End-of-life care issues, now being hotly debated in relation to human health policy, are also of growing interest in veterinary medicine and will be addressed Sept. 5-7 at the University of California, Davis, during the International Symposium on Veterinary Hospice Care.

The symposium, coordinated by The Nikki Hospice Foundation for Pets and the Assisi International Animal Institute, is designed for veterinary professionals and students, grief counselors, animal shelter personnel and the general public. It will be held in the veterinary school’s Gladys Valley Hall, northeast of the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital.

Veterinary hospice care addresses the needs of people who want to care for their dying animals at home, under the guidance of veterinarians and a qualified, professional staff.

The three-day symposium will feature speakers from a variety of specialties discussing pet hospice and euthanasia, stages of dying, alternative therapies, pain management, the role of veterinary technicians and pet sitters in hospice care, and dealing with client grief.

Joining a panel to provide closing comments will be Donald Klingborg, associate dean for UC Davis Veterinary Extension who was previously in private veterinary practice.

An optional field trip to BrightHaven, a holistic animal sanctuary and pet hospice in Santa Rosa, will precede the symposium on Friday, Sept. 4.

Symposium information and registration are available online at http://www.cevs.ucdavis.edu/confreg/?confid=442.