Losing A Best Friend: What to do When Your Pet is Terminally Ill

When your pet is terminally ill, you have a few strategies that can be of assistance.

And while there may be other considerations for you to make, listed below are some things to think about to help when dealing with the loss of a pet.

1. Prioritize Needs

You must first make sure that you take a full assessment of your needs and prioritize your needs.

Remember, as a pet parent, you are trying to deal with the eventual loss of your pet that you love very much.

No matter how long you have enjoyed your pet’s company, you will be impacted by their passing.

You want to ensure that your dog passes as peacefully as possible and that you are able to deal with their passing.

Sometimes, pain medications and palliative care are not enough. That is when you will face one of the hardest decisions you will ever make for your furry friend.

Your pet’s terminal diagnosis does not have to completely disrupt your life or cause too much pain.

You should consider making the passing process as easy as possible for you, your dog, and anyone that has a deep affection for your pet.

Make a list of concerns and work to address them. Prepare for each and every way you could be impacted.

And if needed, you should not shy away from getting a grief counselor to help you with the process of losing your pet.

2. Alert Family and Friends

Family and friends can be two of your greatest resources, and you need to alert them of your pet’s situation.

You must be mindful of this.

You need to ask your trusted loved ones to keep an eye out for your well-being.

In addition, you might need to also help look out for how your family and friends are impacted.

If you have children, a spouse, a best friend, or a mail person that knows your pet well, be sure to be cognizant of their needs, too.

Chances are your pet has deeply impacted the lives of so many other people, too.

Be comfortable with sharing the grieving process with others, and do not ever try to grieve alone.

You should know that isolation is not good for you during this tough time and sympathy from friends can help with the loss.

3. Consider Your Options

When you start to decide how to best lay your pest to rest, you have several solutions that you can consider.

No matter what your wishes are for your pet in regard to this, you have plenty of options you can consider.

When you are figuring out how to cope with the loss of a pet, you need to decide how to best commemorate the loss of your best friend.

Popular options for you to consider as a pet owner are cremation and burial.

Other ideas you can think about include planting a tree in your pet’s memory, donating to a nearby animal shelter in your pet’s honor, and scattering ashes or planting flowers on your pet’s favorite nature trail.

Make sure that the process of laying your dog to rest leads to closure for you. Make sure your decision is one that your pet would want.

Regardless of your budget, you have plenty of options that you can consider.

4. Plan to Move Forward

Once your pet is laid to rest, you need to have a plan that will continue to help you move forward.

Your ability to bounce back is super important. Of course, you should not rush this process.

The process needs to work for you, and you do not need to skip taking the time you need.

When you take your time, any sadness or stress will be easier for you to handle.

As you move forward you can consider adding another pet to your home.

And sometimes, adding a pet to your family before your ill pet passes can be good for you.

You know what would work best for you and those that will be impacted by the loss of your terminal pet.

You also should look for ways to keep yourself busy during the process of your pet’s passing and afterward.

Seek out more opportunities to be around people. You could take up a new hobby or re-commit to a previously failed goal. Either way, you need to stay busy.

Everything Will Be Okay

You must know everything will be okay. That’s why you are here.

You want to handle this the best way possible.

By making sure you consider the four strategies above, you will be more than prepared for the loss of a pet.