Monica Tarantino, DVM, MBA, cofounder of the Senior Dog Veterinary Society in Alexandra, Virginia, emphasizes the importance of understanding a caregiver’s perspective when discussing quality of life and end-of-life decisions

Approaching end-of-life conversations with compassion

 at the 2025 New York Vet Show in New York City, Monica Tarantino, DVM, MBA, cofounder of the Senior Dog Veterinary Society in Alexandra, Virginia, emphasizes the importance of understanding a caregiver’s perspective when discussing quality of life and end-of-life decisions. She explains that one of the biggest steps veterinary professionals can take is asking the caregiver where they are on the spectrum of concern regarding their pet’s quality of life. By understanding how concerned an owner is, veterinarians can better bridge gaps in understanding and work together to address quality-of-life concerns in the best way possible for the patient.

The following is a transcript of the video, which has been lightly edited for clarity and cohesion.

I'm Dr Monica Tarantino. I am a veterinarian and the cofounder of the Senior Dog Veterinary Society, and we're on a mission to advance the care of elderly canines in [veterinary medicine].

dvm360: How can veterinary professionals approach end-of-life conversations with compassion when quality of life has become a concern?

I think when it comes to quality of life, one of the biggest things that can make such a big difference is asking the pet parent or the caregiver where they're at or if they have...concerns with quality of life.... I find the best quality of life conversations that I have are the ones where I understand where somebody is on the spectrum as to what level of concern they have with quality of life, because then I can actually talk to them about what I'm seeing and see if [I] can start bridging that gap and coming up with a place where we can hopefully address the quality of life concerns to the best of our ability for that animal.

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Understanding where a client is on the spectrum of concern regarding their pet’s quality of life is essential, explains Monica Tarantino, DVM, MBA, in this interview at the 2025 New York Vet Show.

A new grant to assess the effectiveness of housing rental deposit programs for low-income tenants with pets was recently awarded to the Institute for Human-Animal Connection (IHAC) at the University of Denver in Colorado. Announced by the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI), the grant will support a study led by Kevin Morris, PhD, research professor at the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work and executive director of the IHAC, which will examine these programs as an intervention for increasing housing security.

“Studies have found that pet relinquishments due to loss of housing have been on the rise, putting tenants in the devastating position of having to choose between their pet and a roof over their head,” Lauren Loney, JD, MS, the study’s coinvestigator and public policy and evaluation consultant for the IHAC, said in a news release.

 “While government and nonprofit entities have been utilizing pet deposit assistance programs as a relinquishment intervention tool for some time, our study will be the first to assess how these programs impact tenants and pets over time and identify their cost-benefit compared [with] traditional relinquishment and rehoming pathways.”

Housing insecurity for pet owners accounts for approximately 7% to 33% of companion animal surrenders, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC). Furthermore, areas with high poverty rates are often “resource deserts” for animal health and care services, which include “scarce or nonexistent” veterinary care. “Restrictive policies create barriers to housing, harming both people and their pets, as companion animals provide essential social and emotional benefits to their owners,” the coalition wrote on its website.

The study at the University of Denver will analyze the results of 2 surveys taken 1 year apart by tenants who have received pet deposit assistance, according to HABRI. Investigators are aiming to better understand the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of pet deposit assistance programs—in areas with and without laws regulating pet deposits—for preventing housing insecurity for tenants with pets and the pet relinquishment that often results.

Additionally, investigators will compare pet deposit assistance cost [with] cost-of-care data from animal shelters and rescues in an effort to determine the extent to which pet deposit assistance is successful as a cost-effective alternative to relinquishing and rehoming pets. The research team will then assess the relationship between state and local regulations for general security deposits and pet deposits, as well as overall changes in tenants’ perceived housing insecurity, prevention of pet relinquishment, and perceived ability to keep their pet over the study period, according to HABRI.

“The difficulty in finding pet-inclusive rental housing is a significant barrier for many pet owners,” Steve Feldman, president of HABRI, said in the release.

