Grieving Pets

Dealing with the death of a pet can be extremely difficult. When a loved one passes away, it's natural to feel sadness, seek comfort from friends and family, and express grief. However, not everyone understands the deep bond we form with our pets and may not comprehend the grief we experience when they pass away. Despite this, pets often hold a significant place in our lives, providing companionship, emotional support, and unconditional love. When we lose them, the intensity of our grief can be overwhelming. Grieving for a pet is a personal process, and there's no right or wrong way to cope. It's a challenging time, and feeling that way is okay.

Can it be less painful?

The process of grieving varies from person to person. It can last for just a few days for some, while it may take a couple of years for others.

Many pet owners may find themselves bargaining with a higher power after the loss of a pet. It's natural to feel anger, which can be directed at anyone involved with the pet, including family, friends, and primarily veterinarians. Additionally, pet owners may experience guilt about things they did or did not do for their pets. When I lost my first dog, I was absolutely distraught, and it took me a long time to overcome the grief.

Once these intense feelings begin to diminish, a deep sense of sadness or grief is often felt, but over time, acceptance occurs as the reality of the loss is acknowledged, and the pet's memories are cherished with less sadness.

We have two surviving pets now: a Yorkie called Yoki and a pommie called Prince.

We lost our little Mason first (Chihuahua). And how we lost him was very traumatic for me. My Mason was mauled by a bigger dog; he died instantly. To this day, I feel hopeless and guilty for having been at the wrong place at the wrong time. I thought the groomers were a safe place to take our pets to be groomed, but the truth is that some businesses have NO safeguards for that situation.

We started grooming our pets at home; we have all the kits and feel our beloved pets are much safer this way.

Our Prince is getting old, and he’s not quite the same Prince. He’s much more fragile and slower. Unfortunately, some dogs have genetically bad genes. Once they reach a more senior stage, they start with all the conditions of old age. Not even our beloved pets get away with old age or some human conditions. This is painful, but knowing that his illness was expected was somewhat different, but still painful. somehow

We had a scare the other day when we thought Prince would die. Still, with so much hope, the vet insisted we say goodbye to our Prince in case he doesn’t make it to the morning. He lay there staring at my mother inside his kennel; fragile and silent Prince still stood up to be held by my mum. The gulp in my throat was unbearable while trying to have a strong front. Our hearts broke then and there. But surprisingly, Prince made it to the next morning and to this current day!! He’s a tough cookie he is! Still having to live on medication, we are still hopeful he will survive longer.

We have two surviving pets left, our Little girl Yoki (Yorkshire terrier) and Prince the Pomeranian,

We don’t know how to tell the kids or how to go about it if one day we lose another. The loss of a pet will be the kid’s first experience with death. (I say this for my son). Children often look for blame or feel guilt and frightened that others they love may be taken from them; this apparently is very common.

Trying to protect my child’s emotions will be me steering in uncharted waters. I think expressing our own grief may reassure the kids that sadness is ok and may help them work through their feelings, too.

Usually, before pets pass away, they often express some behaviour in which they refuse to eat or drink or even stop moving; at least, this is what we have experienced in the past and some at present. Give surviving pets lots of TLC and try to maintain a regular routine, which is good for them and you. During these times, surviving pets are also grieving, so acknowledge it and pay close attention to their behaviour. You must be thinking, what? Dogs grieve? Yes, they do.

Be compassionate as they are with us,