Hospice & Palliative Care

Iowa Veterinary Specialties is proud to offer end-of-life care and pain management through our Hospice & Palliative Care department. The department will now allow Iowa Veterinary Specialties the opportunity to provide more comprehensive and compassionate care to pets suffering from life-limiting illnesses. The Hospice & Palliative Care department will be utilizing the latest in integrative medicine (a combination of alternative and Western medicines) in order to better serve your pets during this difficult transition.

Meet our Doctors

Angie Gearhart, DVM

Dr Angie Gearhart graduated from Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine in 1999. She practiced small animal medicine in a primary care practice in Arkansas for 8 years. Dr Gearhart and her family moved to Des Moines in 2007. From 2007 to 2016 Dr Gearhart worked as an emergency veterinarian at Iowa Veterinary Specialties. Dr Gearhart joined an integrative veterinary practice in 2016 and became a certified veterinary acupuncturist in 2017.

In April 2019 Dr Gearhart rejoined Iowa Veterinary Specialties as Medical Director as well as the head of the Hospice Palliative Care Department and oversees the Blood Bank at Iowa Veterinary Specialties.  Dr Gearhart works closely with the medical team and nursing staff at Iowa to continue to grow our mission of serving pets, families and veterinarians in the Greater Des Moines area.

 

Services Offered

 

• Comprehensive end-of-life/transitional care
• Multi-modal palliative care
  • Analgesics
  • Anesthetics
  • Anti-Inflammatories
  • Fluid Therapy
  • Oxygen Therapy
  • Acupuncture
  • Essential Oils
  • Nutritional Support
• Medical boarding
• 24 hour Emergency Support

Integrative Medicine

Iowa Veterinary Specialties' Hospice & Palliative Care department utilizes an Integrative Medicine approach. This includes both alternative medicine and Western medicine techniques and technologies. Each pet in the program receives a custom treatment plan based on doctor recommendations and owner preference.

Acupuncture

Dr. Gearhart is a graduate of the Chi Institute's Small Animal Acupuncture Program. The Chi Institute is the leader in veterinary acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine. Veterinary acupuncture has been proven to treat a number of commonly seen conditions:

• Musculoskeletal conditions, lameness
• Neurological disorders
• Cardiovascular diseases
• Respiratory disorders
• Gastrointestinal disorders
• Behavioral problems
• Dermatological problems
• Immune-mediated diseases
• Renal & urinary disorders
• Reproductive disorders

Hospice and Palliative Care Booklet

Hospice and Palliative Care Brochure