 “HABRI is proud to support this first-of-its-kind research, which will add necessary and important data to the push for more policies and programs that keep pets in loving homes.”

According to the NLIHC, expanding access to rental housing for tenants with pets benefits both humans and their animals while also alleviating pressure on the animal shelter system. The coalition estimates 8.2 million more animals could be housed with renters, and the relinquishment of 10.5 million pets could be prevented if restrictive policies in the housing market were lifted for pet owners.

New research to assess effectiveness of pet rental deposit assistance program. News release. Human Animal Bond Research Institute. November 17, 2025. Accessed November 18, 2025. 

Opportunity Starts at Home campaign releases new fact sheet on companion animal welfare and pet-inclusive affordable housing. News release. National Low Income Housing Coalition. March 17, 2025. Accessed November 18, 2025. 

https://nlihc.org/resource/opportunity-starts-home-campaign-releases-new-fact-sheet-companion-animal-welfare-and-pet

Articles

Funding for the research was announced by the Human Animal Bond Research Institute.

Grant supports study on housing assistance programs for pet owners

Getting married could change more than your last name and the number of place settings you own. It changes how money moves through your life. After years of advising veterinarians and practice owners, I’ve learned that many couples wait 5 to 10 years (or more) before truly combining their financial lives because they’re often unsure where to start.

Something to keep in mind: Certain decisions are state-specific, such as how assets are titled. It’s best to always check your state’s rules and consult with a qualified attorney or tax professional before making any legal or tax decisions.

Align your philosophy about marriage and money

Most couples approach marriage, and therefore, money, through 1 of 2 lenses. Neither is right nor wrong, but misalignment creates friction.

 We do almost everything together, such as making personal and financial decisions as a unit.

 We’re a team, and we also value some independence, where big decisions are made together, but there is room for solo choices.

Beyond being fully intertwined or interdependent, there is one more framing that has helped many couples: contract vs covenant.

A contract mindset says, “I’ll give 50% if you give 50%.” A covenant mindset says, “I’m bringing 100% whether or not the day feels 50/50.” Money conversations go better when both people show up to give and not to keep score.

Let’s talk through the steps that each newly married couple should consider taking when combining their finances.

This step involves assessing the overall risk that both of you are taking.

Bundle policies where it makes sense, and add both drivers to the auto policy. If you moved or the last time you shopped for coverage is beyond a year, this is a good time to talk with your agent to get the best coverage for the best price.

Once auto and home are combined, an umbrella insurance policy is used to provide extended liability due to a lawsuit.

Marriage is a qualifying life event that allows you to adjust coverage before open enrollment. Compare each of your employer plans (premiums, deductibles, networks, health savings account [HSA] eligibility) and choose the best value for your needs.

Short- and long-term disability coverage can be company-provided or individually owned. Each person must get their own policy because there is no way to “share” disability benefits.

Review life insurance beneficiaries and consider increasing your coverage to the right amount and with a great company for longer-term planning. Individual term policies are common, and survivorship policies can be useful for specific goals.

“Someday” can quickly become 10 years. A basic, state-specific estate plan protects each other and any children you have now or in the future, so ask a local attorney about creating the following:

A will and, if appropriate, a revocable living trust

Health care surrogate (East Coast term) or medical directive (West Coast term) and living will

Guardian nominations for children and pets

Even without a trust, many accounts allow payable on death (POD) or transfer on death (TOD) designations on bank accounts and other assets to skip probate. Use them thoughtfully and update as life changes.

Title assets deliberately and follow state guidelines

How you title an asset determines control and what happens if one of you dies or is sued.

Joint tenants with right of survivorship:

 If one spouse dies, the other automatically owns 100%.

 Each owns a share (often 50/50), and that share follows the will or trust.

 Available in some states for spouses and viewed as 100/100. Often provides extra protection from creditors if only 1 spouse is sued.

For any nonretirement accounts, consider who should control today and what is the cleanest path to the next person or generation so you can title and own the accounts appropriately.

Build a cash-flow system you’ll both follow

Budgeting fails when it is vague, shame-based, or requires daily heroics. Two models work well for most veterinary households:

One joint checking for incoming paychecks and outgoing household bills.

