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You don't have to do this alone.
In Home Hospice and Palliative Care (HPC)
Our hospice program is bond-centered, meaning we not only focus on providing the best care to your senior pet, we focus on supporting you and your family as you go through this journey with them. This includes educating families about their pet's disease or condition and what to expect as they decline, assisting with recognizing and managing pain and other symptoms, and being there to support you all through all of the uncertainty along the way. Alissa uses integrative medicine in a personalized care plan for each patient to help them have the best quality of life for as long as possible. This may include physical medicine (including physical therapy exercises, PEMF, massage; can provide information for acupuncture), Western herbal medicine, nutrition & nutraceuticals (supplements), aromatherapy (pheromones), and pharmaceuticals. Entry into our HPC program starts with an in home assessment, which generally take 1.5 - 3 hours and need to be scheduled at least 3 days in advance.
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If you are caring for a senior pet, we suggest checking out the Pet Caregiver Burden website. You cannot take the best care of your pet if you are not taking care of yourself as well.
In Home Assessment (for hospice & palliative care)
Starts at $400 (distance fees may apply)
***Please note that this fee does not include 24/7 concierge access to care and it does not guarantee we can assist with an emergency euthanasia if we already have appointments scheduled.***
It can be difficult for your aging pet's primary veterinarian to get an accurate idea of their pain or quality of life levels. Many pets are stressed or excited to be at the clinic, and adrenaline may mask symptoms. And in fact, pet caregivers (owners) are the BEST judges of how their pet is doing, but sometimes they need help to know just what to look for.
Alissa will do a thorough review of history (including medical records prior to the appointment which can take several hours if extensive), assessment of the home, and physical exam to help guide you through end of life decision making for your beloved pet. A customized folder of resources will be left with you at the appointment. What enrollment into our HPC program includes and what ongoing costs will be (the first 1-3 months of communications and care plan management are included complimentary with the assessment) are discussed at this time, as we need to meet you and see your pet in order to best tailor it to your and their needs, including coming up with a detailed treatment plan for keeping your pet comfortable as long as possible (not all pets are candidates for hospice care). Hospice/palliative care treatment plans may include medications (not included in assessment cost), physical therapy, home modifications and more. While we do have limited diagnostic testing available (see below), she may also recommend you have your pet examined and a workup completed (diagnostic treatment including bloodwork +/- imaging etc) at their primary veterinarian if this has not been performed recently.
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If you are interested in scheduling an in home assessment for your pet please start by submitting this questionnaire and having medical records emailed to alissa@faithfulheartsvet.com. If you would like more information first, please call, text, or email us at faithfulheartsvet@gmail.com.
CANCELLATION POLICY: Due to the extensive amount of pre-planning and the time allotted for in home assessments, we ask that if cancelling you give 48 hours notice in advance. Otherwise a $125 cancellation fee may be applied. If the appointment is not cancelled and we arrive for an appointment but service is no longer needed, a cancellation fee will be applied based on the drive time and supplies prepared.
If after the assessment, humane euthanasia is opted for at the same appointment, the euthanasia fee will be discounted to $100.
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Drive times (1 way, from our office)
30-44min = +$25
45-59min = +$50
60-74min = +$150
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Hospice / Palliative Care Rechecks
At the in home assessment Alissa will discuss with you what category your pet best fits into: palliative, early hospice, or advanced hospice. Depending on where your pet fits and on what level of support you need as a caregiver, we will check in with regularly with texts or emails (or phone calls if needed) and we will be available to answer questions and address concerns as needed.
Fees and requirements for recheck appointments to stay enrolled in our HPC program, customized to you and your pet's needs, will be discussed and outlined at the in home assessment.
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For current hospice & palliative patients, we have an online pharmacy available here:
In Home Quality of Life Consult (standalone, no ongoing care)
*Currently offered Mon/Thurs/Fri 9am-6pm, must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance*
These are brief consult appointments for those not interested in hospice or palliative care, but wanting guidance on deciding if humane euthanasia is an appropriate choice for their pet at the current time. Please have any most recent diagnostic results available for review at the appointment or submit them to us beforehand (may be emailed to alissa@faithfulheartsvet.com). If humane euthanasia is not chosen based on the consult, a small packet of resources will be left with the family.
The costs for these appointments (including housecall, physical exam, & consult) are based on distance/drive times and are as follows for consults 30min or less:
$150 (<30min one way from our office, mapped at time of appointment request)
$200 (31-44min one way)
$225 (45-59min one way)
$325 (60-74min one way)
$425 (75-90min one way)
Additional time $25/15min, maximum 1 hour
Please contact us or submit an info form to get specific pricing for your location.
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Limited diagnostics (see below) can be performed for additional fees, with advanced notice. Dr. Anderson will discuss her diagnostic recommendation(s) with you at the consult.
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PLEASE NOTE, these are the typical outcomes for a consult:
1) If humane euthanasia is not recommended and further care is desired, a full hospice assessment may be scheduled.
2) If humane euthanasia is not recommended and further care is desired, we may refer you back to your pet's regular vet for workup and treatment.
3) If humane euthanasia is recommended, an in home or comfort room euthanasia may be scheduled.
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If humane euthanasia is opted for and time allows at the same appointment (NOT GUARANTEED), the euthanasia cost will be discounted to $175 (size fees apply).
At these appointments we will require the caregivers sign a waiver acknowledging that Faithful Hearts/Dr. Anderson are not taking on providing ongoing patient care and these are stand-alone appointments. If appropriate we can recommend and/or prescribe short-term medications through our online pharmacy.
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Diagnostic Testing
*Costs below include blood draw, medical supply, & biologic waste disposal fees
Packed cell volume (PCV) $40
Blood chemistry panel $120
Some specific test panels with advanced notice - thyroid, pancreas, liver, renal (pricing varies)
Urine Specific Gravity (USG) + dipstick urinalysis $30 – Owner must collect sample day of appointment (preferably first urination of day) and place in clean container, please refrigerate until we arrive.
Quality of Life Concerns
We understand that a full in home assessment or consult may not be necessary or practical for all families. If you feel that it may be time to let your pet go, but are uncertain, visiting our blog post here may be helpful. We do not charge for brief phone conversations to help walk you through these difficult decisions, and we can email additional resources if needed.
