Six years ago AC&C opened our doors, metaphorically speaking, and saw our first patient. Since then, things have changed in so many ways – for this practice, for me, and – especially in the past year – for the world. This past year has seen so many challenges for all of us, as families, as caregivers, and as veterinarians. It was a year ago today that the American Veterinary Medical Association released guidelines that we should cease seeing all but the most urgent cases. Those guidelines have since been walked back, but for several months I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to help my cl ..read more

One of the most important facets of having end-of-life care happen outside of the veterinary office, for me, is the ability to make that passing special for both the pet and the family.  Ritual and ceremony are incredibly important to us, and creating a personal, unique event to honor the passing of a family member can be both a comfort and a cultural touchstone. Often, people aren’t sure quite how to do this for a belovet pet – our culture doesn’t have a framework for the passing of a pet, as it does for other humans.   There are so many ways to create something unique to yourself and your fa ..read more