Got an ailing or old pet? Have you considered 'pawspice'?

More and more vets offering pet hospice care, according to reports

It's something you probably don't want to think about: One day, your beloved pet is going to grow old and eventually go to animal heaven.

Regardless of your religious beliefs, we can all agree on that much, right?

Typically, the choices for pet owners with old or ill pets have been to pay exorbitant costs for treatments to cure what ails them (well, if possible), or to take them out of their pain altogether.

But what about those final days, or the final chapters?

Enter "pawspice," as it's being called: hospice for pets.

Pet hospice services are being offered more and more nationwide, as owners attempt to give their pets as comfortable a life as possible toward the end, according to published reports.

The New York Times wrote a story about the topic and said pet hospice is certainly not cheap; it can cost an estimated 25 percent more than euthanasia.

For some, though, the extra cost is worth it to see their pets live out their final days more peacefully.

In England, retired nurse Nicola Coyle opened up Britain’s first hospice for dogs, where she takes in pets who are about to be put down or have less than six months to live.

Coyle gives them bucket list items in their final days, such as steak dinners or trips to the beach.

While not for everyone, pet hospice has become a growing trend and an option for owners who want to give their beloved animals a slice of heaven, before they actually go there.

Would you consider it for your pet? Let us know in the comments.


About the Author:

Keith is a member of Graham Media Group's Digital Content Team, which produces content for all the company's news websites.