Deal With The Serious Illness and Death of Your Dog
Losing a pet can be heart wrenching but just as with any other death a little preparation can ease some of your sorrow.
Instructions
1. A few years back I lost three dogs within six months to age related diseases. In my lifetime I have lost a total of six dogs two hamsters, one guinea pig, three birds, at least eight cats, and one horse.
But preparing in advance helped me transition through this difficult period with the knowledge that I had done everything I could to help them die with the same love, peace, and dignity with which they had lived.
Accept that one day your beloved pet will leave you and think about to what lengths and expense you will go to prolong their lives. Carefully consider if the money you invest in medical treatments for your dog will only prolong their life for a short period of time but put the dog through needless pain and suffering. Examine whether your motivation for putting your dog through these medical treatments is more about your inability to let go than what is in the best interests of the dog.
2. Think about purchasing a health insurance policy for your dog when it is young so that you can get a good price. The worst thing is to not be able to afford medical treatment for your dog when needed.
3. Make sure you have a good vet lined up and even a vet that makes house calls. Find out if the vet who makes house calls also performs euthanasia at home. But don't assume that euthanasia at home is always best. Believe it or not I had a vet lined up to euthanize one of my dogs and somehow I had the strongest feeling that the dog did not want to die at home where the other dogs could see her.
I bundled her up and drove her to the vet and I had never seen her so peaceful as we drove to the vet and unafraid to be in the vet's office. She let me know in her own way that not only was she ready to go but being at home was not what she wanted.
4. If you have a large dog who is elderly or sick think about who you will call to help you transport and carry your dog if you need help.
5. Think about whether you want to bring your dog's body to be cremated or buried or whether you want the vet who performed the euthanasia to handle this for you. I always took my dog's body from the vet to the pet cemetery for cremation. This somehow helped me gain closure and eased my mind about how my dog's body was being handled. The vet's office can help you with this procedure by putting the dog in a cardboard coffin for transport.
If you plan on burying your dog at home or can't take your dog's remains to the pet cemetery immediately after euthanasia he may have to be frozen. Keep in mind that a frozen dog weighs much more. A dog that you may have been able to carry yourself when alive you may now need help to carry.
I also cut a piece of fur from my dogs that I keep along with the ashes, collar, and dog tags. From time to time when I take out a pic of my dog and that bit of fur it gives me a more tangible sense of my beloved friend.
6. Think about whether you want to bury or cremate your dog and whether you want to keep the cremated remains. Look into who you would like to use for this service and costs.
When my first dog died at home I took his body to the vet who checked his vitals and the put him in cold storage while I made cremation arrangements. On a beautiful fall day I picked up my dog and took him to the pet cemetery for cremation. I was surprised at how kind and serious the pet cemetery personnel treated us. They brought out a gurney and asked if we needed help transporting the dog from the car. My dog was placed in a tiny coffin in a room where I was allowed to sit and pay my last respects. I was then allowed to watch my dog's body being placed in the crematorium. This was important to me because I did not want my dog's ashes co-mingled.
(BTW Oddly as I was sitting in the room paying my last respects along with my cousin I just couldn't stop laughing. Although I loved my dog dearly and was obviously willing to go to great lengths to show how much I loved him even in death, I found the scene absurdly funny.)
Because my dog was small it only took about five hours for him to be cremated so I waited for his ashes. While I waited I spent a bit of time exploring the beautiful grounds of the pet cemetery. Funeral Arrangements for your pet can be as elaborate or simple as you want or your pocketbook can afford.
7. Society is beginning to realize that people can mourn as deeply or even more over the loss of a pet than they can a human being. If you find you are having a difficult time dealing with the loss of your pet check into seeing a grief counselor. You can check online or contact your local animal hospital.
You may also want to consider not waiting to get another pet. This is not being disloyal to the dog you lost but opening up your heart and home to another loving furry friend. For me since I adopt elderly rescue dogs I see it as an opportunity to provide a loving home for another dog that may not have had the chance had my dog not passed on.
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