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Summertime Pet Nursing Series Part 2: Bedding, Hygiene, and Feeding for Hospice Pets

caring tips for senior cats and dogs dr. tina ellenbogen michelle nichols pet advice tips for pet caregivers veterinarian Jul 15, 2025
AHELP Project - Blog post, Summertime Pet Nursing Series Part 2: Bedding, Hygience, and Feeding for Hospice Pets, Michelle Nichols' cat Mickey used to love having his bed placed in the summer sun while in cat hospice care at home.

Summertime Pet Nursing Series Part 2:
Bedding, Hygiene, and Feeding for Hospice Pets
By Michelle Nichols, MS, HonCAHP | Animal Hospice Coach, Educator, Mentor, and AHELP Founder
- With -
Tina Ellenbogen, DVM, CAHP | Animal Hospice Veterinarian, Certified Animal Hospice Practitioner, and AHELP Co-founder




Summer brings sunshine, warmth, and a time to slow down, especially for our seniors and other pets in animal hospice and palliative care. In this installment of the Summertime Nursing Tips Series, we’re focusing on bedding and resting spaces, toileting and hygiene, and feeding strategies to help you care for your beloved companion at home. These tips are part of our ongoing commitment to improving pet caregiver quality of life and supporting hospice and palliative care for pets in Bellevue, Washington, and beyond.




Bedding and Resting Spaces

Bed Basics: Choosing and Checking Bedding

  • Use thick, supportive cushioning
  • Layer high-density foam
  • Repurpose old memory foam mattress toppers
  • Revitalize old pet beds
  • Avoid cedar chip-filled beds

šŸ’” Pro Tip: Layer sheets and washable blankets to make cleaning easier, especially for pets with incontinence.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Reliable Bedding Options for Comfort and Support

  • Orthopedic beds (egg-crate or memory foam)
  • Crib mattresses with fitted sheets
  • Mesh "lounger" beds (add ramp for arthritic pets)
  • Bolstered or tunnel-style beds

šŸ’” Pro Tip: Thrift stores often have affordable crib mattresses and sheets.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Positioning and Location Tips

  • Keep a bed in every room
  • Use a wagon or carrier for pets that are non-ambulatory
  • Place beds near heaters or vents
  • Avoid drafty areas during cool months
  • Use fans on hot days to aid breathing and comfort

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Tail/Tale #1: A Dog’s Dream Bed Makes Everyone Happy

Rosie, a 15-year-old Labrador mix with cognitive decline and arthritis, struggled to find a comfortable position during the late evening hours. Her family caregivers enhanced her bedding with layered memory foam and positioned the enhanced bed next to their usual spot for watching late-night TV, on the couch near the heater vent. Rosie leaned against the side of the couch like a backrest—and fell fast asleep. She was so comfy, she didn’t get up with the distressing symptoms that usually came every night. “She stopped pacing, she could finally rest, and we were all so relieved that ‘late night TV with Rosie’ has now become our family’s regular routine,” Mom and Dad said.




Toileting, Sanitation, and Hygiene

For Ambulatory Pets

🐶 Dogs

  • Use slings or harnesses for support
  • Add nightlights and clear paths
  • Provide ramps or steps with side panels

🐱 Cats

  • Adjust number, size, and height of litter boxes
  • Keep litter boxes a few inches from walls
  • Use low-sided bins or disposable pads
  • Introduce softer litter slowly
  • Consider feeding times and diet
♿ For Less Mobile or Non-Ambulatory Pets

šŸ” Turning and Positioning

  • Turn pets every few hours
  • Keep pets upright (in a sternal position) to support breathing, circulation, and swallowing
  • Avoid rolling pets onto their back

šŸ’© Incontinence and Elimination Support

  • Ensure hydration
  • Learn manual bladder expression or acupressure
  • Track elimination habits

🧼 Sanitation and Hygiene Supplies

  • Soft cloths or towels
  • Washable/disposable bed pads
  • Moisture barriers
  • Diaper creams and wipes
  • Cloth diapers or belly bands
  • Odor neutralizers
  • Gloves, bags, cotton pads, fleece, or flannel for support

šŸ› Bathing Your Dog (or Cat!) at Home

  • Blot gently rather than wiping
  • Use soft cloths and clean outward
  • Focus on the groin, belly, rear, skin folds, and limb areas

šŸ’ˆProfessional Grooming for Your Cat or Dog

  • Grooming is essential for ill and elderly pets
  • Trim fur around sensitive areas
  • Schedule nail trims regularly
  • Choose Fear Free-certified or mobile groomers that come to your home
  • Boutique groomers that use soft audio and aromatherapy like CityKitty in Edmonds, Washington are ideal for cats (read: bark-free zone!)

Tail/Tale #2: Senior Kitties Can Love Grooming Too!

