Category: How To Prepare for That Day

When should you finally wave the white flag and finally let go of your buddy, because it’s the best choice to make? Euthanasia is sometimes the most humane choice for your old buddy

When your dog is suffering from a serious medical condition, the quality of your pet’s life will suffer. You will notice this by his sudden loss of appetite, lack of interest in playing, solitary behavior, and even depression. In this case, euthanasia is an option. At first, your dog might respond to treatments that are available, until later on when these no longer work and your dog is visibly having a difficult time. In this case, euthanasia may be one of the most viable options.

Old age is not exactly a reason for you to consider euthanasia. But if your dog’s quality of life has significantly declined, and it’s so apparent that the time is near and that letting your dog live longer will only prolong the suffering, you might need to consider euthanasia.

Saying goodbye to your dog for the right reasons

Major injury: If a dog has a serious injury that is considered untreatable, your vet might recommend euthanasia. Usually, these are traumatic injuries that cause pain and/or impede basic functions like mobility and control of bodily functions. Sometimes, good nursing care at home can help maintain good quality of life for the injured dog. In other cases, the suffering cannot be relieved and euthanasia is the most humane choice.

Financial issues: Veterinary care can become very expensive, especially long-term care. If the cost of treatment is causing a hardship for your family, that does not mean euthanasia is your only choice. Start by speaking with your vet about your situation and ask about less costly options. There are also some cases where financial assistance or financing (such as CareCredit) is available.  (Read more here)

Uncontrollable behavior is another reason to consider euthanasia. If there are sudden changes with your dog’s behavior that you don’t know how to control, seeking the help of a veterinary behaviorist or a professional dog trainer should be your top choice. Euthanasia should be a last priority, when such behavior has become impossible to  control.

I expect your decision to be a long-drawn and emotional process. Take every time you need. In the end, you have to be honest and selfless. It’s a decision that you will make not for yourself but for your old buddy. The pain of saying goodbye to your dog will take time to heal, but at least you will see your dog in a better place without experiencing so much suffering.

Nobody wants to see their fur buddy pass away, but there’s a point when saying goodbye to your dog is the right thing to do, instead of letting your buddy live, only to go through so much pain and suffering.

Having to let your pet go through euthanasia is devastating, and it’s a decision that can be terribly difficult to make. You will have to set aside your own selfish feelings and really reflect on the situation objectively.  Take a look at these points, as they may guide you in knowing that “it’s time” to let your fur buddy go.

• Your dog has a terminal illness, which has gotten worse.
• Your dog is undergoing pain that cannot easily be alleviated by medication.
• Treatment will not improve the quality of life of the canine.
• The treatment costs are far beyond your means.
• Your dog is so old that almost all bodily functions are lost.
• Your dog no longer has the appetite to eat.
• Your dog’s gums are pink, which means that there isn’t enough oxygen.
• You’re extending your buddy’s life not for your dog but for your own self.

Remember: the choice is yours to make. There might be disagreements among the pet owners along the way, but it’s ultimately up to mutually agreed solution that’s best for the dog. Also, your vet should not make you feel guilty about your choice; while they are trained to save lives, you should not feel guilty about choosing to pursue euthanasia if, after running through your options, you’re convinced that it’s the best for your old buddy. You should also realize that euthanasia is not about “playing God”, but about making a choice that’s best for your old buddy.

So how do you decide if euthanasia is the most compassionate option for your dog? Put together a list of the activities that your dog enjoys doing. Around seven points should do.

Saying goodbye to your dog the hard way: When Euthanasia is the best choice

If he can maintain quality of life with four of those seven, then you know it may be time to consider euthanasia if he gets to three points. Promise yourself that other factors, such as pain, the kind of senility that causes fear, and a lack of bodily function and control, cancel out any list.

Next, decide how much money you can afford to spend on veterinary care. Make a decision, write it down, and stick to your plan when your emotions are off the chart.

If your dog is suffering, he has lost all joy in being a dog.

Bottom line: The emotions surrounding this decision are mixed and complicated. To do what’s best for our dogs, we need to realistically assess the criteria without allowing emotion to overwhelm the decision-making process.  (More here)

Euthanasia is a hard choice to make for your pet, and nobody wants to see their old buddy go this way. It takes a lot of courage, but if it’s the best for your fur baby, it’s a choice that will set both you and your pet truly free.

No matter how you try to move forward from your pet’s loss, you simply can’t forget the pain. Dealing with the grief and losing a pet might be too heavy a burden for you to carry. Don’t feel silly or ridiculous about it. It’s a feeling shared by many other people, and you have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of.

Although the feeling of grief over the loss of a beloved pet is quite common, there is an apparent lack of counseling services for pet grief.

