#1 On Your Pet's Bucket List

We make bucket lists for ourselves, and bucket lists for our pets - things that we must do before one does or our beloved pet passes on. What do you think is on your pet’s bucket list? Maybe a big ice cream with chocolate syrup and a cherry on top? A car ride with the windows rolled completely down and your pet’s ears floating in the wind? A romp in the woods or a long massage under the warm sun?

In beautiful & simple language, Kate Klise, author of “Stay: A girl, A dog, A bucket list” describes what she believes to be at the top of Eli' the dog’s bucket list. In her book, Astrid, starts noticing that her best friend, Eli, is getting old and can’t do what he used to. Astrid desires to create a bucket list of things they can do together before Eli gets too old. Astrid reads to Eli, has takes Eli for a bike ride, goes to a fancy restaurant and shares a meal with Eli, and shares many more bucket list experiences with him. In the end, what is on Eli’s list? Being with Astrid: “It was the only thing that had ever been on Eli’s list”.

At the heart of the bucket lists we create for our pets are shared experiences and time together. In dialoguing with Kate Klise about this article , she wrote that she had no idea pet hospice existed. Kate is not alone in this, many pet parent’s don’t realize that pet hospice and palliative care are options for their aged pets or pets struggling with a terminal or life limiting disease. One of the primary focuses of pet hospice & palliative care is enhancing quality of life for your pet so that you and your furry friend can enjoy comfortable, meaningful time together. This is a deep level of care that cherishes and emphasizes life through helping your pet live each day to the fullest.

Pet hospice veterinarians are specially trained to address your pets’ care, including creating safe and comfortable living environments, education on care and expectations, pain recognition & management,  nutritional counseling, managing mobility, maintaining hydration, and quality of life assessing. All of this is so very important so that the time we have with our precious pets can be good time spent together. Embrace time with your pets and loved ones and make treasured memories!

Special thanks to author Kate Klise for contributing to this article.