NC State Veterinary Hospital Debuts Service to Support Terminally Ill and Aging Pets and Their Owners

Over their five decades of combined clinical experience, veterinarian Dr. Kady Gjessing and registered veterinary technician Becky Owens have shepherded many pets and their owners through end-of-life care. 

As they planned out their own transitional service at the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine, they found themselves drawing too from their firsthand experiences saying goodbye to animals.

“Both of us have had experience clinically, as well as personally, with a multitude of illnesses and situations where end-of-life decisions come up,” Gjessing says. “We’ve dealt with sudden death, too. It can be difficult to talk about it, but clients like to know that you’ve been through it. I always say that I’ve been on both sides of the table: the doctor side and the client side.”

This month, Gjessing and Owens are launching the outpatient NC State Omega Transitional Care service at the Veterinary Hospital to provide terminally ill pets compassionate palliative care as the animals approach the end of their lives. The other half of the service’s dual focus is supporting owners through a collaborative approach to caregiving.

NC State Omega Transitional Care offers three formats for appointments, allowing greater flexibility for pets with terminal illnesses. After an initial in-clinic consultation, owners can choose among hospital, telemedicine or home visit appointments based on their animal’s needs and prognosis.

As the service launches, the NC State Omega Transitional Care team is limiting its initial patients to dogs and cats that have already established care at the Veterinary Hospital. Gjessing and Owens hope to widen the service’s patient pool after an introductory period.

With their empathetic approach to end-of-life care, the duo looks forward to helping families navigate a difficult process with dignity while celebrating their animal’s life.

“A large part of our work is educating owners on how to recognize when it’s their pet’s time and how that may look,” Owens says. “They can make that event as beautiful as they want. They can have family members nearby, or a casket, candles or flowers. For instance, I ordered a cake from a dog cafe for my dog. She fell asleep eating it surrounded by our friends and family, and that was a good way for her to go.”

Owens joined the NC State Veterinary Hospital’s internal medicine service in 2022. She has also worked in general practice and emergency clinics and brings 17 years of experience, 15 of which were completed as an RVT, to her new role.

Gjessing, a graduate of NC State’s DVM Class of 1994, has worked at Quail Corners Animal Hospital in Raleigh since 1991. A general practice veterinarian and former practice owner, she has a passion for geriatric medicine and strives to learn something new from every patient she sees.

The team’s services include conducting quality of life assessments, offering pain management treatments, counseling owners through informed care decisions, connecting families to grief support resources and providing euthanasia in a comfortable and understanding environment.

Rebecca Maher, NC State Veterinary Hospital clinical social worker, will work closely with Gjessing and Owens to guide owners through what can be an emotionally complex process. Supporting pet parents in making difficult decisions is a complex skill, and it’s one that the team demonstrates with grace and empathy.

“We’re going to be taking in clients that we do not have a past history with during the most traumatic point of their lives with their pets and working to gain their trust and confidence to help them go forward,” Gjessing says. “Building that relationship comes with time, listening, communication, honesty and trust.”

Debuting NC State Omega Transitional Care at a veterinary teaching hospital also allows DVM students to learn about the growing field of veterinary geriatric medicine and end-of-life. 

As veterinary care advances and pets live longer lives, NC State stands at the forefront of training tomorrow’s healers to handle the needs of aging companion animal populations. This service joins neurology and neurosurgery professor Dr. Natasha Olby’s Center for Healthy Aging in addressing this emerging topic.

Gjessing is thrilled to lead a dedicated service where she can continue advocating for aging and terminally ill patients on a larger scale. Getting to pet graying muzzles to her heart’s content is a bonus.

“The compassion of the work, and dignity that older animals have, are what draw me to end-of-life care,” Gjessing says. “Many of these animals have had a difficult journey in the course of their illness. There’s just something about a gray face and creaky joints that makes you want to love and respect them even more.”