SPIRITS in Transition – Online Class Details – First Level

Completion of the online Part 1 and 2 in combination cover material similar, but not identical to what is contained in the live weekend seminar. To see how participation in online classes compares to attending a weekend seminar, click here.

Successful completion of Part 1 is prerequisite to registration for Part 2.

For details on the class format, click here.

Part 1 can be started at any time, release of part 2 sessions begins in April 2012.

Part ONE – "Approaching Animal Hospice: Geriatric and Special Needs Care for Animals"

Current veterinary care has advanced to amazing levels, yet at the same time animal owners might end up facing two opposing challenges:

Possible treatment recommendations in which side effects can outweigh the positive effects for an animal, including heroic measures that are based on the doctor and/or owner not wanting to "give up" when realistically an animal is past the point of possible recovery.
The other side of the two extremes, the more common one in general practice: quick recommendation to euthanize when an animal's condition is either considered terminal, care for the animal would become more involved, or the only treatment options presented to the animal's owner are financially not affordable.

Fortunately support options have greatly increased to address the needs of our senior animals as well as younger ones who might end up early on requiring special care. For you to be familiar with those options can be life saving for your animal friend. At this point in time, most pets belonging to caring owners are euthanized before the time for hospice would even arise, months and years before their life force would run out. This can be hard to imagine for many of us as we love our animals so deeply, and it certainly is in stark contrast to how we care for our human family members.

Whatever the situation might be, oftentimes a decision to euthanize is said to be done to prevent or release an animal from suffering. None of us wants an animal to suffer, yet given the rate in which we choose to end their lives in our society, it is time to take a closer look at what we categorize as suffering, and what the most common reasons are to euthanize, including looking at options of how we could support an animal so it instead can continue to live a happy and content life.

Topics we cover in Part 1 of SPIRITS in Transition – Online are:

Animal hospice in our society
Re-evaluating common reasons for euthanasia
Holistic modalities helpful in (not just) special needs and end-of-life animal care
Integrating our personal experiences on death and dying
Challenges and care options for common conditions in geriatric and special needs animal care Parts I-III
Cancer prevention
Integrative approaches to easing pain (conventional and holistic options)
Integrative approaches to working with emotional pain

To register for this online class, please click here.

Part TWO – "Foundations of Animal Hospice Care"

Topics we will cover in Part 2 of SPIRITS in Transition – Online (release starts winter 2011/2012) are:

Learning from foundational principles in human hospice care
Building a personal network of support
Special care considerations in animal hospice
Training our intuitive perception
Creating an environment conducive to a peaceful transition
The Dying Process: stages of dissolution and support options
Euthanasia: procedure, options and alternatives
Caring for the body
Caring for remaining animal family members and caring for ourselves

Advanced Level classes

Advanced Level classes are planned in the future for those who successfully completed both First Level classes, addressing specific care aspects in their relevance to the animal hospice provider's position, i.e.

veterinarian or veterinary technician
other animal health providers including the animal's owner aka main caregiver
pet sitters
animal hospice volunteers