Dealing with
Pet Loss & Grief Counseling
Client Center > About Pet Loss
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| When Your Animal Dies- Understanding
the Stages of Grief |
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Denial-the more sudden the death, the more difficult
it can be to accept that your pet is gone |
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Anger / guilt- these feelings often follow the
denial stag. Anger can be directed toward loved ones such as
family and friends, or toward your pet's doctors or care givers.
People often feel guilty and find themselves blaming others for
not recognizing their pet's illness earlier, their pet's poor
response to medical therapy, or their inability to afford adequate
medical care. |
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Anger is a very common and natural
reaction when a pet is injured due to an accident that could
have been prevented. Just remember that accidents are unintentional
and that the person involved is probably feeling guilty enough
already. |
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Depression- also a common emotion after
a beloved pet has died. This is the period where the greatest
sense of loss and abandonment is experienced. The friend that
was always by your side is no longer there and every little
thing can seem like a constant reminder of the loss of your
pet. This can be the hardest stage & can last for a long
period of time. |
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Resolution & acceptance- eventually
one will come to terms with all of the emotions- denial, guilt,
anger, depression, loss, and abandonment and accept the death
of one's pet. It is natural to keep missing your pet and many
people will continue to have intermittent emotional periods of
loss and depression. However,
more times than not, the feelings of loss will eventually be
replaced by fond memories of time you shared with your pet. |
| Pet Loss Support Hotlines-A
Valuable Experience! |
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Many Veterinary Schools and some large private
practices have set up pet loss support hot lines to help grieving
owners come to terms with their pet's grave medical condition
or the death of their pet. |
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Manned by volunteers- students, doctors, and nursing staff. |
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Always try to be honest with your child about
the pet's condition- excluding or shielding them from a painful
decision or situation will only complicate their grieving. Children
respect straightforward, truthful, and simple answers, and if
prepared adequately, they are usually able to accept the loss
of their pet. If possible, try to let the child say good-bye
to the pet. |
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Encourage your child to talk about his / her feelings and
allow yourself to do the same. Let your child know that it
is ok to feel sad or to cry. |
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People who have terminally ill or critically
injured pets are also encouraged to call if they
are having difficulty deciding if or when to euthanize their
pets for humane reasons. Knowing when the right time
to say good-bye is often more difficult for owners than if
their pet dies on their own. |
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Click here for Pet Loss
HOT LINE numbers and hours of operation. |
| How do I tell my Children about the
Death of Our Family Pet? |
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Children have special relationships with animals and grief
differently than adults. |
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Always try to be honest with your child about
the pet's condition- excluding or shielding them from a painful
decision or situation will only complicate their grieving. Children
respect straightforward, truthful, and simple answers, and if
prepared adequately, they are usually able to accept the loss
of their pet. If possible, try to let the child say good-bye
to the pet. |
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Encourage your child to talk about his / her feelings and
allow yourself to do the same. Let your child know that it
is ok to feel sad or to cry. |
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Many parents find that reading a book that addresses
pet loss is very helpful. |
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Emphasize the fact that no one is to blame for the death
of their pet- even in cases of an accident. Many children can
feel that they are somehow responsible and this will complicate
the grieving process as well. |
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Alert your child's teacher or day care provider
about the loss of the family pet. They can help enormously
if they are aware your child is going through a grieving process. |
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Click here for a List
of Helpful Books especially for children and for adults |
| Humane Euthanasia- A Painful Decision |
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Humane euthanasia is perhaps one of the kindest things you
can do for a pet that is terminally ill or critically injured
where your pet will never recover to normal health. |
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It is time when your pet's quality of life deteriorates
to a point where he or she can longer live a normal life- your
pet has stopped eating or is vomiting frequently, is too weak
to get up or painful from arthritis to walk, having difficulty
moving their bowels or has lost bowel or urine control, having
frequent non-controllable seizures, respiratory distress, or
when a pet is afflicted by cancer and is wasting away. |
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It is also time when a critically injured pet
requires extensive veterinary care and the financial or emotional
cost of treatment is beyond the means of the owner. |
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Listen to your Veterinarian, they will discuss
the condition of you pet, the treatment options available, and
a general prognosis. They may suggest you seek a second opinion
of a specialist in complicated cases. They will not tell you
what to do, but will often advise a particular path weather
treatment or euthanasia based on the severity of the illness
or injury and your financial & emotional situation. |
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People who have terminally ill or critically
injured pets are also encouraged to call a pet support
Hotline if they are having difficulty deciding if
or when to euthanize their pets for humane reasons. |
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Knowing when the right time to say good-bye is
often more difficult for owners than if their pet dies on their
own. |
