Introduction to Integrative Hospice and Palliative Care

Dr. Rachel Klickman, DVM, CVA (IVAS), CHPV, CVNN

2025 COURSE DATES

March 7th - 9th, 2025
 
LOCATION
Lowood Educational Center, Duck, North Carolina

PRICING

$525.00
 
Payment accepted by check, money order or credit/debit card.

RACE APPROVED FOR 16.5 CE CREDITS​

COURSE REFUND POLICY

 A $50 PROCESSING FEE WILL BE APPLIED TO ALL REFUNDS ISSUED.
NO REFUNDS WILL BE ISSUED AFTER JANUARY 1st 2025.

Course Overview

Hospice and Palliative Care has been used throughout history to ease the discomfort of chronic, terminal and end of life conditions. Over the past several decades this form of care has become an increasingly recognized specialty in both human and veterinary medicine. It’s well documented that today pets are full members of the family, with owners seeking advanced care for a variety of conditions. More and more families are also asking for guidance on navigating incurable diseases and end of life decision making. It can feel like our options are limited but by using an integrative model of care, we can offer many more options to increase comfort for both the pet and the family. This course will introduce the concept of Veterinary Hospice and Palliative Care, how to approach the care of the ailing pet and their family and discuss the options available from an integrative approach. 
​
During this 3 day retreat style class, we will discuss:

• The history and philosophy of Hospice and Palliative Care
• Evaluation of the pet and formulating a care plan to address current mental and/or physical distress, and possible future challenges
• Communication with the family about their goals for their pet, understanding of the condition and its possible progression, their pets changing needs, and addressing their own needs as well 
• Use and limitations of quality of life assessments to guide treatment and end of life decisions
• Options available in general for use in the treatment of a pet including pharmaceuticals, physical therapies such as acupuncture and massage, herbal medicine, essential oils, and environmental management
• Individual organ systems with the most common signs that cause owners to seek treatment and how to help alleviate those symptoms
• Management of acute decline or emergencies
• The dying process, both assisted natural and euthanasia

Course Schedule

CLICK HERE to download a copy the tentative course schedule.

Speaker Bio

Dr. Rachel Klickman, DVM, CVA, CHPV, CVNN

Dr. Rachel Klickman has been surrounded by animals all her life. Growing up in Oregon her family included dogs, cats, rabbits, goats, fish, birds, and assorted rodents. After moving to Maryland, she was hired as a receptionist for an emergency veterinary clinic. Here she discovered a keen interest in medicine and a way to combine 2 passions. She graduated with her veterinary degree from Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in 2007, after which she completed a rotating internship in Emergency Medicine. She worked for several years in a general practice, then was invited to work at an integrative practice by a friend and mentor where she was exposed to acupuncture and herbal medicine.

Dr. Klickman became interested in how combining modern treatments with ancient wisdom gives us the best of both worlds. She earned her certification in animal acupuncture in 2015 and completed an apprenticeship in Western Herbal Medicine in 2017 through Purple Moon Herbs and Studies. She also found that caring for pets at the end of their lives was a calling close to her heart, leaving Healing Paws for several years to work in a practice specializing in end-of-life care. During this time, she completed a certification course in Animal Hospice and Palliative Care. She was delighted to be asked to help as a TA for multiple courses presented by Purple Moon.

After 6 years of focusing on end of life care, Dr. Klickman returned to the integrative practice to use her new skills in helping pets and their families. While she loves caring for pets at all stages, she believes that there is a special place for those in need of hospice and palliative care. As an integrative veterinarian she can use modern medicine combined with holistic options to help maintain good quality of life for as long as possible.

Dr. Klickman’s current crew (“her boys”) includes the silly but incredibly stubborn Dachshund
Fillian and the undisputed head of the household lording over all, Loki the cat. Dr. Klickman
loves creating things, including cooking from scratch as much as possible, making wine, mead,
and cider, sewing, working in her yard, working on art projects for her home, and any DIY
project that catches her eye.

