Articles & Information
TEN WAYS TO HELP COPE WITH THE LOSS OF YOUR PET Give yourself permission to grieve. You’ve experienced a tremendous loss, a faithful companion who gave you unconditional love. It is normal after this loss to feel sad and worn down for a while. Take all the time you need to heal. Understand that guilt often accompanies grief, especially when dealing with animals. Your pet couldn’t tell you that she was sick, so you may feel guilty for not taking…
The Importance of Hospice in Veterinary Medicine By: Carrie L. Nutter, MS, OTR/L The word "hospice" is derived from the Latin word "hospes" which means to host a guest or stranger. Hospice is an intriguing and often misunderstood concept and community education is an integral part of providing clarity to this mysterious topic. In primitive times when there was a life-threatening illness, the community (would respond,) as death often posed a direct threat to the entire community. In Europe, the…
Dogs feel pain for many of the same reasons as humans: infections, dental problems, arthritis, bone disease and cancer. You are in the best position to look for the subtle changes in behavior that may indicate your pet is suffering. Read more by downloading this informative article (pdf).
Cats often disguise the fact they are in pain. You are in the best position to look for the subtle changes in behavior that may indicate your cat is suffering. Read more by downloading this informative article (pdf).
Choosing to euthanize a cherished companion animal is difficult enough for adults who are faced with such a horrible decision. What's even harder for many parents is finding a way to help their children understand and accept the fact that the time has come to help the pet to die. Trying to overprotect their children from grief, parents may make the mistake of overlooking, minimizing or avoiding altogether the pain caused by the death of a family pet. Sadly, in…
Thinking It Through There is probably no more difficult question than whether or not to euthanize a cherished companion animal. Yet when the quality of life for your pet has deteriorated, when your pet is suffering agonizing pain, or when costs of tests and treatments are prohibitive, euthanasia may be the most loving and humane choice for you and your pet. As you come to this difficult decision, it's important to think through whatever questions you may have about the…
In his delightful 1991 book, UH-OH, minister Robert Fulghum describes how he came to officiate at a memorial service for Gyda, a half German shepherd, half Dalmatian dog who lived in his houseboat "neighborhood" and who came to be loved by him and all who knew her. After Gyda dies, he describes the funeral service as a celebration of Gyda's life, during which all of her family and friends gather together on the dock and tell stories that are as…
As I was leafing through my copy of The Fireside Book of Dog Stories (a treasure I inherited from my father after he died too soon from a heart attack in 1978), I came across an old newspaper clipping I'd apparently tucked between its pages many years ago. I'm going to share the contents of the clipping with you, but first I want to tell you a bit about my father. My dad was a lover of all creatures great…
It is Hereby Declared that Grieving Animal Lovers have the Right: To feel the pain of grief when the bonds with our pets are broken. The bonds we have with our companion animals are deep and strong; the pain we feel when those bonds are broken is real and worthy of our grief. To feel shocked and overwhelmed by the intensity of our grief. Since our animals' life spans are so much shorter than our own, it is inevitable that…
Anticipating The Loss of a Pet If your pet is aging, seriously injured or chronically or terminally ill, you may find yourself experiencing all the emotions of grief in anticipation of losing your pet. Grieving that begins before a death occurs is known as anticipatory grieving, and the physical and emotional reactions involved are the same as those experienced in normal grieving. It's tough to watch your cherished pet's health and quality of life deteriorate over time. Constantly reminded that…
