means that you will have to devote time to be your pet’s primary nurse and caregiver. This is a demanding role for you as well, with other time constraints.
• At Westlands Vet Clinic, we are happy to take care of your pet in our day-care or boarding facilities to help ease the burden when you just need a break or cannot provide this care.

• Euthanasia is a completely humane, painless, and peaceful end to the suffering of your pet, who is in too much suffering and pain and has no quality of life.
• The procedure is simple, and your pet receives a sedative followed by a particular medication.
• Your pet feels no pain and no awareness, and the passing is gentle and kind.
• We will advise you on when is the right time to euthanize if you are in too much grief and unable to come to this decision.
• In Office: We give you the option to be in the room during the process so you can fully say goodbye to your pet.
• House Calls: At Westlands Veterinary Clinic, we understand that you may want to say goodbye to your pet at home in its comfortable surrounding, and we are happy to come to you and help you with this.

To help you rest easy, we are happy to help you with all of the following:

• Dead Pet Transport Services.
• Burials: We can arrange for burial services at Kabete, where there are facilities for pets.
• Cremations: We can also arrange for cremation services if you prefer.

We have gathered some useful resources to help you get through this difficult time.  Just click on any of the links below:

1. Pet Loss
2. Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement
3. Rainbow Bridge
4. Helping Children Cope with Serious Illness or Death of a Companion Animal
5. Children in Grief
6. Canine Grief
7. Feline Grief
8. Lap of Love Pet Loss Support Services