Approaching end-of-life conversations with compassion

In this interview with dvm360 at the 2025 New York Vet Show in New York City, Monica Tarantino, DVM, MBA, cofounder of the Senior Dog Veterinary Society in Alexandra, Virginia, emphasizes the importance of understanding a caregiver’s perspective when discussing quality of life and end-of-life decisions. She explains that one of the biggest steps veterinary professionals can take is asking the caregiver where they are on the spectrum of concern regarding their pet’s quality of life. By understanding how concerned an owner is, veterinarians can better bridge gaps in understanding and work together to address quality-of-life concerns in the best way possible for the patient.

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The following is a transcript of the video, which has been lightly edited for clarity and cohesion.

Tarantino: I'm Dr Monica Tarantino. I am a veterinarian and the cofounder of the Senior Dog Veterinary Society, and we're on a mission to advance the care of elderly canines in [veterinary medicine].

dvm360: How can veterinary professionals approach end-of-life conversations with compassion when quality of life has become a concern?

I think when it comes to quality of life, one of the biggest things that can make such a big difference is asking the pet parent or the caregiver where they're at or if they have...concerns with quality of life.... I find the best quality of life conversations that I have are the ones where I understand where somebody is on the spectrum as to what level of concern they have with quality of life, because then I can actually talk to them about what I'm seeing and see if [I] can start bridging that gap and coming up with a place where we can hopefully address the quality of life concerns to the best of our ability for that animal.