Help Understanding the Next Step
Facing a major diagnosis, managing a long-term condition or considering end-of-life care? This guide can help you prepare for the conversation with your veterinary team.
If you feel overwhelmed, you can start with one question. Ask your veterinary team to explain the plan in plain language, and write down what you need to do next. A trusted person can help take notes or make resource calls.
Questions to bring to your veterinary team
- “What do we know so far, and what is still uncertain?”
- “What needs to happen next, and how soon?”
- “What are the options and expected costs?”
- “Who should I call if my pet’s condition changes or I have questions at home?”
For a major diagnosis or ongoing care
Ask your veterinary team to help you understand the decisions and day-to-day care ahead:
- “What would each option mean for my pet’s comfort and daily life?”
- “What care will I need to provide at home?”
- “How will we know whether the plan is helping, and when will we review it?”
- “What changes should prompt a call or an urgent visit?”
If your pet has cancer
Live Like Roo provides cancer-focused support and financial assistance. Its Maggie’s Friends program includes cats. Assistance is limited and requires documentation; it does not replace your veterinary team’s advice.
Check Live Like Roo’s support programs, including Maggie’s Friends for cats →
Caring for a dog with cancer? Miranda’s People offers financial assistance and cancer-navigation information for families who cannot afford treatment for a dog.
Thinking about quality of life
Quality-of-life conversations can start well before an emergency. These resources help you prepare questions and understand hospice and palliative options.
- IAAHPC hospice and caregiver guidance · Online. Practical questions about hospice planning, quality of life, caregiving and anticipatory grief.
- IAAHPC hospice directory · Online directory of hospice, palliative and in-home end-of-life providers. Service areas vary.
- Wisdom Paws · Virtual consultations nationwide for quality-of-life discussions, end-of-life planning and caregiver support. Confirm fees directly.
When You Need End-of-Life Support
Check At-Home Care and Aftercare Providers, including coverage limits and questions to ask.
After a loss
Grief after losing a pet is real, and support exists. The CVMA pet-loss support directory lists California pet-loss groups and counselors; some are available online. Wisdom Paws, listed above, also offers caregiver grief support. If cremation costs are a barrier in the Los Angeles or Orange County area, ask about the Honor Fund.
Pet-loss support lines anywhere in the U.S.:
- Tufts Pet Loss Support Helpline · 508-839-7966, Monday–Thursday 6–9 p.m. Eastern, with 24-hour voicemail.
- Cornell Pet Loss Support Hotline · 607-218-7457. Hours change by season; the recording gives current hours.
- Michigan State University Pet Loss Support Group · Free group by Zoom or phone on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month. Your pet does not need to have been an MSU patient.
If you are thinking about rehoming
If cost, housing or behavior has you considering giving up your pet, ask about keeping-pets-at-home support first. These programs can also help with home-to-home rehoming instead of shelter surrender.
- LA Animal Services rehoming and surrender-prevention options · City of Los Angeles.
- OC Animal Care owner-support and rehoming resources · Orange County.
- DACC care centers and rehoming guidance · Los Angeles County DACC service area.
- 211 LA · Los Angeles County. A resource advisor can help with pet assistance alongside housing, food and other household needs.
If you need someone to help with the practical search
Ask a trusted person to help check eligibility or contact programs. Our guide to Banfield Foundation’s pet-owner directory lists national and state resources for veterinary and food assistance. Its foundation grants are not direct applications for individual pet owners.
Compare ways to pay for care · Find food and everyday support