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American Veterinary Center
Happier & Healthier Pets |
30-
El Gezira EL Wosta Street
Zamalik , Cairo, Egypt. 11211
Tel .# 02 27376664
Mob.# 016 8877005 |
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Visit
Us Today
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Dealing with
the Loss of a Pet
The death of a beloved pet can
be very distressing. Our pets are not only members of
the family, they are our faithful friends, our
children’s devoted playmates and reliable, affectionate
companions for the elderly or disabled. They enrich our
day-to-day lives and their passing makes for a deeply
felt loss.
There are many reasons why we may have to face a pet's
death:
- Terminal illness
- Old age or senility
- Fatal accident or unexpected occurrence
- Behavioral problems
- Long-term or chronic illness entailing heavy burdens
in terms of care and/or finances
Most of these factors may place you in the heartbreaking
position of having to contemplate euthanasia. As an owner,
you are responsible for your pet’s overall health and
welfare. When his or her quality of life deteriorates,
determining to do the humane thing and end the pet’s
needless suffering may be one of the hardest decisions you
will ever have to make. That is why bereavement often
begins before the actual death of a pet.
Points to consider when assessing your pet's quality of
life:
- Pain or serious discomfort when walking or moving
- Drastic loss of appetite
- Vomiting and/or diarrhea following eating or
drinking
- Difficulty in breathing
- Incontinence or other serious problems with
urination or defecation
- Capacity to see and hear properly
- Unresponsive, unmanageable or dangerous behavior
Gain
Support
Talk to your veterinarian. He or
she can give you a complete assessment of your pet’s
health and level of suffering, as well as assist you in
evaluating your options. This will go a long way in
helping you make your decision. You should also speak
about your concerns with family and friends in order to
enlist their support during this difficult time.
Adult
Grief
Losing a friend, and that is what
your pet is, is always very painful. Facing such a loss is
not easy, and may evoke feelings of denial, anger, guilt
or depression before acceptance is reached. These
reactions are entirely natural and should be expressed.
Everyone grieves in his or her own way. You may experience
some or all of these feelings, in varying degrees and for
different lengths of time. Acknowledging them is an
important step in the mourning process, one that will help
you understand why you may have withdrawn from, or lashed
out at, people who care about you. You should realize that
it is perfectly natural to need comforting. It will not
only help you cope with your emotions and adjust to life
without your pet, but may allow you, in the future, to
provide welcome support to others around you who are
experiencing the same loss.
Children’s Grief
 Behonest.
Children are very intuitive and know when something is
wrong. In wanting to safeguard them from a painful
experience, you may feel it’s wiser to exclude them from
the decision-making process. Once the decision is made,
talk openly about what has happened. Provide your children
with honest, simple answers that are appropriate for their
age group, using terms they know and understand. Not only
will they respect you for your honesty, but they will also
be better prepared to deal with the situation.
Avoid euphemisms. Younger children can be confused by
phrases like “went to sleep.” Indeed, employing such terms
may lead to fear and cause some children to become anxious
about actually going to sleep.
Encourage children to speak freely about their pet’s death
and give them the opportunity to vent their grief and
sadness. Share some of your own feelings and involve them
in the pet’s funeral preparations, if any. This will help
them deal with their concerns and give them the chance to
say goodbye in their own way.
Make sure that children understand that no one is to blame
for the pet’s death. Such an occurrence may arouse their
curiosity about death and its consequences in general. A
factual, straightforward approach, using answers or
illustrations that are appropriate for their age group,
will help guide children through the grieving process and
lead to their acceptance of the pet’s death, without pangs
of unnecessary guilt.
The Healing Process
Even though we may not believe it
at the time, the old adage “time heals” does hold true
when we are faced with the loss of a beloved pet.
Recognize that loss and give yourself the emotional time
and space to grieve. Getting over the sorrow, guilt and
pain varies from person to person. Seek help. Many
hotlines, chat rooms, message boards and support groups
are available on the Internet, and books on adult and
child bereavement may help you better understand what you
are experiencing. And, if you need to, don’t hesitate to
reach out for others’ personal and professional
assistance. Talk to your veterinarian, trusted friends, or
a therapist. Make a donation or volunteer your services to
a pet shelter or Humane Society. With time, the pain will
lessen and you and your family will be able to fully
cherish happy memories of your special friend.
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We understand that
your pet is a very special member of your family. |
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