Quality of Life Consultations & Pet Palliative Care
Furwells provides compassionate in-home palliative care consultations for pets across Brisbane, supporting pets with chronic or life-limiting conditions to maintain comfort, dignity, and quality of life.
We’re here to help create a personalised palliative care plan that support’s you and your pet’s unique needs - focusing on pain relief, emotional well-being and mobility support, as well as maintaining appetite, hydration and toileting habits. By conducting quality of life assessments in-home, we are able to create highly tailored plans and provide ongoing support through the ups and downs along the way.
When should you consider a quality of life consultation?
You and your pet may benefit from a palliative care consultation if:
your pet has been diagnosed with a serious and progressive illness
you’ve noticed changes in your pet’s behaviour (e.g. restlessness, vocalising more, toileting indoors, difficulty getting up or moving around)
you’re unsure how your pet is coping
you’re starting to question your pet’s quality of life
Pets are masters of disguise - especially cats - and so the need for palliative care support for our pets is not always obvious. As a general rule, if you have any doubt about your pet’s quality of life, or have noticed any changes in your pet even if they are subtle, it is always best to talk it through with a veterinarian.
We are always here to talk it through, and will advise an in-home consultation if more assessment and support is needed.
What to expect
During an in-home quality of life consultation, we will:
assess your pet’s comfort and daily function, such as their appetite, thirst, mobility and behaviour
discuss treatment and support options where they need it most
help you understand what to expect moving forward
guide you through future decision-making
We will discuss a personalised palliative care plan, tailored to your pet’s specific needs, to help improve their comfort and wellbeing. Part of this is also equipping you with knowing the ‘red flags’ to look for specific to your pet’s condition, that may signal deterioration, to support you in making compassionate decisions for your pet at the right time.
Supporting you through this process
It’s completely normal to feel unsure and overwhelmed when faced with a pet who may need palliative care support.
We are here to help you understand your pet’s condition, provide reassurance and support, and help you in making compassionate decisions at the right time.
If you have concerns about your pet’s comfort or quality of life, we’re here to help.
What is pet palliative care?
Palliative care focuses on improving your pet’s comfort and wellbeing when they are living with a serious or progressive health condition. While age is not a disease, for very senior pets, age-related changes can impact a pet’s quality of life day-to-day. Our role is to objectively assess your pet’s current quality of life, hear any concerns you have, and together develop a plan that helps support your pet’s comfort everyday.
This may include:
pain management
mobility support
nutritional guidance
environmental adjustments