Essential Hospice and Palliative Care Strategies for Veterinary Professionals
This presentation will help to provide veterinary professionals with the essential tools and insights needed for navigating the delicate landscape of end-of-life scenarios. It examines the nuances of the hospice and palliative care philosophy, offering the expansion of this component of care. It reviews communication techniques that go beyond the clinical, fostering empathy and forging lasting bonds with families facing difficult decisions. The presentation looks at palliative care strategies to enhance the quality of life for patients. It also offers a wealth of resources within the veterinary community, ensuring the seamless continuation of care throughout the end-of-life journey.
Learning Objectives:
At the end of the presentation the attendee should be able to:
- state the 5-Step Hospice and Palliative Care Plan and explain key mindset shifts that occur when entering Hospice and Palliative Care
- recognize the role of empathy and communication tools in Hospice and Palliative Care relationship-building
- explain the benefits of utilizing QOL and Pain Scales in clinical practice
- identify areas of potential improvement in senior and geriatric workflow for more thorough healthcare
Tyler Carmack
DVM, CVA, CVFT, CHPV, CTPEP Certified, Hospice and Palliative Care
Time: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
A Peaceful Passing: Best Practices for In Home Pet Euthanasia
This presentation helps explain why families choose euthanasia over natural death. It looks at setting expectations and how to communicate the process to pet owners. The presentation covers pre-euthanasia sedation, euthanasia injection techniques, and aftercare, including memorialization options. Lastly it discusses on supporting pet owners through grief with resources and ongoing emotional support. This presentation helps the veterinarian and practice team perform in-home pet euthanasia compassionately and professionally.
Learning Objectives:
At the end of the presentation the attendee should be able to:
- prepare clients for what to expect during and after euthanasia, both emotionally and practically
- discuss the drugs, dosages, and administration techniques needed to ensure the pet’s comfort throughout the process
- explain the various euthanasia injection techniques, including alternative options
- outline all the aftercare options available to clients
Faith Banks
DVM, CHPV, CCRT
Time: 1:10 pm - 2:10 pm
Challenging Euthanasias: Case review and Preventing Dysthanasia
All practice team members want euthanasia procedures to go well. This presentation explores euthanasia cases and looks at how pet owners and veterinarians define a good death experience. It discusses what is ideal compared to what is considered a dysthanasia, the opposite of a good death. The presentation then looks at determining how best to address dysthanasias when they happen, aiming to protect the mental health of pet owners and the veterinary team.
Learning Objectives:
At the end of the presentation the attendee should be able to:
- describe the major differences between euthanasia and dysthanasia
- explain how to avoid dysthanasia
- outline effective communication with grieving clients
Kathleen Cooney
DVM, CHPV, CCFP
Time: 2:20 pm - 3:20 pm
End-of-Life Care: Providing Quality Palliative and Euthanasia Services
August 10, 2024 @ 12 pm - 3:30 pm ET
Speakers
Tyler Carmack
DVM, CVA, CVFT, CHPV, CTPEP Certified, Hospice and Palliative Care
Dr. Tyler is a Virginia Beach native and attended Frank W. Cox High School. She attended N.C. State University for both her undergraduate degree and DVM training. After graduation from veterinary school, she completed an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Friendship Hospital for Animals in Washington, DC, and an ophthalmology internship in New York. She has also worked as an emergency clinician at Palm Beach Veterinary Specialists in West Palm Beach before returning home to Virginia Beach.
Dr. Tyler is the Director of Hospice and Palliative Care for Caring Pathways. She founded Hampton Roads Veterinary Hospice in 2011 and has practiced exclusively hospice and palliative care for over a decade.
She has served on the Board of Directors of the International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care (IAAHPC) since 2016 in a variety of roles and often lectures about Veterinary Hospice and Palliative Care. Dr. Tyler currently holds certifications in animal hospice and palliative care, veterinary acupuncture, Chinese food therapy, and Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine End-of-Life care. Her professional interests include pain management and teaching.
Outside of work, Dr. Tyler enjoys sailing, traveling, reading, and spending time with her husband, two toddlers, and their extended family.
Faith Banks
DVM, CHPV, CCRT
Dr. Faith Banks graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph in 1996, and has been practicing veterinary medicine in Toronto, Ontario ever since. She opened Toronto’s first mobile veterinary hospice service in 2012 which now includes a team of 7 veterinarians and 11 hospice care coordinators.
She is amongst the first group of veterinarians to be named as a Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Veterinarian (CHPV) through the International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care. She has written two chapters in a textbook called “Treatment and Care of the Geriatric Veterinary Patient.” She is a guest lecturer at the Ontario Veterinary College for the Art of Veterinary Medicine course on animal euthanasia. She has completed the Pet Loss and Grief Companioning Certification course through Two Hearts Pet Loss Center, in addition to being certified as a Pet Loss Counsellor through the Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement.
Two years ago, she opened Toronto’s first pet water cremation service to provide families with an eco-friendly, personalized aftercare option for their beloved pets.
Her goal in providing compassionate in-home palliative, hospice, and end-of-life care is to allow people to strengthen and lengthen the bond they share with their much loved pet.
When not working, Dr. Banks enjoys photography, travelling, reading, cottaging, collecting vintage flea powder tins and spending time with her friends and family. She shares her home with her husband, 3 children, and 3 Bernese Mountain Dogs (aged 3, 10 and 14).
Kathleen Cooney
DVM, CHPV, CPEV, DACAW resident
Kathleen Cooney, DVM, CHPV, CPEV, has been practicing advanced end-of-life care since 2006. Dr. Cooney is Senior Director of Medical Education for the Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy (CAETA). She is well-known for her work in companion animal euthanasia and has authored two books on the subject along with numerous articles and book chapters. Dr. Cooney has collaborated in end-of-life training for the AVMA, AAHA, NAVC, IAAHPC, the Fear Free Program, and many more. She is a strong advocate for best practices in all aspects of end-of-life care and speaks nationally and internationally on such topics. Dr. Cooney is currently working towards board certification in animal welfare, expected in 2024 and is Affiliate Faculty at Colorado State University where she teaches end-of-life topics and animal welfare. She loves all things old and gray.
Why Attend?
The VetCE Virtual event series of micro-conferences is designed to deliver multiple approved RACE and/or CVPM CE credits in a concise, half-day virtual format with three consecutive one-hour presentations. The series not only provides you with the opportunity to benefit from educational sessions presented by expert speakers but also offers an easy way to learn and earn credits from the comfort of your home or office!
VetCE Virtual events cover a wide range of topics, from detailed medical discussions to practice management and other non-medical subjects relevant to everyday situations encountered by veterinary professionals. If you’ve already registered and happen to miss the live event, no worries, you’ll be given access to the OnDemand courses once they become available (typically about three weeks after the live event) Recordings of the sessions will be accessible for viewing for 2 weeks following each event, providing participants with a valuable reference.
Please be advised that we can not issue CE certificates for only viewing the session recordings. Anyone who registers for a VetCE Virtual event but is unable to attend the live sessions will get free access to the VetCE OnDemand courses we create from the recordings on VetMedTeam so you can still get CE credits!
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