Our Blog
What Should I Do if My Pet Dies at Home?
If you are reading this, you are likely in a position that no pet owner wants to be in... Your beloved fur child has either passed away on their own in your home, or you are facing the thought that this may be a reality for you in the near future. If this is you, we...
A Playlist to Help Say Goodbye to a Beloved Pet
We know saying goodbye to your beloved furry family member is the hardest decision you will make. Our team at Caring Pathways created this playlist to help provide a calming and reflective atmosphere when that time comes 💜.A Pet Loss Grief Support PlaylistWe...
Feel Good Fridays
We understand that the nature of our work as an in-home end-of-life pet care practice can come with quite a bit of grief and sadness. It is a privilege for us to be able to help pet families during this difficult time and to honor a pet's life through Pet Tributes on...
Caring for Your Senior Cat
Do you have a beloved feline friend who is entering their senior years? At Hampton Roads Veterinary Hospice, it is our goal to help you take steps to make the final chapter of your cat's life as comfortable and memorable as possible. In this article, we will discuss...
A Playlist to Help Say Goodbye to a Beloved Pet
We know saying goodbye to your beloved furry family member is the hardest decision you will make. Our team at Caring Pathways created this playlist to help provide a calming and reflective atmosphere when that time comes 💜.A Pet Loss Grief Support PlaylistWe...
Monitoring Your Senior Pet’s Dental and Heart Health
February is a time often associated with the emotion of love, but did you know it also happens to be National Heart and Dental Health month? What better time to share an article to help support families who love a senior or ill pet and what to monitor for with regards...
Meet Our Field Service Team: What Happens When My Pet Passes Away At Home?
A few months ago I visited a couple’s home in the heart of Denver. I was welcomed into the home by a woman with tears in her eyes. She brought me to where her husband was seated on the floor in the other room, as he held his sweet Basset Hound in his arms dearly. This...
The Benefits of Tui-Na for Senior Pets
Tui-na is a manual therapy that is one of the four branches of Traditional Veterinary Chinese Medicine. From a conventional medicine perspective, Tui-na can be thought of as corresponding to a combination of acupressure, conventional massage, and chiropractic...
How to Approach the End-of-Life Decision for Your Pet After A Cancer Diagnosis
Pet cancer visited our home for the first time the summer between my second and third years of vet school. Tuna, my beloved 5-year-old cat, was diagnosed with high grade, B cell intestinal lymphoma. As a veterinary student, I knew it was “the bad one.” We were swiftly...
A Pet Loss Letter To Your Child’s Teachers
The loss of a beloved family pet is often the first loss that a child faces and it can affect them in profound ways. In addition to the tips that we give parents about talking to their children about grief, it can also be very helpful to alert the child's teachers and...
National Pet Memorial Day 2021
National Pet Memorial Day is six weeks away! Our Pets are such an important part of the family. They bring us so much joy and good memories. Each Family’s relationship with their pet looks different. So how a family honors their pet once they have crossed the rainbow...
Integrative Approaches for Hyperthyroidism
Hyperthyroidism is the most common endocrine disorder in cats. Thyroid disease (hyperthyroidism) in cats results from excessive production of hormones from the thyroid gland. In most cases, this is caused by a single mass or multiple masses on the thyroid gland. ...
7 Comfort Hacks for Senior Pet Caregivers
At Hampton Roads Veterinary Hospice, we understand that caregiving for a dog or cat during their final life stage can be exhausting- physically, emotionally, and financially. In this article, our team of end-of-life pet care professionals has put together a few of our...
What to Expect at an In-Home Euthanasia Appointment
The following article is intended to give pet families a general idea of what to expect when scheduling in-home euthanasia appointment for your loved one. Please give our team a call or send us an email if you have any questions about this process. Before Your...
Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation for Pets
Rehabilitation is defined as the action of restoring something that has been damaged to its former condition. This can specifically mean to improve function and comfort. Some of the big tools we use to achieve this in our pets are exercise programs, medications,...
