How pursuing a CHPV certification can benefit veterinary teams

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As veterinary medicine advances, the demand for compassionate, holistic care for pets at every stage of life grows. For general practitioners, urgent care, and emergency veterinarians, becoming a Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Veterinarian (CHPV) offers numerous benefits, enhancing both career satisfaction and quality of patient care. Here’s why CHPV certification is a smart move for veterinarians in these fields.

Address a growing client need

Clients increasingly seek specialized care options, especially for aging or terminally ill pets. They want to ensure their pets have comfort and dignity in their final stages of life, along with support in making difficult decisions. When veterinarians have the CHPV certification, it allows them to provide the compassionate end-of-life care clients are seeking, turning potentially challenging conversations into reassuring, educational moments.

Diversify and grow your practice

CHPV certification empowers veterinarians to broaden their services to include hospice and palliative care, meeting the growing demand from pet families prioritizing their pets’ quality of life. Integrating these services into practices not only provides a unique offering but also strengthens client relationships as well as opens new revenue opportunities.

Additionally, it’s crucial to meet the expectations of your clients. You can enhance client loyalty and retention by delivering comprehensive care, including compassionate end-of-life services. Various studies show a 14-25% client attrition rate following pet loss- often due to owners feeling dissatisfied with the support they received during their pet's end-of-life care. Offering dignified and respectful end-of-life care addresses the evolving needs of all your clientele, ensuring your practice remains their trusted choice.^{1, 2} These insights highlight the need for veterinary practices to provide adequate training to their staff in handling pet loss to maintain client trust and satisfaction.

Build skills in compassionate communication

A CHPV-trained veterinarian learns how to navigate sensitive discussions around pet illness, end-of-life decisions, and euthanasia. This skill is particularly valuable in general practice, where routine visits often turn to difficult conversations as pets age, and in emergency care, where emotional support is essential. CHPV certification provides tools and techniques for effectively communicating with pet owners, helping veterinarians support clients through emotionally charged situations.

Improve patient quality of life

One of the primary focuses of hospice and palliative care is to maximize comfort, even in the absence of a cure. Veterinarians trained in hospice and palliative care can offer pain management, anxiety relief, and supportive therapies that improve quality of life. CHPV certification empowers veterinarians with the knowledge to assess and treat complex cases, improving patient outcomes and satisfaction.

Enhance career fulfillment

Dealing with end-of-life care can be emotionally challenging, but CHPV certification helps veterinarians approach it with confidence, empathy, and skill. Many veterinarians find that by offering hospice and palliative services, they experience greater career satisfaction and a renewed sense of purpose.³ Supporting pets and families during the end-of-life journey can be one of the most fulfilling aspects of veterinary practice.

Improve practice revenue streams

While many veterinarians pursue hospice and palliative care for its profound emotional rewards, it’s also important to recognize its potential to generate additional revenue streams. With growing demand for options that prioritize pets’ comfort and quality of life, clients are increasingly willing to invest in services that align with their values. By incorporating hospice and palliative care, veterinarians can offer a vital service that supports both their patients and their practice’s sustainability.

These services also help bridge a critical gap in emergency cases, where families are often presented with only a few options: high-cost interventions, limited middle-ground treatments, or euthanasia. Providing hospice and palliative care offers families another path that prioritizes their pet's comfort and dignity when other treatments are not viable. This alternative helps alleviate the distress and negativity that can arise when choices feel limited, empowering families to make decisions with greater compassion and clarity.

Closing thoughts

For veterinarians in all types of practices, CHPV certification represents a chance to enhance their approach to care, expand services, and experience greater fulfillment in their careers. The skills and perspectives gained from CHPV training foster empathy, professionalism, and a commitment to the well-being of every pet, making it a valuable addition for any veterinarian looking to provide comprehensive, compassionate care.

Reference

1. Fernandez-Mehler, P, Gloor, P, Sager, E, Lewis, FI, & Glaus, TM. Veterinarians' role for pet owners facing pet loss. Veterinary Record, 172(21), 555. https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.101154
2. Compassion Understood. (n.d.). The impact of pet loss on veterinary Compassion Understood. Vets. Compassion Understood. Accessed March 14, 2025. https://www.compassionunderstood.com/vets
3. Cooney K, Lewis J. Consider end-of-life care as a career. Veterinary Practice News. Published January 26, 2023. Accessed March 14, 2025. https://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/myvpnplus/consider-end-of-life-care-as-a-career