Stages of Grief.

The stages of grief with pet loss range from:

1. Shock: “What just happened?”

2. Denial: “This is not happening.”

3. Isolation: “I just want to sit in this all by myself.”

4. Anger: At yourself or the veterinary care providers for not being able to save your beloved pet, or even at your pet, for breaking your heart.

5. Bargaining: “How can I make this stop?”

6. Depression: “I will never stop missing my pet.”

7. Acceptance: “I can honour and remember my pet with love and know I will be okay, and eventually, better than okay.

Ways to Cope.

There are some ways you can help yourself through this grief experience:

1. Be with caring people, like family, friends, a counsellor, or a support group.

2. Give yourself time. Every grief journey is unique..

3. Express your feelings. Sometimes this is talking to a trusted person and other times it is a good cry.

4. Reach for help from a loved one or professional.

5. Take care of your health.

6. Support other family members in their grief.

7. Come to terms with your loss and begin to move towards acceptance and a new beginning. Do not rush this phase but prepare to accept it when it begins. It’s okay to enjoy your life again.

Counselling Can Help.

It is heartbreaking to loose a pet and a counsellor will provide come alongside you so you can experience the difficult emotions in a supported way.

Individual counselling with stress and grief around pet illness and loss can support you through:

1. The stress of illness and medical care;

2. Preparing for losing a pet;

3. Acute stress coping tools; grief during or after loss; processing unfinished business/unsaid words (letters or memorials for pets);

4. Support while processing through the stages of grief;

5. Support to help a pet family trust they did their best despite the pain of not being able to save their pet; and moving forward.