Ways You Can Prepare for Your Pet’s Passing
Although losing a pet is never easy, being prepared for it beforehand can lessen your mental and emotional pain. Here are four strategies for assisting with grieving and preparing for the eventual loss of your pet.
1. Determine the level of health of your pet
Your pet can give you hints about their physical and mental health even if they can’t communicate their illness to you. As your pet gets older or worsens from a chronic medical condition, you can evaluate their happiness and quality of life using a quality of life scale. You may evaluate your pet objectively and decide whether they are suffering by using the quality of life scale.
2. Establish a date for your pet’s euthanasia
While a pet’s unexpected death removes the burden of deciding when—and if—euthanasia is the best choice, you may also question if you missed your pet’s illness. Figuring out when to plan euthanasia and when your pet is ready to pass is never easy. However, keep in mind that not all pets die peacefully in their sleep, so humane euthanasia might be your final act of devotion to your suffering pet.
3. Decide how you want to take care of your pet’s body
You might not be prepared for your pet’s after-care when they pass away. When you and your pet know that the end is near, you can reduce stress by talking about how you want to handle your pet’s body. It’s common practice to cremate a pet, and you can decide to receive the creature’s ashes after the process. While still not generally accessible, aquamation is becoming increasingly popular as a form of aftercare.
4. Attend bereavement support groups
While you grieve, seek out support groups in addition to relying on your loved ones and friends. Most veterinary schools provide pet loss support hotlines, and there are a ton of pet grief groups on social media that can be suitable for your particular case. Never go through grief on your alone; always have support.
Ask our team for assistance in determining your pet’s quality of life and making plans for their eventual passing if their health or happiness is deteriorating.