Today, there are a number of services that can help you deal with the grief in a healthy way. The stages of grieving the loss of a pet are similar to that of a human: it starts with denial, anger, bargaining and depression. However, the final stage in grieving is resolution: the decision that you want to move forward and do better. There are many other ways for you to deal with the loss.

How to deal with grief and losing a pet

1. Join a support group

The Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement offers a list of pet bereavement support groups in several states. Most humane societies also offer group sessions. Psychotherapist Marcia Breitenbach recommends this approach because it allows pet owners to see that they are not alone. If your community does not have a pet grief group, she suggests attending bereavement group sessions, which typically are offered at churches or hospitals.

“It’s important to be around people who are dealing with the same thing in the sense that the feelings are identical,” Breitenbach says. (Read more here)

2. Take time to grieve

Other people might make you feel as if losing a pet is not something you grieve about. But you can’t change the way you feel, especially if your fur baby has been with you through thick and thin. Your senior dog pet was your family, and it’s okay to grieve your loss.

3. Let others know the stage you are in

In connection with the previous point, you should let your friends, relatives, and your colleagues know about the situation you are in. Some of them would fail to understand your situation and be unsupportive about what you’re going through. This isn’t because they intend anything bad, but because of a misunderstanding of the process of grieving the loss of a pet.

4. Use it as a learning experience. Let go.

Losing a dog is likened to losing a child, as most pet owners have developed a sense of attachment akin to a parent. One way to deal with this painful feeling is by writing a letter to the pet, and subsequently a letter from the pet.

If your kids are involved in this entire ordeal, don’t rule them out. Don’t rule them out in the grieving process, and explain to them what happened to your beloved pet—that it’s body is no longer working well, and had to say goodbye. They will have their own ways of grieving, and it’s important to involve your kids in the process.

It might take a while. But don’t resist the grieving process. Go through it, start pursuing other activities, perhaps even consider another pet in the future. For now, soak it all in, and with the mentioned tips, you’ll surely get by and get better.

Cremations are one way of commemorating the wonderful life of your senior dog. To make the memorial even more meaningful and personal, you might want to put the ashes in an urn you did yourself.

Traditional pet urns, which cost somewhere between $80 to $400, might be too expensive for some pet owners. On the other hand, a do it yourself pet urn will only cost a fraction of that price and will also help you cope with the loss of your fur buddy.

In order to take a more personal approach to preserving your dog’s cremains, you might want to consider having a customized memorial created by a do it yourself pet urn retailer.

Why A Do It Yourself Pet Urns Is One of the Best Pet Urns

Companies like this give you a variety of options to personalize your dog’s final resting place.

Vessels can be customized with your pet’s:

• Name
• Birth and death dates
• [[Dog Pictures|Image]]
• Dog tags
• Favorite toy

Many companies will also let you add let you add a favorite verse, quote or prayer to the design. (Read more here)

Yet one more option is to create a pet urn by yourself. You can do this in two ways: by creating an urn from scratch, or by choosing a container, and with a touch of creativity, transforming it into a beautiful urn.

If you are gifted in either pottery or woodwork, making a pet urn should be easy for you. You can even put in embellishments, glazes, and personalized designs to make the resting place of your beloved pet truly meaningful.

A pet cremation is a beautiful way to say goodbye to your fur baby. Some pet owners opt to sprinkle the ashes of their beloved pet, while others put it in an urn. Pet urns are of varied styles and designs, and if you want a beautiful resting place for your beloved pet, you should consider biodegradable urns.

Biodegradable urns are a gesture of kindness and love not only to your pet but also to Mother Nature. They are made of recycled materials and sourced from products that will be organically replaced, while maintaining its quiet and elegant beauty.

You’d be impressed with the range of urn styles and designs that can reflect your fur friend’s personality and commemorate the beauty of your beloved pet’s life.

Choosing biodegrable pet urns

Going green gives humans the opportunity to be kind to a planet that is kind to us. In our everyday lives, as inhabitants of the planet, we can make choices that will sustain its resources. Life and death are a natural cycle for all of us and we must remember that our pets are a living breathing part of this planet that we love so much. If going green is important to you and your family, a biodegradable urn, is the perfect way to provide a beautiful and stylish resting home for your pet family member, in an environmentally-friendly way. (Read more here)

Indeed, there’s no better way to celebrate the life of your pet but by also celebrating the beauty of Mother Nature. And guess what? A biodegradable urn is a celebration of your pet, as well as of the environment.

As you grieve the loss of your good old dog, the choice of pet cremation may sound appealing to you for a number of reasons. If you’ve set your mind on this, the last thing you have to worry about is pet cremation costs. Pet burial is often expensive and requires compliance with several local government laws. Pet cremation, on the other hand, will serve the same purpose as a pet burial but won’t require you to spend as much.

