Thursday July 9, 2015
10 am Pacific/1 pm Eastern
Sign up to receive call-in information for this interview if you are not already a subscriber.
Join Dr. Karen Wyatt and her special guest, Holistic Veterinarian Ella Bittel, Founder of Spirits in Transition, to learn how it can be possible to care for our animal companion so it can fully live out its life.
Traditionally, having to eventually make a decision to euthanize our beloved dog or cat “when it’s the right time” has been seen as inevitable part of responsible pet guardianship. On the other hand, human hospice care can assure a peaceful passing for our human family members in the majority of the cases, raising the question for some why this may not also be possible for our animal family members.
It indeed is possible, and those who pursue it are grateful to have had that literally life transforming opportunity.
However, while advances in the human medical field are usually quickly adopted in veterinary care, embracing the benefits, significance and knowledge of human hospice in its application to animals has only in recent years been considered, and is still in its beginning stages. This and the fact that the term “hospice” is viewed as wide open for interpretation by veterinary professionals, presents challenges for those wishing to choose hospice for their dog or cat that caregivers of human family members don’t have to face.
This means for those of us who would like for hospice to be a care option for an animal family member in the future, that being proactive in educating ourselves and locating the necessary resources ahead of time greatly increases chances to have that option become a reality.
In this interview you will learn:
What it takes to give hospice care to an animal family member including dogs and cats
How we can create conditions to allow for a peaceful hospice assisted natural death of our pet
How you can prepare so that giving hospice care to your animal becomes an option
Ella Bittel
The sense that just like birth, the dying process is of inherent value and an important part of an individual's journey, led Ella to engage in animal hospice. She has been a speaker at various professional conferences and created and taught weekend seminars on the topic nation wide. She offers in depth online classes dedicated to caring for animals through their geriatric years and through the end of life in a way that allows euthanasia to become a truly last resort not needed in the majority of the cases when owners elect the hospice path instead.
Ella’s has specialized in holistic modalities for over 20 years, among them veterinary acupuncture and chiropractic, laser therapy, flower essences, herbs, cranio-sacral work, homeopathy, TTOUCH and energy medicine techniques adapted from Donna Eden. Amongst others, Ella is a member of both the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) and the AHVMA (American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association), is on the Advisory Board for the NHFP (Nikki Hospice Foundation for Pets) and is a human hospice volunteer.
Ella’s website spiritsintransition.org provides a free, non-veterinary helpline for those engaging in hospice care for their animal companion.
Website: http://www.spiritsintransition.org
Comments