One joint savings for emergencies and near-term big purchases (roof, air conditioning, and travel).

Automatic retirement contributions from payroll and direct deposits into a separate “wealth coordination account.” Each month, a set amount is transferred to the joint checking for life expenses, and the other funds are strategically used for wealth building, such as future investments and long-term goals.

It’s simply a dedicated account that receives your monthly “pay yourself first” transfer and then pushes dollars to IRAs, brokerages, real estate down payments, etc. It creates a habit and keeps long-term savings from getting swallowed by monthly living.

This model works due to its simplicity, transparency, and easy fraud spotting with fewer “Which card did we use for that?” moments.

Keep the same joint structure, plus 2 small flex accounts for each spouse, and a set monthly allowance transferred automatically to each account. Flex spending is judgment-free by agreement. You get autonomy without hiding money from each other.

Investment accounts and considering accidental tax bills

A few rules many couples learn the hard way:

401(k)s and IRAs are individual by law. You can name each other as a beneficiary, but they are tied to your individual Social Security number.

Brokerage (taxable) accounts can be joint. Title them intentionally (see above).

Combining individual brokerage accounts into joint accounts may require the holding to be sold to cash and then to move assets from an individual account into a new joint account (which can trigger capital gains). Plan before you act.

Add a financial power of attorney to investment accounts so someone can pay bills and manage assets if you’re incapacitated.

A simple financial checklist for newlyweds

☐ Compare employer health plans and enroll (within the qualifying event window).

☐ Bundle auto and home insurance, plus consider an umbrella policy.

☐ Review and increase life and disability coverage for both spouses (if desired) and update beneficiaries on life insurance.

☐ Draft a state-specific estate plan (will, power of attorney, health care surrogate or medical directive) and living will. (This is a time to consider a revocable trust.)

☐ Title banking and investment accounts on purpose and use payable or transfer on death where appropriate.

☐ Choose a cash-flow model that makes the most sense for you. Model A (single account) or model B (flex accounts).

☐ Change direct deposits to your wealth coordination account and set up automatic transfer to your personal checking account for life expenses.

☐ List and automate minimum savings targets (retirement, emergency fund, near-term goals).

☐ Schedule a 30-minute money check-in together every month.

You don’t need to love spreadsheets to make progress. Start with 2 numbers:

Your fixed required expenses like rent/mortgage, car payments, and anything that must be paid each month.

Add your gross incomes together and multiply by 20%. This number will be the amount to save for future wealth building. Anything beyond the 20% can be incorporated into your lifestyle or saved.

Number 1 will provide a sense of what is needed and what can be adjusted, and number 2 will give you a sense of direction on what can be spent. Try to focus on paying with credit card balances in full every week and adjust the plan as needed.

An attorney for state-specific titling, trusts, guardianship, and power of attorney.

A tax professional, such as a certified public accountant or enrolled agent, for filing status, withholdings, HSA eligibility, capital gains planning when retitling accounts, backdoor Roth IRAs, and current tax-related questions.

A financial adviser to help with your overall financial habits and behaviors to assist with coordinating cash flow, protection, investments, and step-by-step implementation, so nothing falls through the cracks.

Two imperfect people will never “set and forget” money. The win is a system you both understand, can automate, and can revisit without blame. Whether you build that now as a newly engaged couple or in 15 years, it will help you make better decisions, reduce stress, and give your future selves more options.

: This material is intended for general public use. By providing this content, Park Avenue Securities LLC and your financial representative are not undertaking to provide investment advice or make a recommendation for a specific individual or situation, or to otherwise act in a fiduciary capacity. Guardian, its subsidiaries, agents, and employees do not provide tax, legal, or accounting advice. Consult your tax, legal, or accounting professional regarding your individual situation.