The typical costs of a pet burial depend on the size of the pet. For small puppies, the price range is $55 to $100.  Dogs that are up to 50 pounds, the costs range between $100 and $150. Dogs that are between 50 and 120 pounds will cost $150 to $350, with the price going up as the size of the dog’s body goes up.

This fee already involves a range of services, from having your pet picked up to delivering it to the facility. There might also be some additional costs depending on the additional services performed.

Pet Cremation Costs? Don’t worry about it

What should be included:

• Pet cremation services often have someone on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• After you call, the company often will pick up the pet from the home or veterinary clinic and deliver it to the facility. A staff member then tags the pet with an identification number, and cremates the animal in a special furnace that reduces the body to sand-like particles.
• The facility places the ashes either in a sealed bag or a tin or cardboard box, then either holds them for pick-up or delivers them to the owner.
• Some pet cemeteries that also do cremation offer free pet bereavement support groups.

Additional costs:

• Some crematories charge an added fee of about $45 to pick-up the body after hours and on weekends.

• Some crematories allow the pet owner to view the cremation, sometimes for an added fee of about $25 or more.

• Urns to hold the ashes typically cost $50 to $150 for a classic bronze, brass or enamel vase, depending on size, but can run as high as $1,000 for a large wax-cast urn in an elaborate shape. Experts recommend choosing urn size based on the pet’s pre-cremation body weight, with one cubic inch of space per pound. AngelAshes.com offers urns, as does PerfectMemorials.com.

• An engraved nameplate for the urn can cost about $10 to $25.  (Read More Here)

   

There are crematories that will give you a discount of more than 50%, should you opt for a communal cremation. Before availing the service, you might want to ask a facility if they do mass cremations, how they dispose of the ashes, and whether you’ll get the ashes back.

You can also ask for a tour of the facility. There’s nothing wrong with this at all—after all, you just want the best for your beloved pet.

Dealing with the loss of your fur friend can put a temporary stop in your life. What do you do next? How do you move forward? Most importantly, how do you remember the good times you’ve shared with your old friend? In these trying times, the one thing you have to remember is to be positive. Focus on the positive. Think of the positive. And create something positive out of this entire ordeal. There are many dog memorial ideas that can help you produce just that.

1. Make a tribute

One way of the memorializing your pet’s beautiful life is by creating a tribute. It can be anything: a photo album, a craft, or a written account. For a photo tribute, you can choose the most beautiful photo of your fur baby—and have it elegantly bound in a stunning frame. If you can’t possibly pick just one, why don’t you create an entire album, showing your dog immersed in different activities or in different points in time?

You might also want to make a new craft out of it—like needlepoint kits that look like your pet or a cross-stitch project. Why don’t you visit Etsy, for some ideas of the best crafts that can commemorate your pet.

As for a written tribute, you can translate your thoughts into writing. You can write a poem, a touching letter, or even a collection of short stories about how your dog changed you and your family’s lives. You will find the release relieving, not to mention heart-endearing.

2. Create something new

There are many portrait artists who can paint a stunning caricature of your dog and bring your beloved pet to life, even just for a brief moment whenever you glance at the picture. You can find these artists in your yellow pages. If you’re interested in creating a portrait for your pet, better find a good quality image now.

Another novel idea is to plan a tree in your fur friend’s name. Companies likeTreegivers can plant a tree of your choice in the name of your special friend. You can plant the tree in your backyard or you can even ask the city parks department to have it planted in the city park.

For some people shopping works its wonders. You can go therapy shopping for a memorial item that will always remind you of your special friend.

3. Contribute and do your part.

One great way of commemorating your special pet’s life is by paying it forward: contribute to an animal welfare organization, one with a cause that you believe in.  Some NGOs will make a special remembrance—perhaps etch your pet’s name on a brass plate or on a stone, which will then form part of the facility.

You can also contribute to the research organization that’s currently working on a cure for whatever caused your pet’s death. This will prevent pet owners from having to see their pets die from a similar cause.

This is by no means an exhaustive list. Here are some other ways for you to commemorate your dearly beloved pet.

Dog Memorial Ideas that Can Help You Move On

• Put your pet’s picture in a photo-display box (one that has a place in the top for a photo). Put some of the pet’s treasures inside the box, such as a collar or a lock of hair.

• Place a memorial stone or marker in your garden, even if you have not buried your pet at home.

• Keep a journal to help you through the grieving process. Record your pet’s life story in that journal.

• Build your own website in tribute to your pet.

• Put a special statue (not necessarily a funeral marker) in a garden spot that your pet loved. E.g., a statue of a pet, or of an angel, or St. Francis.

