How to Get Ready for the Death of Your Pet
Even though losing a pet is never easy, being ready for it can help lessen your mental and physical pain. Here are four ways to get ready for and deal with your pet’s death.
#1: Figure out how good your pet’s life is.
Your pet can’t tell you when they’re sick, but there are signs that their physical and mental health aren’t good. Using a quality of life measure, you can figure out how healthy and happy your pet is as it gets older or as a long-term illness gets worse. The quality of life measure lets you evaluate your pet in an objective way and can help you figure out if they are in pain.
#2: Choose a time to put your pet to sleep.
When your pet dies suddenly, you don’t have to decide if and when euthanasia is the best choice. However, you may wonder if you missed your pet’s sickness. On the other hand, it’s always hard to know when your pet is ready to die and when to set up a suicide. But keep in mind that few pets die happily in their sleep, so euthanasia can be your last act of love for a pet who is in pain.
#3. Talk about how to take care of your pet’s body.
When your pet dies, you might not know how to take care of them afterward. If you know that your pet’s time is coming to an end, talking about how you would like to take care of their body can help you feel less stressed. People often choose cremation, and you can choose to keep your pet’s bones. Aquamation is also becoming more famous as a form of aftercare, but it is still not widely used.
#4: Use loss support groups to deal with the death of your pet.
Reach out to support groups as well as leaning on family and friends when you are sad. Many veterinary schools have helplines for people who have lost a pet, and there are a lot of pet loss support groups on social media that might be right for you. You never have to go through sadness by yourself.
If your pet’s health or happiness is getting worse, ask our team for help figuring out how good their life is and getting ready for their death.