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GRH Ageing and end of life
The field of veterinary medicine is not only dedicated to the health and well-being of animals throughout their lives but also encompasses the critical stages of aging and end-of-life care. As animals age, they require specialized attention and support to ensure their quality of life and comfort. This collection is part of BSAVA’s Graduate Resource Hub, a bank of resources we've carefully curated to support our new graduate members in your transition into your first job and beyond. 1st, 2nd and 3rd year qualified members should login via the BSAVA login button to access the full content.
Collection Contents
10 results
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BSAVA PetSavers Ageing Canine Toolkit leaflet
BSAVA PetSavers-funded research at the University of Liverpool (the Old Age Pets (OAP) research project) aimed to help vets and clients provide the best care for senior and geriatric dogs. The research showed that many owners find it difficult to know what are ‘normal’ age-related changes or whether signs indicate possible disease that would benefit from veterinary advice and treatment. It also suggested that it would be useful to develop standardised tools to assess a senior dog, including the most common signs to look out for, when to seek advice from a veterinary practice and to help guide discussions during consultations.
Key research findings from the in-depth interviews, quantitative surveys and data mining of records in the SAVSNET database were used to develop a checklist for clients to complete as part of a home triage. Answers of ‘yes’, ‘no’ and ‘maybe’ are coded according to traffic light colours red, green and amber to aid recognition of areas of concern, and clients are encouraged to seek advice from their veterinary practice for any red or amber responses.
This leaflet contains 6 copies of the checklist to encourage clients to work through it at least every 6 months, keeping completed versions for comparison, and also includes information that ties in with the checklist topics and provides a good background about the more common health problems affecting aged dogs. This was made possible thanks to the input of the PetSavers management committee and was launched at BSAVA Congress 2023.
This free leaflet is also available in print format and is supported by a double-sided poster for practice waiting rooms.
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BSAVA PetSavers Ageing Canine Toolkit poster
BSAVA PetSavers-funded research at the University of Liverpool (the Old Age Pets (OAP) research project) aimed to help vets and clients provide the best care for senior and geriatric dogs. The research showed that many owners find it difficult to know what are ‘normal’ age-related changes or whether signs indicate possible disease that would benefit from veterinary advice and treatment. It also suggested that it would be useful to develop standardised tools to assess a senior dog, including the most common signs to look out for, when to seek advice from a veterinary practice and to help guide discussions during consultations.
This free, double-sided poster is also available in print format. It supports the Ageing Canine Toolkit (ACT) client leaflet which includes copies of an checklist for home triage and information about the more common health problems affecting aged dogs.
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End-stage care
BSAVA Manual of Practical Veterinary WelfareAuthors: Lisa Howe and Carrie KearnsGiving clients and their families a positive euthanasia experience is essential for all veterinary practices and veterinary professionals. Getting the euthanasia process wrong may impact a practice’s reputation but getting it right will lead to the bond between client and practice being stronger than ever. This chapter considers the decision to euthanize, the bereavement process, psychological responses to grief, client support, how to give your client a positive euthanasia experience, post-mortem examinations, how to assist grieving clients, supporting bonded animals, supporting veterinary professionals and training.
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How to…
Deal with the client who declines euthanasia Author Christine Magrath
Christine Magrath of the Veterinary Defence Society offers advice on dealing with these sensitive situations.
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Petsavers Ageing Canine Toolkit
BSAVA Webinar LibraryAuthors: Carrie Westgarth and Zoe BelshawCarrie Westgarth and Zoe Belshaw discuss the new BSAVA PetSavers Ageing Canine Toolkit. BSAVA PetSavers funded the Old Age Pets project at the University of Liverpool aiming to help vets and owners provide the best care for senior dogs. The research showed that it can be difficult for owners to know what ‘normal’ age-related changes are or whether signs indicate possible disease that would benefit from veterinary advice and treatment. Key findings from the study were therefore used to develop a traffic light colour-coded checklist to help owners know whether to seek advice from a veterinary practice and to guide discussions during consultations. The Ageing Canine Toolkit leaflet includes several copies of this checklist and information about the more common health problems affecting ageing dogs and is supported by a poster for veterinary practice waiting rooms. This one-hour webinar was first broadcast as part of BSAVA’s Learn@Lunch series. Learn@Lunch broadcasts are available to BSAVA members only and are free to attend - visit the education page of the BSAVA website for details of future Learn@Lunch webinars. Recordings will be available for 3 years via the BSAVA Webinar Library.
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Quality of life and decision making around end of life care
BSAVA Webinar LibraryAuthor Samantha LindleySamantha Lindley discusses quality of life, the patients where this particularly needs to be considered and how to discuss this difficult issue with owners. This one-hour webinar was first broadcast as part of BSAVA’s Learn@Lunch series. Learn@Lunch broadcasts are available to BSAVA members only and are free to attend – visit the education page of the BSAVA website for details of future Learn@Lunch webinars. Recordings will be available for 3 years via the BSAVA Webinar Library.
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Palliative care
Palliative care for the soul Author BSAVA CongressPalliative care isn’t just about keeping patients clinically cared for after they have been diagnosed with terminal cancer. It is also about looking after the emotional health of both the pet and its owner, Veterinary Technician Specialist in behaviour and oncology Linda Ryan told colleagues in a presentation in the VN stream at BSAVA Congress 2019.
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Client support for patients with terminal illness
BSAVA Congress Proceedings 2019Author Fiona McDowall
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How to…
Discuss euthanasia with your client Authors: Jane R. Shaw, Erin Allen and Dell Rae MoellenbergOur pets are considered an integral part of the family and the euthanasia of a pet is a tough decision for vet and owner alike. Jane R Shaw, Erin Allen and Dell Rae Moellenberg of the Argus Institute at Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, which aims to strengthen vet-client-patient communication and relationships, offer advice on conducting one of the most challenging conversations a young vet in practice will have.
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