Dealing With the Loss of a Pet

Saying good-bye to a loyal friend can be difficult. They share our home and hearts , listen to what we say, and see us through hard times while forever remaining the faithful companion. Saying good-bye will never be easy.

People experience loss differently. Their feelings usually include denial, anger, guilt, depression, and acceptance. These stages have no particular order with some having a higher level of intensity while others last for longer or shorter periods of time.. As a pet owner you have to realize that these feelings are normal and because our faithful companions have shorter life spans than we do it is something that most owners will have to go through.

Denial
Denial is a refusal to accept or believe something. An unconscious defense mechanism characterized by refusal to acknowledge painful realities, thoughts, or feelings. It is an escape from the reality that you have lost a pet, a friend and not accepting the pain and hurt of the loss. For some it is not uncommon to believe their pet is not dead but just lost and wandering around somewhere. Denial is a normal period to go through and is sometimes long lasting.

Anger
Anger is another way of dealing with the pain and hurt of losing a pet. Someone has to be at fault for causing all this suffering and a scapegoat is needed to blame everything on. Sometimes the scapegoat is even the pet itself for causing us to feel sad because they have left us. Anger can be directed inward or outward towards someone in the family especially if there was an accident that could have been avoided. If your pet was euthanized, veterinarians can become a target for your anger. Death is a fact of life and anger is a normal step in the grieving and no one or thing is to blame.

Guilt
People often wonder if they could have done something different to help their pet and blame themselves for there death.Maybe if they would have taken better care of their pet by doing more like exercise or a healthier diet. After your pet is gone, many people wish they had spent more time with their pet and may feel that they had neglected them. Feeling guilty will not bring your pet back and you need to accept the fact that they are gone. The past cannot be changed and you need to move on with your life.

Depression
Some people feel lost, confused and experience a feeling of hopelessness after the loss of a pet. Becoming depressed is also very common. Mood swings may occur with varying degrees of severity. Symptoms include a decrease in motivation and concentration, gloomy thoughts, and irritation. Depression can start to snowball and may become difficult to stop. Losing a pet can release many feelings and emotions that previously had been repressed. Pets can be the only constant in a pet owners life. They are always there, the faithful companion, to offer support and understanding. Once they are gone, the constant is removed and depression can follow. A neighbor of mine lost a dog he had owned for 10 years. The neighbor, Mike, had always been an out going type of person, always stopping to chat with other neighbors, a very friendly type. After the loss of his dog he would walk with his head down and rarely ever spoke to any of us again.

Acceptance
The road to recovery lies in the accepting of your loss. Your dear friend is gone and will never return. Be gentle with yourself and take as much time as you need to mourn Find support from others who have also lost a pet and understands what it feels like to love an animal with all your heart and then lose them.