Course Location - Lowood Education Center

Purple Moon’s base of operations is Lowood Educational Center​​ in north Duck in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The Educational Center has 3 floors: on the top is a breakfast nook with a library of herbal books available for perusal over the weekend.  The second floor is the kitchen classroom.  This is where labs and smaller courses will be held. There will be cameras over the prep table and stove linked to the large screen in the room for better visualization.  The bottom floor is a state-of-the-art open room with large glass doors overlooking some of the gardens.  Lowood also has its own elaborate cultivated gardens and native area with trails and benches.  Vickie Shufer and her company have tirelessly added many native and medicinal plants for educational and beautification purposes.  Additionally, there are 3 bedrooms available for students to rent while attending classes, along with a common kitchen, dining area, and living room.

The Outer Banks

The Outer Banks is a great place for self-healing. As veterinarians, we are very compassionate to others, but less so to ourselves. We believe that the healthier we are as practitioners, the more good we can do for our patients. Come to the beautiful Outer Banks of North Carolina and enjoy the beach while learning about Western Herbs. Breakfast will be included every morning, including a variety of fresh choices, and a plethora of teas and coffee.
 
The Outer Banks is a chain of barrier islands that consist of a string of sand dunes that serve to protect the mainland of North Carolina from the Atlantic Ocean. They are separated from the mainland by large bodies of water called “sounds.” We will be at the north end of the island in between Duck and Corolla, home of the Corolla Wild Horses. This area of the Outer Banks is sandwiched between the Atlantic Ocean and the Currituck Sound with easy free access to both. The area is replete with open spaces and natural settings that stir the soul, as wild as the native horses. We will be there in what is called the “shoulder season,” during which the Outer Banks is open and ready for tourist business, with a plethora of delicious and fresh restaurants. There are also a variety of activities available, including wild horse tours, mini golf, surfing and more. However, since it is not fully tourist season, places are quiet and more intimate. No matter what the season, the locals are incredibly welcoming and friendly.
 
There are 2 towns at the north end of the island.  South is the town of Duck. There are many excellent restaurants and shops open in the evenings in Duck. We will have a list for students of recommendations and open hours at the beginning of the conference. North is Corolla (not pronounced like the Toyota, but Cor-al-la). Corolla has a few excellent restaurants also, most notably Mexican and seafood. In Corolla, there are many fun activities, if time allows, it is worth spending an extra day. There is Historic Corolla, with the original lighthouse that can be climbed. “The red-brick Currituck Beach Lighthouse towers above the landscape in the Historic Corolla village. Visitors to this Outer Banks attraction can climb the winding staircase, 220 steps in all, to the top of the lighthouse for a panoramic view of Currituck Sound, the Atlantic Ocean and the Currituck Outer Banks. Inside the lighthouse, at the base and on the first two landings, there are museum-quality lighthouse exhibits” (​http://corollaguide.com/attractions). Also in the village is the Whalehead Club, “Whalehead is an historic house museum on the northern Outer Banks. The grand residence, dressed in bold yellow and striking copper, stands on a vast green lawn bordering the Currituck Sound” (http://corollaguide.com/attractions). The grounds in between the lighthouse and the Whalehead are beautiful to walk, with a boat house and a bridge right on the edge of the Sound. Farther north in Corolla, the main road ends and the beach becomes the road. This is the home of the genetically pure Corolla Wild Horses. “Present day Ocracoke and Corolla wild horses carry the distinguishing features of Spanish type horses. One striking similarity to the Arabian ancestry is the number of vertebra (one less than most breeds) which occurs in the Banker Horse Breed. Their even temperament, endurance, size, and the startling beauty which crops up frequently in the Banker Horses all point strongly to their dramatic history…these are the remnants of once numerous herds of Spanish stock which ran free along the sandy islands of our coast. The Spanish Mustang Registry is satisfied that the Banker Horses, in particular the Corolla strain, are as lineally pure to the 16th century Spanish importations as can be found in North America today, and that they compare closely to the selectively bred South American Spanish derivative stock” (http://www.corollawildhorses.com/). There are multiple tour companies that will take you up to see this area (it requires a 4WD vehicle), but please take a tour with Corolla Outback Adventures. They are offering all interested Purple Moon students a discounted rate.