Specialty-level pet hospice and palliative care in Marietta — for families across Atlanta, Cobb, and North Fulton navigating a terminal diagnosis, a chronic illness, or the hospice care of a beloved pet.
Our Befief
A terminal diagnosis is not the end of care. It is the beginning of a different kind of care — one focused entirely on comfort, dignity, and the time you have left together.
— The Dogwood Palliative Team
What palliative & hospice care means
Comfort care, when a cure isn't the goal.
Pet palliative care focuses on comfort, pain relief, and quality of life while your pet is living with a chronic or life-limiting illness. Hospice care picks up where curative treatment leaves off — shifting the focus entirely to dignity and peace in the final stage of life.
In veterinary medicine, the two often overlap. A dog receiving chemotherapy may also need palliative support for nausea and pain. A senior cat with kidney disease may live comfortably on a palliative plan for years before transitioning to hospice. At Dogwood Veterinary Specialty and Emergency in Marietta, we provide both — tailored to each pet, each family, and each stage of the journey.
Our pet hospice and palliative care service is available to families throughout Atlanta, Cobb County, and North Fulton, including Roswell, Alpharetta, Sandy Springs, Smyrna, and Kennesaw.
Open 24 Hours
Emergency Walk-Ins
DUNWOODYCOMING SOON
Dunwoody, GA
Meet your palliative care veterinarian:
Dr. Allison Maddox
Hospice & Palliative Care
DVM, CHPV®
Dr. Allison Maddox was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, where she developed a passion for both music and medicine. She attended veterinary school at the University of Georgia and earned her doctorate in veterinary medicine in 2009.
Since graduating, Dr. Maddox has practiced emergency and critical care medicine throughout metro Atlanta — giving her deep experience in pain management, acute symptom control, and supporting families through some of the hardest moments in a pet's life. That experience led her naturally to hospice and palliative care, where she now brings the same calm, compassionate presence to families facing terminal illness or end-of-life decisions.
Dr. Maddox is a Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Veterinarian (CHPV®), having completed 100+ hours of advanced training through the International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care (IAAHPC) — the global authority in this specialty.
Conditions we support
Specialized care for complex diagnoses.
We provide palliative and hospice support for pets facing progressive, chronic, or terminal illness — including conditions that benefit from our specialty team’s combined expertise in oncology, cardiology, and internal medicine.
Cancer & Oncologic Disease
Comfort care alongside active chemotherapy, or after curative options are no longer appropriate. Includes osteosarcoma, lymphoma, mast cell disease, and hemangiosarcoma.
Chronic Kidney Disease
Fluid therapy, nausea control, appetite support, and quality-of-life planning for cats and dogs with progressive CKD.
Congestive Heart Failure
Breathing comfort, medication management, and monitoring in partnership with our cardiology team for end-stage cardiac disease.
Neurologic & Mobility Decline
Degenerative myelopathy, advanced arthritis, intervertebral disc disease — pain control and mobility support for pets losing the ability to move comfortably.
Geriatric Decline
Senior pets whose quality of life is fading without a single clear diagnosis. Gentle, honest assessment and a plan to keep them comfortable.
Complex Multi-System Cases
When more than one specialist is already involved, we coordinate hospice planning across our oncology, cardiology, internal medicine, and critical care teams.
Our approach
Five pillars of comfort-centered care.
-
Pain Management
Advanced, multi-modal pain control tailored to your pet’s condition — including medications, adjunctive therapies, and integrative options when appropriate.
-
Symptom Control
Nausea, poor appetite, labored breathing, anxiety, mobility loss — we address each symptom individually to preserve daily quality of life.
-
Quality-of-Life Assessment
Using validated tools, we help you see clearly where your pet is today and what to watch for as the disease progresses. Honest, compassionate, and never rushed.
-
End-of-Life Planning
Thoughtful guidance on when to consider euthanasia, what to expect, and how to prepare — so the decision comes from clarity rather than crisis.
-
Family Support
Anticipatory grief is real. We support the humans in the room as thoughtfully as we support the pet on the table.
Common questions
What families most often ask.
Palliative care focuses on comfort and quality of life while your pet is still receiving treatment for a chronic or curable condition. Hospice care begins when curative treatment is no longer the goal and the focus shifts entirely to comfort during the final stage of life. In veterinary medicine the two often overlap and transition naturally.
If your pet has received a terminal diagnosis, has a chronic disease progressing despite treatment, or is showing declining mobility, appetite, or interest in daily life, hospice and palliative care can help. A quality-of-life assessment with a certified veterinarian is the most reliable way to know where your pet stands.
A Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Veterinarian (CHPV®) has completed 100+ hours of specialized training through the International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care in pain management, symptom control, end-of-life decision making, and family support. The credential signals advanced expertise beyond standard veterinary training.
We provide palliative and hospice support for pets with cancer, chronic kidney disease, congestive heart failure, degenerative myelopathy, advanced arthritis and severe mobility issues, neurological disease, and other progressive or terminal illnesses — including geriatric pets whose quality of life is declining.
Our palliative and hospice services are provided in-clinic at our Marietta hospital, where your pet has access to our full specialty team, advanced diagnostics, and pain-management options. We are happy to coordinate with in-home providers when a family prefers that setting.
Cost depends on your pet’s condition, the care plan we build together, and the services required. We will discuss all expected costs transparently before any care begins, and we accept CareCredit and other payment options.
Additional support
For the grief that comes with love.
Caring for a pet through terminal illness or saying goodbye is one of the hardest things a family can face. While we walk alongside you medically, some families also benefit from dedicated emotional support – before, during, and after their pet’s passing.
Fur Love 4Ever offers pet loss and anticipatory grief mentorship, including support for end-of-life rituals, post-loss healing, and compassion fatigue. They are an independent resource, not affiliated with Dogwood, and they offer a free 15-minute discovery call to help families find their footing.
Not sure what your pet needs right now?
A conversation is always the first step. Our team will listen, ask the right questions, and help you understand what options exist — with no pressure and no rush.