SPOTLIGHT PARTNER MONTH:
END OF LIFE CARE WITH DIGNIPETS
This August, Elearning.Vet will shine a partner spotlight focus on end-of-life care specialists, Dignipets.
Throughout August, we'll be sharing expert-led educational content focused on end-of-life care in veterinary practice, including bitesize sessions, a live CPD webinar, practical resources, and additional learning materials designed to support veterinary professionals in delivering compassionate, patient-centred care.
This page is your opportunity to register for the upcoming webinar on contextualised care at end of life, acess bitesize videos and download ree resources.
Build your confidence in end-of-life conversations, learn more about hospice care, or explore practical approaches to supporting pets and their owners.
Live Webinar
Contextualised Care at End of Life: Hospice, Euthanasia and Maintaining Client Trust
Presented by Merel Taal DVM, CHPV
and Maja Redfern DrMedVet CHPV
Tuesday 18th August, 8pm - 9pm BST
Register for free using the form below.
Complete the form below to register for the live webinar:
TALK SUMMARY:
This one-hour CPD webinar, 'Contextualised Care at End of Life: Hospice, Euthanasia and Maintaining Client Trust', will be delivered by Merel Taal - founder and director of Dignipets and Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Veterinarian (CHPV) - and Maja Redfern - Clinical Director and current President of the International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care (IAAHPC).
The session explores how contextualised care provides a practical and ethical framework for navigating end-of-life decision-making in veterinary practice. Through personal reflections, clinical insight and a case-based discussion, the webinar demonstrates how hospice care represents contextualised care in action, tailoring treatment decisions to the individual patient, caregiver and clinical context.
Participants will examine the limitations of a single “gold standard” approach and understand how quality of life, caregiver capacity and patient welfare must be balanced through shared decision-making. A longitudinal case study illustrates how a contextualised approach can improve outcomes, reduce unnecessary interventions and support more meaningful end-of-life experiences.
The webinar also addresses the risks of over-treatment and its impact on client trust, while reframing euthanasia as an essential component of compassionate, contextualised care.
Practical tools, including quality-of-life tracking, will be introduced to support confident, individualised and trust-based decision-making.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
- Define contextualised care in veterinary medicine and explain its application in end-of-life decision-making.
- Describe how hospice care represents contextualised care in practice, balancing patient welfare, caregiver circumstances and clinical realities.
- Introducing the Digni framework to make contextualised end-of-life care operational.
- Identify when ongoing treatment may constitute over-treatment, and evaluate its potential impact on animal welfare and client trust.
- Evaluate the concept of contextualised euthanasia, how every part of the process can be adapted to support animal welfare, caregiver trust and culturally sensitive end-of-life care..
Bitesize Sessions
Setting the scene for peaceful euthanasia appointments - Maja Redfern DrMedVet CHPV
This bitesize session covers what we can and cannot control or influence, the human element, real world challenges and small interventions with big impact.
(7 mins)
Owner Refusal: guidance for veterinary practices in the UK - Merel Taal DVM CHPV
This bitesize session covers owner refusal, ethical duties, communication and collaboration, and introducing a structured framework.
(14 mins)
End of life care: a flexible career with long-term value - Merel Taal DVM CHPV
Dignipets discuss delivering end-of-life care. They cover feeling like being part of something bigger, options in the UK, recommendations and common issues.
(13 mins)
Free Resource Downloads
Access a range of practical resources from Dignipets to support confident, compassionate end-of-life care. These downloadable tools are designed to help veterinary professionals assess quality of life, navigate complex decisions and deliver patient-centred care.
Owner Refusal
These quick-reference guides provide practical support for veterinary professionals when an owner declines euthanasia despite concerns about compromised animal welfare. Covering relevant RCVS guidance, legal considerations, documentation, discharge against veterinary advice, and reporting pathways, they offer a structured approach to navigating these challenging cases while prioritising patient welfare, professional responsibilities, and clear communication.
Watch the Owner Refusal bitesize video above first, then...
Download the Owner Refusal of Euthanasia: Practical Guidance for Veterinary Professionals
Contextualised Care Decision Framework
The Digni framework is designed for veterinary professionals; this structured framework provides a practical approach to contextualised end-of-life care. It supports clinical reasoning by helping you assess patient welfare, caregiver circumstances, treatment burden and potential care pathways while encouraging shared decision-making and regular reassessment. Used alongside quality-of-life monitoring, it helps deliver ethical, individualised care for every patient.
Download the Digni Framework After the Webinar
Dignipets Partners is an independent, vet-owned UK network dedicated to providing compassionate end-of-life care for pets in the comfort of their own homes. Our services include online home hospice support, quality-of-life guidance, and peaceful euthanasia, helping families say goodbye in a calm and familiar environment.
Alongside home visits, Dignipets also offers online hospice support. Through our app, pet carers can track their pet’s quality of life over time and share updates with their veterinary team. We also provide online consultations covering decision-making support, ongoing hospice care, and guidance through grief, ensuring families feel supported at every stage of the journey.
Through Dignipets Partners, experienced vets can build their own local services via a joint venture model. Partners are supported with IT systems, marketing, and operational expertise, while remaining active directors and building a business with real long-term and resale value.
Together, this creates a growing network across the UK, combining compassionate care with strong business support. Helping pets, families, and vets through one of life’s most important moments.
Find Out More
