Coping with the death of your Pet
Given the intense bond most of us share with our animals, it’s natural to feel devastated by feelings of grief and sadness when a pet dies. While some people may not understand the depth of feeling you had for your pet, you should never feel guilty or ashamed about grieving for an animal friend.
It is perfectly natural to feel grief after losing a pet and there is no shame in feeling strong emotions. Sometimes the first response to a pet's death is anger or guilt in that more could have been done to save them. The depth of friendship with a dog may be greater than that of many human friends and a period of mourning is quite normal. However, people experience grief in different ways and there are no hard and fast rules about what you will feel. It may help to have someone to take you home after your dog has been put to sleep so that you do not have to return to an empty house. Talking to friends and family is important, especially your children (if you have any).
Losing a pet is often the first time that a child becomes aware of death. It is usually best to be honest with a child and explain the truth as clearly as you can. Children may want time to say goodbye to their pet and seeing the dead body may help them understand what has happened. Marking the occasion with some kind of memorial such as a burial can be very therapeutic. Talking about the happy times you shared will often help them and yourself come to terms with the change in your lives. Children frequently get over the loss of a pet much more quickly than adults.
Death tends to be a slow and distressing process and it is far kinder to intervene and ask a vet to put your pet to sleep (euthanase it) when the time has come than let your pet suffer a prolonged and possibly painful death. It is therefore a sad inevitability that one day you are likely to have to decide that your dog needs putting to sleep.For many owners the thought of making this decision is painful and worrying. Most owners feel that their dog should be put to sleep once their quality of life has deteriorated and there is no veterinary treatment that can help to improve this. Your vet should be able to support you in making this decision. Please Contact Us if you have any queries or worries.
It is perfectly natural to feel grief after losing a pet and there is no shame in feeling strong emotions. Sometimes the first response to a pet's death is anger or guilt in that more could have been done to save them. The depth of friendship with a dog may be greater than that of many human friends and a period of mourning is quite normal. However, people experience grief in different ways and there are no hard and fast rules about what you will feel. It may help to have someone to take you home after your dog has been put to sleep so that you do not have to return to an empty house. Talking to friends and family is important, especially your children (if you have any).
Losing a pet is often the first time that a child becomes aware of death. It is usually best to be honest with a child and explain the truth as clearly as you can. Children may want time to say goodbye to their pet and seeing the dead body may help them understand what has happened. Marking the occasion with some kind of memorial such as a burial can be very therapeutic. Talking about the happy times you shared will often help them and yourself come to terms with the change in your lives. Children frequently get over the loss of a pet much more quickly than adults.
Death tends to be a slow and distressing process and it is far kinder to intervene and ask a vet to put your pet to sleep (euthanase it) when the time has come than let your pet suffer a prolonged and possibly painful death. It is therefore a sad inevitability that one day you are likely to have to decide that your dog needs putting to sleep.For many owners the thought of making this decision is painful and worrying. Most owners feel that their dog should be put to sleep once their quality of life has deteriorated and there is no veterinary treatment that can help to improve this. Your vet should be able to support you in making this decision. Please Contact Us if you have any queries or worries.
When should I consider Euthansia
Euthanasia (often called 'putting to sleep') is the term used by vets for the process of preventing the suffering of an animal which is too old or sick to have a happy and fulfilled life. It is never an easy decision and many owners understandably delay making it for as long as possible. Pain is not the only form of suffering, quality of life is important too and there are a number of situations in which euthanasia is the kindest thing to do for your dog.
So in considering what to do, ask yourself the following questions:
So in considering what to do, ask yourself the following questions:
- Does your dog have a terminal illness? Ask your veterinarian what to expect at the next stage and then ask whether you're prepared to go there.
- Is your dog in the kind of pain that cannot be significantly alleviated by medication?
- Will more treatment improve his quality of life, or simply maintain a poor quality of life?
- Can you afford treatment? End-of-life care can run into thousands of dollars, and people can end up prolonging their grieving while paying off credit cards.
- Is your dog so old he has lost most bodily functions? If he can no longer stand up, get down stairs, defecate, and urinate on his own, the quality of his life is pretty poor.
- Does he still want to eat? Once a dog loses his appetite he's signaling he's close to the end.
- Are his gums pink? When gums aren't a normal pink, your dog isn't getting enough oxygen.
- Is it in his best interest to extend his life, or are you extending his life for yourself? This last point is the most difficult one for most of us to sort out, but it may well be the most relevant.
What will Happen?
Your vet may shave the fur from a patch of skin on one of your dog's front legs and insert a needle into a vein. An overdose of a drug which makes your dog lose consciousness (and ability to feel pain or fear) will be administered. It will be asleep in a very short time (usually a matter of seconds). Breathing and heart beat will stop a few seconds later. If your dog is fearful or aggressive it will often be given a sedative before the fatal injection
The process is completely painless. In its last moments your dog may give a gasp. Your dog is asleep and the sound is caused by a muscular spasm which is perfectly normal. Other muscles in your dog's body may also twitch and, as its body relaxes, its bowels or bladder may empty.
Discuss in advance with your vet whether you wish to be with your pet when it is put to sleep. It may be less stressful for your dog to be held in your arms and to be able to hear a familiar voice. You may be comforted by knowing that your old friend suffered no pain and met a peaceful end. However, if you are frightened or anxious your dog may sense this and may also become upset.
Vets usually prefer to see their patients in their own clinic where all the equipment and trained staff they need are close at hand. However, euthanasia is a special situation for both the vet and yourself and if you want to have your animal put to sleep in its own home then most vets will do this.
The process is completely painless. In its last moments your dog may give a gasp. Your dog is asleep and the sound is caused by a muscular spasm which is perfectly normal. Other muscles in your dog's body may also twitch and, as its body relaxes, its bowels or bladder may empty.
Discuss in advance with your vet whether you wish to be with your pet when it is put to sleep. It may be less stressful for your dog to be held in your arms and to be able to hear a familiar voice. You may be comforted by knowing that your old friend suffered no pain and met a peaceful end. However, if you are frightened or anxious your dog may sense this and may also become upset.
Vets usually prefer to see their patients in their own clinic where all the equipment and trained staff they need are close at hand. However, euthanasia is a special situation for both the vet and yourself and if you want to have your animal put to sleep in its own home then most vets will do this.
What happens to my dog's body
Your vet will explain what can be done with the body of your dog. They can arrange for your dog to be cremated, or you may choose to bury the body yourself. If you want to bury your dog in your garden make sure that the body is buried at least 2 feet (about 600 mm) below the surface. If your dog is cremated, it is usually possible for your vet to arrange for you to have its ashes returned but you must inform them of your wishes at the time of euthanasia.