End of Life Care

The most difficult question that we have to help answer is:  When is it the right time to say goodbye to my pet?

As our pets age, we begin to notice that they may lose a little bounce in their step.  They might have to work a little bit harder to stand up.  The eyes don’t always function like they did when they were puppies or kittens.  Once our pets reach the age of 7, we begin to recommend enhanced diganostic testing (bloodwork) in order to identify any potential issues that dogs or cats may be experiencing as a result of the aging process.

In addition to the use of X-rays, bloodwork and enhanced physical exams, the Shamrock Living team will discuss with you some things that you can observe about your senior pet and their quality of life when they are in their home environment.  Together with you, we can make recommendations for your home to keep your pets comfortable and safe as their ability to navigate their environment becomes more difficult.

Since our pets can’t tell us how they are feeling verbally, we give you tools that help you to identify trends in your pet’s health and behavior.  Our goal in this stage of communicating with you is to help you and your family come to terms with making this difficult decision and to help, wherever possible, to ensure that your pet is not suffering unnessecarily at the end of his or her life.

The grieving process is different for every pet owner.  At Shamrock Animal Hospital, we pride ourselves on being available to you to discuss the grieving process, provide resources and ultimately, help you decide if and when it is the right time to bring a new pet into your life.