Neither Guardian nor its subsidiaries issue umbrella or auto insurance. Tom Seeko, CExP, is a Registered Representative and Financial Advisor of Park Avenue Securities LLC (PAS). Securities products and advisory services offered through PAS, member FINRA, SIPC. Financial Representative of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America® (Guardian), New York, NY. PAS is a wholly owned subsidiary of Guardian. Florida Veterinary Advisors is not an affiliate or subsidiary of PAS or Guardian. Florida Veterinary Advisors is not registered in any state or with the US Securities and Exchange Commission as a Registered Investment Advisor. The individuals associated with Florida Veterinary Advisors do not maintain specialized licenses or qualifications for the financial services provided to veterinary professionals CA Insurance License # 0K80141, AR Insurance License #15823672. # 8596072.1 Exp. 11/2027

Learn more about the decisions that matter most early in a marriage and the systems that keep money from becoming a recurring source of stress.

How to get “financially married”: A practical guide for veterinarians

Galina Hayes, BVSc, DVSc, PhD, DACVECC, DACVS, discusses how to adapt the surgical technique  when challenges arise.

Handling foreign bodies at the duodenal U bend during GI surgery

Galina Hayes, BVSc, DVSc, PhD, DACVECC, DACVS, an associate professor at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, discusses how to approach anatomic surprises encountered during surgery. Drawing from a session she presented at the 2025 New York Vet Show, Hayes highlights strategies for adapting technique when foreign bodies lodge at the duodenojejunal flexure.

Hi, my name is Galina Hayes. I'm a specialty soft tissue surgeon here at Cornell University in Ithaca...New York. I've been teaching veterinary surgery for the [past] 12 to 13 years. I'm also boarded in emergency and critical care, which I find really helpful for preoperative and postoperative management of our trickier patients. Before I became a specialist, I worked in [emergency department] practice, and before that, in small animal and mixed practice....

When facing anatomic variations or unexpected findings during surgery, what are the best ways to adapt the technique?

I think the big ones are, a lot of times, foreign bodies like to lodge at the first U bend that they meet, right where the duodenum curves around and into the jejunum, and there's a nice ligament right there, the duodenac colic ligament. It's really important if you're dealing with a foreign body that's lodged at that location to remember to release that ligament fully. That's what then allows you to exteriorize that segment of intestine and work on it with good visualization. So, that's probably a key point. If you have a foreign body in that area—if you're dealing with a foreign body—or, heaven forbid, a perforation in the proximal duodenum and it's close to the common bile duct, then there are some modifications that we can think about at that level too.

Galina Hayes, BVSc, DVSc, PhD, DACVECC, DACVS, discusses how to adapt the surgical technique when challenges arise.

Handling foreign bodies at the duodenojejunal flexure during GI surgery

Happy Monday dvm360 readers! We are excited to welcome our new class of dvm360 Student Ambassadors! Each year, dvm360 welcomes veterinary students from across the globe to participate in our program where they get to meet fellow students, attend Fetch conferences, and even write content for dvm360. Be sure to check in throughout the year to see their hard work on our website, and congratulations to all the new student ambassadors!

Here is what you can find this week on dvm360.com:

In an article contributed by dvm360’s Strategic Alliance Partner Thrive Pet Healthcare, Michelle H. Patrick, VMD, MS, DACVIM (SAIM), takes a deep dive into what she calls the great pretender, also known as hypoadrenocorticism.

Monica Tarantino, DVM, MBA, provides veterinary professionals with helpful tips on approaching end-of-life conversations with compassion when the pet’s quality of life becomes a concern to the veterinary team.

On this week’s episode of The Vet Blast Podcast presented by dvm360, Kelly Chappell, DVM, DACVIM (SAIM), joins our host Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, to help veterinary professionals with demystifying feline infectious peritonitis, including more about GS-441524.

When septic arthritis impacts horses, they are lucky if they even survive. However, researchers at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine are working on a new experimental therapy to turn these potential death-sentenced horses into ‘Olympic competitors.’

The Human Animal Bond Research Institute recently announced a new grant to assess the effectiveness of pet rental deposit programs for low-income tenants with pets as an intervention for increasing house security and supporting pet retention.

Here is a sneak peek at this week’s headlines. 

