Help for a Grieving Pet?

dreamyjeanie

dreamyjeanie

Cathlete
I know that some of you will agree with me that pets grieve when they lose a fellow 4 legged buddy. So do any of you have suggestions on what to do to help them get back to themselves?

On Friday I had to put down my australian shepherd, Breeze (black one in my avitar). She went into kidney failure on Thursday and went down hill very rapidly. I know the pain I am feeling and can see that Summer, the golden retriever is also acting different. Now she is an only child. Something she is not use to. Obviously I'm trying to spend more time with her, but I was wondering if there are other things I could do. And yes, I know that getting another dog would probably help, but I am not prepared to do that at this time. Thanks for your suggestions.

Jean
 
I am so sorry for you and Summer's loss! :( I have 2 dogs myself, Oscar and Maggie. Oscar is 11 and we know his time can come to an end at any time now since he is a large dog and 12 years old is the average lifespan for his breed. I don't know what we will do without him.

I just read an article on losing a pet but unfortunately can't remember what magazine the article was in (maybe "The Bark"). I do remember reading that while it seems a good idea to get a new dog right away to help the now solo pet cope, it is better to let some time pass before bringing a new dog into the home. The remaining dog can feel overwhelmed with dealing with the loss of his friend and the strain of bringing a new dog especially if it is a rambunctious puppy into the home.

I think it is best to try to spend as much time with Summer as possible and go on special outings with her if possible. After a few months, you can re-evaluate the situation and see if you both are ready for a new dog at that point.

I do hope you both can overcome this sudden loss as quickly as possible although I know you will never forget the joy Breeze brought to your lives.
 
I'm so sorry for both of you. I had the same thing happen to me a few months ago with my 13 year old dog - kidney failure is so sudden and tragic. I actually have 2 other dogs but one seemed to deal with the loss much harder and actually distanced himself from our other dog. I think just like us they need the time to heal and deal with the grief. I just spent extra time with him giving him extra love. After about a month, he seemed to start feeling better and now he's back to his old self. I just think you will have to give it time.
 
Jean, I don't have any advice, I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry you lost a beloved pet. :( It's always hard.
 
{{{{{Jean}}}}} {{{{{Summer}}}}}}
I'm so sorry for your loss.

I agree that spending more time with Summer can help. Animals definitely can miss their companions and grieve for their loss.

That's why I decided to never have fewer than 3 cats. That way, when one has to leave us, there are at least two to comfort each other.
 
Jeanie,
I am so sorry for your and Summer's loss. In addition to spending more time with your Golden, I am wondering if she has other dog buddies in your neighborhood? If so, maybe more time with them? My golden lost his first and best dog buddy in our neighborhood last fall and he still looks for him from time to time when we walk by his house. Fortunately, he has other dog buddies in our Circle where we live and he was able to spend more time with them after Bogie passed away. I don't know if it helped him at the time but it sure helped me. Of course, another alternative is a new puppy, but neither of you might be ready for that yet.

Crying on each other's shoulder helps too.
~michelle
 
Hi Jean! I am so very sorry to hear of your dog's passing! Many comforting hugs coming your way. I will say a prayer for you and your poochie....my heart breaks for all of you at home!
 
Hi Jean,
I sending out a howl of hurt for you and Summer. It truly aches to lose a best buddy :(. How lucky you are to have had the chance to love someone so much that you grieve the loss of them. I hope that Summer is able to soothe herself by picking up Breeze's scent on items from around your house, and by getting plenty of comforting cuddles from you.
 
I am so sorry for you both!! We lost our 5 year old cat last year, her litter mate kept roaming around the house looking for her, she kept sleeping in her sisters favorite spots, it broke my heart. I gave her tons of extra attention, distracted her with new toys, etc. We do have another cat but she was very close to her sister!
 
Sorry I don't have any suggestions for you.....but I did want to say I'm so sorry for your loss.:( Losing a furry friend is so painful. ((((hugs))))
 
Jean,

I'm so sorry for the loss of your sweet pooch. We had two choc labs and lost our boy almost two years ago at the age of 12. His little "sister" was just a year younger than him so had been w/ him her whole life. The only thing we really did was spend a lot of time w/ her. I think we were literally with her, throwing her retrieving dummy, etc., during all waking hours for a few days after we lost him then we started to gradually go back to our normal schedule. That seemed to help her and she actually seemed okay. Now she doesn't like to be outside alone at dark when she used to be okay when he was w/ her.

Hugs and prayers for you and Summer.

Tracy
 
Jean,

I am so very sorry to hear of your loss. I know Summer may be lost right now but time will take care of her as long as you continue the added comfort for her. I also have 2 dogs and my boy has kidney disease. He gets fluids every other day and he's doing pretty good but one day he will not do as well. I know the pain you had when you did what you had to do. It is unbearable for the whole family. Time, prayers, and love is what gets you through it. Love your baby, Summer. She'll be okay. All of you will be in time.
 
I'm sorry you had to go through this. Its so tough to loose a four legged friend. I just went through this last month when I had to put my little baxter down. His buddy, Rocky was so lost without him around. He would pace and look for him. It was painful to watch. I found that as time passed, he got better. They need time to grieve too. I just smothered him with love and took him for extra walks. They are just like humans and need time to be sad. Sending you both hugs!
 
I am truly very sorry for your loss. It is so painful. Dogs are amazingly intuitive and also amazingly resilient. They do grieve, they do feel loss, but they also do recover...with time, just like us. Time heals the wounds, but no one ever forgets. Hang in there and love on that puppy dog.
 
Hi Jean,
I am so sorry for you. It is one of the harder things in life. No advice to help your puppy, just wanted to tell you how sad I am for you.

Kimberly
 
Thank you all for your kind words. Yesterday was the first day that Summer didn't just come in the house and mope. She is returning to her playful self.

Thanks again,

Jean
 
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