Peaceful Vet Visit

Do Pets Grieve?

Our animal companions often feel a loss as we do. What are the signs, and what can you do to help.
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How can I face the loss?

After your pet has died, it is natural and normal to feel grief and sorrow.  For some people, spending some time with their pet after euthanasia is helpful.  The grieving process includes accepting the reality of your loss, accepting that the loss and accompanying feelings are painful, and adjusting to your new life that no longer includes your pet.  By understanding the grieving process, you will be better prepared to manage your grief and to help others in the family who share this loss.

Sometimes well-meaning family and friends may not realize how important your pet was to you or the intensity of your grief.  Comments they make may seem cruel and uncaring although they were not meant to be taken that way.  Be honest with yourself and others about how you feel.  If you feel despair, talk to someone who will listen to your feelings about the loss of you pet.  Talk about your sorrow, but also about the fun times you and your pet spent together, the activities you enjoyed, and the memories that are meaningful to you.

The stages of grief

There are many stages of grief, but not everyone experiences them all or in the same order. The stages include denial, anger, guilt, depression, acceptance, and resolution.  The grief can seem to come in waves, may be brought on more intensely by a sight or sound that sparks your memory, and may seem overwhelming at times.

Your first reaction may be denial– an unwillingness to accept the fact that your pet has died or that death is unavoidable.  Denial may begin when you first learn the seriousness of your pet’s illness.  Often, the more sudden the death, the more difficult the loss is to accept and the stronger the denial.

Anger and guilt often follow denial.  Your anger may be directed toward people you normally love and respect, including your family, friends or your veterinarian.  People coping with death will often say things that they do not really mean, unintentionally hurting those whom they do not mean to hurt.  You may feel guilty or blame others for not recognizing the illness earlier, for not doing something sooner,  or for not being able to afford other types of or further treatment.

Depression is a common experience after the death of a special pet.  The tears flow, there are knots in our stomach, and you feel drained of all your energy.  Day-to-day tasks can seem impossible to perform and you may feel isolated and alone.  Many depressed people will avoid the company of friends and family.  It might be hard to get out of bed in the morning, especially if your morning routine involved caring for your pet’s needs.  Sometimes you may even wonder if you can go on without your pet.  The answer is yes, but there are times when special assistance may be helpful in dealing with your loss.  If you are suffering from profound depression, seek professional assistance.

Eventually, you will come to terms with your feelings.  You can begin to accept your pet’s death.  Resolution has occurred when you can remember your pet and your time with them without feeling the intense grief and emotional pain you previously felt.  Acceptance and resolution do not mean that you no longer feel a sense of loss, just that you have come to terms with the fact that your pet has died.

Even when you have reached resolution and acceptance, feelings of anger, denial, guilt, and depression may reappear.  If this does happen, these feelings will usually be less intense, and with time they will be replaced with fond memories.

Although everyone experiences the stages of grief, grieving is always a very personal process.  Some people take longer than others to come to terms with denial, anger, guilt, and depression, and each loss is different.  If you understand that these are normal reactions, you will be better prepared to cope with your feelings and to help others face theirs.  Family and friends should be reassured that sorrow and grief are normal and natural responses to death.

If you or a family member have great difficulty in accepting your pet’s death and cannot resolve feelings of grief and sorrow,  you may want to discuss these feelings with a person who is trained to understand the grieving process and can support and help you as you mourn your loss.

Pet loss support
The Pet Loss Support Page
ASPCA’s pet loss support page

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