My name is Dr. Megan Coveyou, and I am an in-home hospice and palliative care veterinarian with Caring Pathways. I live in the mountains of Gilpin County with my horses, dogs, cat, chickens, parrot, and my family. I have been with Caring Pathways since 2015, after almost a decade of equine sport horse medicine, and have found a passion for providing end-of-life care for dogs and cats in their home.
Written by Dr. Megan Coveyou, Lead Veterinarian at Caring Pathways
Dr. Megan arrives at an in-home pet hospice appointment in the snowy mountains of the Colorado Front Range.
Understanding the Unique Needs of Mountain Pets
As a member of the mountain community, I understand the unique challenges and needs of providing care in the foothills. Taking a pet into the clinic can be very challenging. Those twists and turns of the canyon can make already fragile pets off balance. Nothing is ever close. That extended time spent in the car can be stressful and confusing for a pet whose senses (such as hearing and eyesight) are fading.
Dr. Megan gets a warm welcome from her hospice patients in the snow!
The Comfort of Home: Personalized Care for Your Beloved Pet
I love it when I can help a fellow mountaineer. This way, the pet can stay right where they feel most comfortable. Often, that is a beautiful goodbye by the fireplace or under their favorite tree, where they always watch the moose. Hospice or Quality of Life evaluations often occur with a pet wandering around their home or sleeping on their bed. Pets who can be in the comfort of their own space and with familiar smells are less anxious, less stressed, and more at peace.
Dr. Megan begins the hospice assessment in a comfortable mountain cabin living room.
Comprehensive End-of-Life Services for Every Family
Caring Pathways provides flexible scheduling with multiple veterinarians (almost all equipped with 4-wheel drive to traverse those steep mountain driveways). In the home environment, we can provide even better personalized care than in a hospital or clinic setting. We can see where the challenges are and can provide better suggestions for aiding mobility and access to the family when we see a pet’s daily life routine.
Caring Pathways provides comprehensive and professional care in various ways to fit everyone’s needs. End-of-life care includes many different types of appointments. A Quality of Life Assessment is incredibly helpful when the family is just not sure if it is time to let go. These can be done in person with a physical exam or via virtual TeleAdvice appointment to give a general assessment and direction. A veterinarian at this Quality of Life appointment may determine their pet is a good candidate for hospice care. The pet could return to their regular vet for a treatable condition, or decide with the family it may be time to say goodbye. Sometimes, it is helpful to give out a short course of pain medications for comfort care until a family member can make it home to say goodbye.
Compassionate In-Home Senior Pet Care Services
In a Hospice Assessment appointment, detailed and individualized hospice care plans provide as much comfort care as possible while their pet enters the last phase of its journey. Hospice patients are supported through our incredible nursing team, who are available for advice as conditions change or to come to the home to provide services such as delivering fluids or pain medication injections.
Our compassionate Euthanasia services are often used when their pet no longer has a good quality of life and it is time to let go. Finally, Aftercare services can be provided whether your pet passes on its own or has been provided a peaceful passing through euthanasia by our veterinarians. They are respectfully brought into our care and delivered to our sister crematory, Amare Pet Cremation.
Dr. Megan continues the hospice assessment with snow gently falling in the background and a fire crackling in the fireplace.
Heartfelt Goodbyes: Cherishing Special Moments
I have had the privilege of helping thousands of beloved furry family members crossover peacefully and with beauty. This provides me with a sense of peace and gratitude that I have had the honor to be present and facilitate these special moments. In my experience, there is no better time to witness the raw beauty and love we have for our dogs and cats. I have also had the privilege of helping hundreds of pets improve their end-of-life journey in hospice care where I specialize in pain management and symptom management as we near the end. Common symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, poor mobility, bleeding and not wanting to eat. These pets were given more quality time with their family—a precious few months and some for over a year without having to make multiple visits to a veterinary office.
All of my goodbyes have special moments, but one of the most memorable appointments I had was with a sweet old Golden Retriever. He was given a beautiful passing surrounded by his loved ones in the yard. As he passed, his person started to play the bagpipes. All that was noisy and in motion was then quiet and still. The very breeze itself was awed. It still brings tears to my eyes to think of it.
Dr. Megan shares about the Caring Pathways Hospice Program and provides the best next steps for comfort care with her client.
How We Can Help
If you would like to see if Caring Pathways can help your struggling mountain pet, please reach out for more information or to schedule a consultation. You can email us at info@caringpathways.com or call (720) 287-2553. Visit our Areas We Service page to see if you reside in a mountain town we can travel to. Some of the mountain towns we provide in-home end-of-life pet care to are Golden, Idaho Springs, Evergreen, Genesee, Morrison, Black Hawk, and Lyons.
About the Author: Dr. Megan Coveyou
Dr. Megan grew up in Wisconsin where she earned her DVM at University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2007. She spent many years in the Chicago area practicing sport horse medicine. She became certified in veterinary acupuncture and moved to Colorado in 2015 to find her calling with Caring Pathways. She is in love with the sacred bond we form with our furry soulmates and cherishes their lives from the exciting hello to the bitter-sweet goodbye. Dr. Megan is passionate about providing comfort-driven hospice and palliative care in the last phase of your pet’s life.
