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Walking With You Through the End of Life Journey

When you don’t know how the end will happen, or what your pet’s needs will be, we’re here to walk with you. And when that time comes, we will be there to help you and your best friend with a compassionate and peaceful transition.
Serving Northern Colorado

Availability

Our veterinarians are available to serve you and your pet 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Appointments at night from 8pm-7am may be limited, as well as holidays. It is our mission and goal to serve you and your beloved friend with timely care of our services, with same day appointments available to you if needed.

Services

In-Home Pet Euthanasia

After a final professional consult and review, our Caring Pathways transitional services allow for a dignified and respectful euthanasia. Our compassionate veterinary team is dedicated to creating a peaceful end and will provide the space to honor the journey of a life shared together.

TeleAdvice

A TeleAdvice Appointment with our highly-skilled veterinarians facilitate in-depth conversations using video conferencing to help you better understand the quality of your pet’s life. We’ll also explain options for comfort and end-of-life care.

Consultation, Palliative and Hospice Care

In-home palliative and hospice care helps alleviate the stress associated with visits to the veterinary clinic, and allows you and your pet to enjoy your special time together in the familiar surroundings of home. The decision to pursue hospice care, though not for everyone, strengthens the bond between you and your pet and helps prepare for the passing of your special companion.

Aftercare

Every aspect of your pet’s final care and arrangements is of the utmost significance in honoring the life, and the love, you shared. We will walk you through paw print memorial options, cremation services, and custom pet memorial products.

Cremation costs depend on if you would like your pet’s cremains returned to you and the size of your pet.

What Type of Consult is Best for My Pet?
  • A Telehealth Consult is a great opportunity to discuss your pet’s current condition, any diagnoses your pet has been given, for you to learn how to objectively evaluate and measure quality of life, and to develop a palliative care and/or end of life plan for your pet.  This option is best for pets that are being monitored and cared for by your family veterinarian as an added resource to your pet’s care team.While we are happy to schedule a Telehealth consultation with any family for any situation, there are limitations to Telehealth that prevent a thorough physical exam, diagnostics, and certain prescribing abilities due to state law, so if you are at the beginning of your pet’s end of life journey, a visit to your family veterinarian may be recommended to be sure your pet has the best quality of life possible during their journey.
  • An In-Person Consult is also a great opportunity to discuss all of the above as well as have a hands-on exam for your pet.  This can help determine underlying concerns that should be addressed and if humane euthanasia is elected, your pet’s peaceful passing can occur at the same appointment.  This option is best for pets that may or may not be monitored and cared for by your family veterinarian, pets who cannot safely or easily be transported to your family veterinarian anymore, or your pet that you believe may be at the end of their journey but you’d like an objective hands-on evaluation before making the decision to provide humane euthanasia. Your pet must be tolerant of strangers for this appointment to be successful.  The limitations of this type of appointment are that diagnostics (radiographs/bloodwork) cannot be performed so diagnoses cannot be made but some prescriptions can be scripted/refilled at the veterinarian’s discretion.
  • A Veterinary Visit at your family veterinarian is recommended for any pets that need diagnostics (blood work, radiographs, etc…) to diagnose their ailments or for routine monitoring for certain long term medications or conditions.  It is in your pet’s best interest to have a diversified care team as you enter into their end of life journey and we are happy to communicate with your veterinarian to be sure your pet’s care team is on the same page every step of the way.We look forward to meeting you and your pet in-person and/or virtually; please let us know how we can best support your family during this time.

Client Testimonials

“We said good-bye to Rufus, our miniature schnauzer, on July 12 with the caring and professional help of Dr. Kelly. I can’t thank her enough for explaining very throughly what would happen throughout the process and for her very caring manner towards both Rufus and my husband and me. We are so grateful to have been able to keep Rufus at home on his favorite bed where he was as comfortable as he could have been for his gentle and peaceful passing. At no point did we feel rushed, and we appreciate that very much. We are so grateful for the services of Caring Pathways and Dr. Kelly.”

Karen Winfield

“I wanted to find a way to thank Dr. Megan for offering the most compassionate and kind care I could have imagined during our time of need. The entire Caring Pathways team was intentional and informative from start to finish but Dr. Megan was truly incredible. She allowed us to take our time, explained everything with the level of detail (or not) that we needed, and just held the space for us to support sweet Loki in his passing. I am so grateful for her presence. She always knew when to say the right thing and made sure our baby transitioned in the most comfortable, loving way possible. I feel indebted to her for this gift. Thank you thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.”

Elise Matatall

“My entire experience with Caring Pathways has been incredible. From the gal who answered the phone and helped get us an appointment as soon as possible and explained everything in detail with tremendous patience and compassion to Dr. Emilea, who treated our sweet girl with so much compassion, tenderness, and love in her final moments. Thank you for providing us with as much time as we needed and your kind words helping us through a difficult time. We cannot thank the Caring Pathways team enough for their compassion and support.”