2020 Memorial Tribute Video
We invite you to celebrate your pets in our 2020 pet memorial tribute video! Please submit up to 5 photos (or a 5-second video clip) of any pets you’d like to honor. Photos can be submitted via email or on our Facebook page! We’d also love for you to include your...
Blessing of the Animals
This time of year, Christian families all over the world celebrate St. Francis Day in honor of St. Francis of Assisi- the Patron Saint of Animals. We’ve gathered some of the 2020 ceremonies happening in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and Portsmouth, Virginia! Please share...
National Pet Memorial Day
National Pet Memorial Day September 13th, 2020 Hampton Roads Veterinary Hospice and Integrative Medicine celebrates National Pet Memorial Day each year. Typically we hold an in-person gathering that evening and light memorial lanterns in honor of all of our dear...
The Benefits of DiaGel for Senior Pets
DiaGel is an oral gel that supports proper digestion and bowel health that we have been using for over a year now at Hampton Roads Veterinary Hospice and Integrative Medicine. Through its use of all-natural ingredients and essential oils, DiaGel helps maintain a...
The Benefits of Veterinary Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic medicine has a long history of misinterpretation. Often they are associated with “subluxations” and “putting things back into place.” To clarify, the lesions veterinary chiropractors manipulate are not necessarily out of place but are actually joints that...
The Benefits of PEMF Therapy for Pets
Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy is a non-invasive treatment modality that pulses electromagnetic fields in body tissues to speed and promote healing. In humans, PEMF devices are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat certain bone...
Hampton Roads Veterinary Hospice & Integrative Medicine’s Telehealth Consulting Services
Hampton Roads Veterinary Hospice and Integrative Medicine offers virtual consultations with their veterinarians. Telehealth consultations provide powerful resources for families struggling with questions about their pets’ end of life care plan and quality of life....
Information Regarding COVID-19
Due to current outbreaks of flu and COVID-19 in Hampton Roads, please alert us prior to your appointment if anyone in your home is sick with a potentially infectious illness. Hampton Roads Veterinary Hospice and Integrative Medicine is dedicated to the health of our...
Pet Loss & Grief Companioning
Dr. Theresa Economos spent last weekend in Tampa, FL completing her certification in Pet Loss & Grief Companioning with Coleen Ellis. This event was hosted at the DogSmith Training Center & DogNostics Career Center. Topics of the course included understanding...
Common Questions: What is Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine?
Western Medicine and Chinese Medicine differs in the way that each disease is diagnosed and treated. Eastern Medicine looks at disease vs. health in a slightly different way than the Western medicine we are more familiar with. When the body is balance, there is...
2019 Memorial Tribute
As we head into the new year, we always like to take a moment to reflect on those watching from the Rainbow Bridge. We hope this tribute lets you share in this reflection and smile at the memories.
2019 Gift Guide for Senior Cats
1. Easy to enter litter box: $31.99. Most cats develop some amount of arthritis as they age and more complicated litter boxes can be difficult for them to climb into! 2. Warming Bed: $28.99. Kitties of all ages love a cozy bed, but older kitties can especially...
2019 Gift Guide for Senior Dogs
1. Paw Friction: $34.99. Know a senior dog who is slipping and sliding all over the house? Paw Friction can help older dogs gain traction on slippery floors and re-gain their confidence and independence around the house! 2. Toe Grips: $34.99. Toe Grips are rubber...
Is there a chance my pet will pass on his own without euthanasia?
Yes, all pets will die on their own eventually without euthanasia. What most families really want to know when they ask this question is HOW will my pet die on his own and what will he experience? It is pretty rare for a pet to pass peacefully and suddenly in his...
How do you decide when it’s time to put a pet to sleep?
The most frequent lament the doctors at Hampton Roads Veterinary Hospice, In-Home Euthanasia, and Integrative Medicine hear from pet families it that they fear that they won’t be able to determine the “right” time for euthanasia....