In-Home Veterinary Palliative Care & Medication Services
Whether your pet is approaching end-of-life or simply aging rapidly, in-home palliative care can help them experience more comfort and dignity during the later and final stages of their life.
Our palliative programs can include:
- Quality of Life Scores: Accurately assessing your pet's current quality of life score helps us to learn which stage he or she is truly experiencing.
- Pain Medication: In most cases, we can make your pet more comfortable by reducing — or even eliminating — the pain they may be experiencing.
- Other Medications: If your pet needs additional medications, we can assess on-site and have them prescribed immediately.
- Dietary Changes: Your pet may benefit from a different diet suited to their current needs.
Having your pet thoroughly examined by one of our veterinarians can reveal a lot and will enable us to come up with the best plan possible for their well-being.
Is Palliative Care Right for Your Pet?
Palliative care is a good fit for many situations that aren’t full end-of-life decisions:
- Chronic pain or discomfort even with existing treatment
- You want to focus on comfort rather than curative treatment
- Age-related decline without a specific terminal diagnosis
- You're not ready to consider end-of-life care, but want ongoing support
Common Questions About In-Home Palliative Care
Is palliative care the same as end-of-life care?
A lot of people confuse “palliative care” with “end-of-life care”, which isn’t necessarily the case. Some pets requiring palliative services can sustain a fairly consistent quality of life indefinitely and our end-of-life euthanasia services may not be required for some time.
What exactly is palliative care and how will you help my pet?
The goal is to relieve physical symptoms without necessarily treating their underlying cause. For an aging or near end-of-life pet experiencing pain, we offer medication to combat it, along with diet changes or other adjustments to lessen symptoms — with a focus on comfort.
How do I know if my pet is a candidate for palliative care?
If your pet has a chronic condition, is aging, or is showing discomfort that isn’t necessarily terminal, a consultation can help determine whether palliative care — rather than immediate end-of-life decisions — is the right next step.
Does palliative care replace my pet's regular veterinarian?
No. We work alongside your regular vet, focusing specifically on in-home comfort care. We’re happy to coordinate with them directly if helpful.
Palliative care is led by Dr. Yvonne Lee, B.Sc., B.V.Sc., a Toronto veterinarian with 20+ years of experience in compassionate in-home care. Learn more about Dr. Lee →
We provide in-home palliative care throughout Toronto and the GTA. See our full list of service areas →
We're here when you're ready
Comfort, Compassion, and Love Until the Very End
Reach out for a free, no-obligation conversation. We’ll answer your questions and help you find the right path forward — with warmth, and without pressure.