Lily, a 15-year-old Himalayan with kidney disease, was rescued when she was a senior. With less preening, which often accompanies senior years, Lily required more frequent hygienic clipping to prevent her long fur from becoming soiled. It became costly to keep Lily clean and fresh, so, frustrated with the expense, Mom experimented with sponge bathing. Lily was purring! Over time, they transitioned to full home bathing between the grooming appointments, still needed for the hygienic “sanitary” clips. Her mom explained that she had understood Lily came from show lines and most likely was bathed frequently in her early life. Her advice: “If you rescued your kitty and suspect she may have come from a breeder before you two found one another - there’s no harm in trying - they could be more tolerant of bathing than you think!”. šŸ’•

Left photo - Get nail trims regularly for senior pets to prevent nails and claws from digging into their pads! (photo courtesy of Veterinary Technician Alesia Egee). Right photo - Sora, Michelle's beloved dog, enjoying a raw-food stuffed toy on her memory foam bed while in hospice care from cancer.




Feeding Support: Encouraging Appetite and Comfort

General Tips

  • Offer variety; reintroduce previously disliked foods
  • Warm food to enhance aroma
  • Include healthy fats as appropriate
  • Monitor weight and feed small, frequent meals
  • Use probiotics, pumpkin, and appetite enhancers

šŸ² Nutrition-Boosters

  • Add cooked protein meal toppers
  • Cook meat and veggies (debone carefully)
  • Offer rice or grains (check with vet)
  • Try carrots, green beans, and melons
  • Use freeze-dried toppers and treats

šŸ— Michelle’s Experience with Raw Feeding

I've been feeding raw and homemade diets to my animals for over 30 years, after learning from Europeans who raise their companion animals on natural diets, as well as additional teachings from Ian Billinghurst, an early advocate of the BARF diet. See my Tail/Tale #3, below! I’m self-taught, but I've gained a wealth of experience, which gives me the confidence to banter with fellow pet lovers who are raw feeding advocates, as I am.

āš ļø Don’t try to transition your ill or immunocompromised pet to raw food without consulting your veterinarian. Every animal is unique, and underlying conditions can further compromise their immune system. While it's natural to want to do more for our pets as they age, I caution against transitioning to a raw diet during illness. Sick or aging pets are often immunocompromised and may not be able to handle the bacteria commonly found in raw food.

If you have been feeding your pet raw before their illness, it’s a good idea to remind your veterinary team that your pet is raw-fed. Needs can change when in hospice or palliative care, and it helps your veterinary team to individually tailor medical advice safely.

🐶 Tail/Tale #3: Personal Experience with My Girl, Sora

Michelle tells her tale: “Sora, my rescued European Boxer, had been raised on raw food since she was a pup. When I began caring for her during her cancer journey, I experimented with all types of foods—different veggies, proteins, raw, and lightly cooked. She especially loved warmed and lightly cooked meals, which seemed to comfort her and encourage her to eat when her appetite waned. At the end of her life, hand-feeding her felt deeply personal and meaningful. I often think back to those quiet moments in what I now call my ‘Dog Food Kitchen’—doing everything I could to nourish her body and heart.” ā¤ļø

Photo caption: Michelle found it nurturing to prepare raw food for Sora, her Boxer with cancer in her “dog food kitchen.”




✨ Final Thoughts

From bedding to toileting and feeding, every small act matters. These strategies allow them to stay connected with you and preserve pet comfort and maintain good pet quality of life emotionally and physically.

If you’ve ever wondered what is hospice care for dogs or what is hospice care for cats, we hope you have found solutions to some of the problems you may have been facing. These strategies align with AHELP's mission of enhancing pet quality of life, supporting animal quality of life, and offering palliative care for pets through trusted pet comfort care guidance. If you are providing hospice and palliative care for pets in the Seattle area, Bellevue area, Washington, and beyond, we’re here to walk alongside you.

šŸ’¬ Share Your Story

**What’s worked for you?** Please email Michelle…sharing your experience can help so many pet lovers like yourself. Perhaps you’d like to share your story by featuring it in a guest blog that we can help you create. Please see our Guest Blogging Guidelines.

****Stay Tuned!**** In August, Part 3 of our Summertime Nursing Tips Series, we’ll cover hydration hacks for the heat of the season, and, for when it’s too hot to go outside, we’ll give you some indoor creative enrichment ideas for senior and hospice pets.

( Blog post banner photo: Michelle’s cat Mickey used to love having his bed placed in the summer sun while in cat hospice care at home. )




Michelle Nichols, Animal Hospice Coach and Educator, holding her beloved dog Bunny

About the Co-Author:

Michelle Nichols

Animal Hospice Coach, Educator, and Nonprofit Leader

I'm Michelle, the Founder of AHELP Project. I am dedicated to caring for my pets with love, healthy choices, and trusted providers. I'm grateful to share lessons on life and loss through the AHELP Project.

I'm looking forward to connecting with you!

Dr. Tina Ellenbogen, Veterinarian, Certified Animal Hospice Practitioner, sitting with her dog Lincoln

About the Co-Author:

Tina Ellenbogen

Animal Hospice and Palliative Care Veterinarian and Human Hospice Volunteer

“Dr. Tina” Ellenbogen is a pioneer in mobile animal hospice care with over 36 years of experience in the Seattle area. A co-founder of the AHELP Project and Certified Animal Hospice Practitioner, she offers distance consultations through her practice, Mobile Veterinary Services / Animal  HomeCare and Hospice, based in Bothell, Washington. She shares her home with her beloved wire-haired Dachshund, Lincoln.




 

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