Pet Grief Support

Losing a pet can be a heartbreaking experience that causes much grief and emotional suffering.  If you or a close family member have lost a pet you may find our information below on grief support helpful.

For further information on Toowoomba pet funerals or pet cremations and how these can benefit in the pet grieving process call Beric and Sue at Darling Downs Pets in Peace today: 1300 233 007 or (07) 4633 0290

• Why do I feel this way when my pet dies?
• 1. Disbelief and Shock.
• 2. Physical symptoms.
• 3. Loneliness.
• 4. Inability to cope.
• 5. It's okay to cry!
• 6. Relief.
• 7. Sense of guilt.
• 8. Recovering.
• Helping those that are grieving.
• Other pets in the household.

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Why do I feel this way when my pet dies?

Every pet owner will be effected by the loss of their beloved pet and cope with grief differently.  Pets play a significant part in the lives of their owners, sharing both in our joys and our sorrows. Pets can be an important source of great emotional support through both bad times and good. Any pet owner who has experienced a period of grief, hardship or despair will understand the great comfort the emotional bond between owner and pet can be.

Therefore the loss of a loved pet can be quite evident on an owner, evoking the strongest of human emotions, grief.  It is important to understand that feelings of grief, devastation and confusion are quite normal and acceptable following the loss of a pet.  The individuals ability to handle, understand and express their grief will determine whether they find themselves overwhelmed by their loss or whether they will find the ability to cope.

Depending on the individual, quite profound physical, emotional and mental stages can mark the grieving process following the loss of a pet.  Grieving is is not just a temporary state of mind and may take many months, years, or even the rest of your life to work through.

Most of us need to move through the various stages of our grief, in whatever order they come, so that we can finally begin to build a new life.

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1. Disbelief and Shock.

The loss of a pet will often be a very sudden event while passings due to illness may be long and drawn out.  The sudden loss of a loved pet will usually cause intense feelings of shock and often disbelief. 

Shock is our natural mechanism for dealing with the many traumatic situations life will deliver.  Although shock can often be a sickening and overwhelming sensation it is a state of mind that allows us to gather our resources to manage the stages of grief that will follow.

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2. Physical symptoms.

Following the initial shock of loosing a much loved pet bereavement can take its toll on our bodies in many ways.  This can show in headaches, asthma, flu-like symptoms, muscular pains or some other illness.

Often we can feel quite physically drained and depreciated in energy causing apathy and want for isolation.  This should subside in due course with rest, however a visit to your doctor is recommended to ensure good health and recovery. Your doctor may also provide good advice on ways to improve recovery and coping with grief through diet and exercise.

Expressing your grief fully can release many of the stresses that cause physical symptoms and help us grow as people.

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3. Loneliness.

Intense loneliness is a normal feeling following the loss of a pet and will often leave you feeling quite low, even with the comfort of others around you.  It is important to understand this and to reach out and seek support and company from family and friends.

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4. Inability to cope.

It can often be difficult to know what to do or how to find relief from intense feelings of separation and loneliness. You are very likely to feel low in spirits and feel the urge to separate yourself from others, remaining preoccupied with fond memories of your pet.

You should not be fearful of going "crazy" as a result of your grief, this is but a normal stage in the process and is best overcome by reaching out to others.

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5. It's okay to cry!

Crying is a very powerful form of emotional release and is something that you should not be afraid to do.  Some people will prefer to cry in their own privacy where they cannot be seen by others while many will release their grief in the comfort of family and friends. 

However you do it, crying is something that you should not be ashamed to do. It is very important to release your intense emotions through crying as bottling your emotions can make recovery from grief a very slow and much more difficult process.

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6. Relief.

Many people closely involved with a pet that was ill for some time feel a sense of relief that the deceased's pain and suffering has finally ended. It's acceptable to feel relieved and these feelings are quite normal. We can accept that relief without feeling guilty and feel glad that the pet does not have to endure further pain and discomfort.

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7. Sense of guilt.

Guilt for the loss of a pet can be quite common. " But I only played with him yesterday ", " If I only had been there! " These are all typical reactions. The loss of a loved pet is something that is very much out of our control and cannot be predicted or prevented.  It is important that you do not blame yourself or allow feelings of blame to persist.

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8. Recovering.

Talking and sharing personal memories and feelings about your pet can be very beneficial to recovery.  Your pets life and death should not be something you must keep to yourself. 

The pet funeral or pet cremation process at Darling Downs Pets in Peace has been designed to say that special farewell and to keep the memories of your pet with you and other family members.

Sharing the enduring memories of your pet will help you begin to resume in normal activities and enjoy these guilt free.

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How we can help those who are grieving the loss of a pet?

As supportive friends we need to:

• BE THERE - just being there to listen and provide support will help.
• BE AWARE - working through grief is a normal and necessary part of life.
• BE CARING - even is we don't see it as such, our friends have suffered a deep loss.
• BE PATIENT and non-judgmental.
• BE READY to listen when the stories about their pet are told over and over again. This is a vital step towards complete recovery.

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How do other pets in the household cope?

It's important to remember that other household pets may be affected not only by the missing pet but also because their sensitivity picks up that everyone in the house is suffering in some way.

Ways pets show their distress.

• They may go off their food for a while
• They can be listless and lethargic
• Some animals search for days trying to locate the missing pet
• They may stay in the favorite spot of the missing pet waiting for them to return
• Acts of anger or confusion

With your support they too will recover.

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To learn more about pet funerals, pet cremations and how these can benefit in the pet grieving process call Beric and Sue at Darling Downs Pets in Peace today: (07) 4633 0290