Sneak peek: dvm360 welcomes 2025-2026 student ambassadors, and other news

Earlier this fall, the FDA issued a reminder to pet food manufacturers to consider the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 in their food safety plans as H5N1 cases tend to increase during the fall migratory season.

 The reminder comes as several raw cat and dog foods have tested positive for H5N1 in the past few months, leading to the illnesses and deaths of multiple pets.

Most recently, a cat in San Francisco, California, became infected with H5N1 after eating 

certain lots of RAWR Raw Cat Food Chicken Eats

. The cat was ultimately euthanized due to the illness.

“During the fall migratory season, H5N1 detections typically increase throughout the United States in wild birds, with potential spread to commercial and backyard poultry flocks,” the FDA wrote in its announcement on September 30, 2025.

 “Given this seasonal pattern, the FDA is reissuing this CVM [Center for Veterinary Medicine] update to remind pet food manufacturers that H5N1 represents a known or reasonably foreseeable hazard when using certain ingredients.”

Raw meat, especially poultry, and unpasteurized milk have been sources of H5N1 infections in domestic and wild cats, the American Veterinary Medical Association noted in a recent news report.

 Dogs are also capable of contracting H5N1, but clinical signs are typically mild and mortality is low. Felines, however, have shown to be particularly susceptible to severe illness caused by the virus, with the illness often leading to death.

In its announcement, the FDA reminded animal food businesses that its Food Safety Modernization Act Preventive Controls for Animal Food (PCAF) rule requires these businesses to develop a food safety plan that identifies and evaluates potential hazards in their animal food and determines whether preventive controls are needed. Businesses can find more information on these requirements in the FDA’s CVM’s Guidance for Industry No. 245, “Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Food for Animals.”

Under the FDA’s PCAF requirements, animal food businesses must revisit their food safety plans whenever the FDA identifies new risks. The agency now says cat and dog food makers that use raw or unpasteurized poultry or cattle products, such as uncooked meat, unpasteurized milk, or unpasteurized eggs, must update their plans to account for H5N1 as a potential hazard.

“The reanalysis is necessary to respond to the recent domestic cat illnesses and deaths...and to scientific data indicating that cats and dogs have become ill from consuming H5N1 virus,” the FDA wrote.

 “Manufacturers that implement a preventive control for the H5N1 hazard as a result of their reanalysis will be taking an important step toward protecting cat and dog health and helping to prevent spread of H5N1. Addressing H5N1 will require a concerted effort across sectors, including by government, businesses, and consumers.”

The FDA also advises pet food manufacturers to source ingredients from healthy flocks and herds and use processing steps, such as heat treatment, which has shown to effectively neutralize H5N1 in meat, milk, and eggs. Another approach is to apply controls throughout the supply chain to ensure that ingredients do not come from H5N1-infected animals.

Cat and dog food manufacturers required to consider H5N1 in food safety plans. FDA. January 17, 2025. Updated September 30, 2025. Accessed November 17, 2025. 

https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/cvm-updates/cat-and-dog-food-manufacturers-required-consider-h5n1-food-safety-plans

McCafferty C. Raw cat food tests positive for H5N1. 

. September 4, 2025. Accessed November 17, 2025. 

https://www.dvm360.com/view/raw-cat-food-tests-positive-for-h5n1

FDA reminds pet food makers that raw ingredients pose risk of exposure to H5N1. American Veterinary Medical Association. November 14, 2025. Accessed November 17, 2025. 

https://www.avma.org/news/fda-reminds-pet-food-makers-raw-ingredients-pose-risk-exposure-h5n1?utm_source=delivra&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=todays-headlines-news

Avian influenza A (H5N1) in cats. American Veterinary Medical Association. Accessed November 17, 2025. https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/animal-health-and-welfare/animal-health/avian-influenza/avian-influenza-h5n1-cats

Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Food for Animals. FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine. July 2022. Accessed November 17, 2025. https://www.fda.gov/media/110477/download

The announcement comes as raw pet food products have tested positive for bird flu amid fall migratory season.