One might think it would be sad to work with pets only at the ends of their lives, but Dr. Cindy and Misty Exelby find it to be rewarding and their life’s calling. Rainbow Veterinary Hospice does not provide routine mobile veterinary care. Hospice is their exclusive commitment to the pets in Pinellas County. With compassion, kindness, and in the best interest of the pet – while also considering the intense grief experienced by the family – they offer in-home pet euthanasia and hospice care.
The Exelbys owned a very successful veterinary practice in Santa Fe, N.M., for 14 years. “The only way we fell short,” Misty Exelby remembers, “was at the end of their lives when asking their pet parents to bring them to the place they least liked to go. Avoiding a clinical environment provides a peaceful, fear-free passing in the pet’s familiar safe surroundings.”
Relocating to Pinellas County in 2017 allowed the Exelbys to open a practice to provide palliative care to help relieve pain and suffering, and to perform euthanasia at the pet’s home or another familiar nonclinical surrounding. They also provide an optional “Front Room” setting for those who choose not to utilize their own homes. They named their practice Rainbow Veterinary Hospice after the poem “The Rainbow Bridge,” which refers to where pets wait for their human family after passing.
Expert Palliative Care Services
“Our goal is to alleviate suffering when a terminal diagnosis arises and extending the life of the pet is the choice of the pet parent,” Dr. Cindy Exelby says. “I make a home visit to assess their needs. The pet might need additional supportive care in the form of adjusting medications, rehabilitation techniques and other hospice needs. Cognitive dysfunction is a common occurrence in geriatric medicine and can also be addressed.”
Making the Final Decision
Dr. Exelby helps pet parents with the decision process in navigating end of life issues. The practice’s website offers a quality of life scorecard to help pet parents evaluate the animals. “Everything we do is all about honoring the pet with dignity,” Misty Exelby says. “We treat every single wee one like our own by dedicating our lives to providing high quality loving care.”
Cremation Services
Rainbow Veterinary Hospice helps you through the process every step of the way. Perhaps you would prefer the euthanasia take place in a special room in your home, another location, or under a pet’s favorite tree. Friends, family members and other pets in the home can gather to surround a pet with love and support to say their final goodbyes. Unique scenarios have included a final farewell on the sailboat the dog had grown up on. Another said her last goodbyes surrounded on her dock by loving neighbors in their kayaks.
“We can also provide cremation services, as we have toured many crematoriums over the years and chose to use one with our shared value system, “ Misty Exelby says. “We work with Pet Passages of Largo, where all pets are handled honorably and responsibly. We even deliver the ashes back home to you to provide a full circle for the families and pets we serve.”
Rainbow Veterinary Hospice is a local, family-owned business providing care to Pinellas County only. Service is provided on weekdays, with some evening and weekend hours available by appointment.
For information, call (727) 318-7558 or visit RainbowVeterinaryHospice.com
