Veterinary palliative care for companion animals is a growing field that extends quality of life and ensures comfortable dying for animals with life-limiting conditions.
Veterinary palliative care enables companion animals with life-limiting conditions to live their remaining time with maximum comfort and minimum suffering. Rather than the binary choice between aggressive treatment and immediate euthanasia, palliative care occupies the middle ground: optimising pain management, nutrition, hydration, and environmental support to maintain quality of life. Regular quality of life assessment guides ongoing decisions, providing an objective framework for monitoring when the balance tips toward euthanasia. Home euthanasia — performed by a veterinarian in the familiar home environment — is increasingly available and provides the most comfortable end-of-life experience for many animals and their owners. Supporting bereaved owners is an important component of comprehensive end-of-life care.