Stephanie Sears

We are so grateful for Dr. Eddie Desko and the entire Caring Pathways team. From my initial call and virtual appointment/health assessment with Dr. Emily to the final goodbye with Dr. Desko, we would have been lost without their guidance and compassion. We could not have asked for a more peaceful experience as our Charlie crossed the rainbow bridge, and I am so grateful to the doctors for the confidence they instilled in the decisions we had to make.

Jennifer Moses

“It took me awhile to get into the right headspace to write this. Dr. Kim was amazing with me and Stanley as we said our goodbyes. I’m grateful, especially during this time of COVID, that Caring Pathways offers a way to say goodbye in the comfort of the home. After almost 17 years together, I couldn’t imagine Stanley being alone at the end. I miss him dearly but can’t say good things about Dr. Kim and the team. Thank you for everything you did for us.”

Stacey Metcalfe

Service Area

Northern Colorado Service Area Highlighted in Blue

Our Story

Dr. Larry Magnuson earned his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Colorado State University in 1967. In 1986, Dr. Magnuson founded Raintree Animal Hospital in Fort Collins and owned the practice for 22 years. After spending more than 47 years as a veterinarian, he realized he wanted to provide pets with an in-home, end-of-life care that was compassionate and peaceful for the pet and it’s family. In 2010, he began his journey with Caring Pathways servicing the Denver Metro Area. In June of 2020, Caring Pathways of Northern Colorado opened to service Fort Collins and it’s surrounding areas. 

Boulder pet euthanasia

Caring Pathways: Our Team Approach to End-of-Life Pet Care

Written by Dr. Chelsea McGivney (General Manager) and Dr. Megan Coveyou (CO Lead Veterinarian)We believe that the end of a pet's life is one of the most sacred and significant moments in their journey. Our mission is to ensure that pets and their families receive the...

Exploring The Human-Animal Bond: Jason and Annabelle

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At Caring Pathways, our mission has always been to serve the hearts and minds of pet owners by providing peaceful, compassionate end-of-life care for their pets with honesty, integrity, and respect in the comfort of their homes. As we continue to evolve and grow, we...

How to Know When It’s Time to Say Goodbye to Your Pet: The Perfect Goodbye

So often in my work as an end-of-life care veterinarian, I bear witness to pet owners grappling with the decision to euthanize their pet. They express that, more than anything, they want to get the timing right. They don’t want their pet to suffer, and they also don’t...

The Mystery of Death: Insights into Your Pet’s Last Moments

“Death ends a life, not a relationship” - Mitch Albom What happens when we die is one of life’s great mysteries and something that affects us all sooner or later. When it comes time to think about how a beloved pet will die - and what will happen before, during, and...

Our Commitment to Supporting the Morris Animal Foundation

Did you know that Caring Pathways donates monthly to support the Morris Animal Foundation? The Morris Animal Foundation is a nonprofit organization that invests in science to advance animal health. This year we have committed to sponsoring two Morris Animal Foundation...

Saying Goodbye: Honor Your Pet’s Legacy with Dignity and Love

No matter how long your beloved dog or cat has been in your life, it never feels long enough when the time comes to say goodbye. The heartbreak of losing a family member cannot be denied, but there are ways to honor your pet’s legacy with dignity and love and help...

Creating a Bucket List for Your Beloved Pet

Bucket lists can be a powerful tool to celebrate a beloved pet and create positive memories during what can otherwise be a sad and anxious time. It can also provide a sense of control and help families feel that while it’s not possible to cure their pet’s disease or...

My Dog was Diagnosed with a Nasal Tumor, Now What?

Written by Dr. Mindy Brewster, Caring Pathways VeterinarianUnderstanding Nasal Tumors:For pet owners facing the heart-wrenching reality of having a beloved pet diagnosed with nasal cancer, the journey likely seems daunting. Nasal cancer results from the uncontrolled...

How to Guide Your Children Through the Loss of a Pet: A Mother’s Insightful Tips

As a veterinarian, I have been doing exclusively in-home pet hospice and euthanasia for over four years now. It’s the most purposeful and fulfilling job I’ve ever had. When I go into a home and empathize with pet owners about how hard it is to say goodbye to our pets,...
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Please complete the detailed intake form below to schedule a TeleAdvice Appointment. Your request will be reviewed by a veterinarian who will follow up with email instructions, scheduling options, and a web link to join the video conference within 1-2 days.

Please check your email daily after submitting your request as this will be our initial follow up in communication, thank you.

Note: You can participate using an Internet-connected smart phone, tablet, or computer, a webcam and microphone are required to engage with the video conference.