• Here’s one from a reader: Create a stepping stone for your garden in memory of your pet, or to mark its grave or the burial place of its ashes. There are many kits available that enable you to make your own stone and personalize it. The reader noted, “For example, my cat loved to eat fish and I found glass fish with which to make a mosaic.”

• Here’s a reader’s account of her Dog Party: Diary of the Best Last Day. It’s a wonderful, moving example of how to plan a “parting day” and create a farewell event for one’s pet and family. (Read More Here)

When it all comes down to it, what matters the most is that you let go, without forgetting; that you move forward, without leaving everything behind; and that you continue to love your other pets despite having your heart broken.

It’s hard to pick up the pieces after you just received news of your beloved pet’s death.  Through this time, you will have to make some decisions that will ultimately reflect on your dog’s time on earth. For one, you will need to decide where to keep your dog. You will also have to think about how to remember your pet by. Pet burial is one option, while cremating a pet is also a choice of many pet owners. Either way, what’s important is how you honor your dog’s memory.

The first and most urgent concern is where to store your pet’s body. Although you should ideally direct your pet’s body to funeral services, sometimes you may have to store the body. This is okay, as long as you keep the body well-cooled for up to 24 hours.

Cooling the body is important to prevent decomposition. That’s why you shouldn’t wrap the body with a warm blanket around it. This will draw the heat out of the body and speed up the process of decay.

One way is to store the body in the refrigerator. You can also place the body on a cool concrete or cement floor to draw out the heat and keep the body cool. If none of these are possible, you may put the body in the coldest part of the room, wrap it in a plastic bag and fill it with ice.

If you’ve finally settled on pet cremation and live in New York, you’ll find that there are many ways for you to reach pet cremation services.

 Guide to Cremating a Pet

It is very common for pet owners to have their deceased pets cremated, and there are many places in the city that will handle this for you. You first need to decide if you wish to keep your pet’s ashes as a remembrance. If so, you will want to arrange an individual (or private) cremation, meaning that your pet is cremated alone. This ensures that the remains returned to you are purely those of your pet. Businesses that offer individual cremation will have an assortment of urns and keepsake options for you to choose from and usually offer home pickup/delivery of remains as part of their service packages. One such business is Brooklyn-based Companion Cremation Services; this company also provides services to Long Island residents.

Companion Cremation Services

102 Skillman Avenue, Brooklyn, NY

(718) 388-0605

The Animal Medical Center is open 24 hours and will accept your animal for communal cremation at any time, day or night, for a $50 fee. Other cremation services are available, but must be arranged directly with the third-party cremation service provider.

Animal Medical Center

510 E. 62 Street, NY, NY

(212) 838-8100

(Read More Here)

If you’ve decided to bury your dog, you can do so in your backyard. However, if it is not wide enough, there are a number of cemeteries around New York, like Pet Haven, Hartsdale Pet Cemetery, and ASPCA Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital.

Indeed, this will be a tough time for you. But know that whatever happens, the memory of your beloved pet lives on and you have several shoulders to lean on.

Many pet owners have had to deal with the pain of losing a dog. Most will agree that it’s difficult, but one thing’s for sure: the pain is not incurable. You will get through it, if you allow yourself to.

You might have to deal with the loss even before your pet’s actual death. This is because the death is inevitable, and the mortality of your furry friend is much shorter than that of a human being. In this case, one way of coping is to accept that fact and do what you can for your senior dog to live a full last few months or years.

Talking to the vet is also appropriate at this point. You can ask about what your older dog is going through. Is your dog in pain? What are the treatment options for your furry friend? These are questions that will need to be answered, and might require a second opinion.

You might also want to take snapshots of your pet as a remembrance, along with your dog’s favorite items. And of course, you should cherish every moment with your pet—go to your favorite places, and bond with your furry friend.

If your pet’s death has become a certainty, you should make arrangements as to where your pet will lie. You should also give your friends and family a last chance to visit your beloved pet. And lastly, be with your pet in the last few moments.

As hard as it is to deal with the mere thought of your pet dying, coping with the actual loss is even harder for many pet owners. After your pet dies, don’t be afraid to let it all out. Cry. You’ve lost your companion, and it’s perfectly okay to mourn the loss of your friendship.

Don’t be afraid to tell others about your loss. Your closest friends and family will understand what you’re going through, and they will be there for you.

The Reality of Losing Your Dog

Remember your pet. Don’t pretend you never had one. Even though it makes you sad, it is best to remember and cherish the memories, not ignore them. It may hurt at first, but it’s the only path to closure, and it’s the only way you’ll ever be able to remember fondly your time with your pet. This is a good time to make a scrapbook or post photos on your blog or homepage. Include pictures, stories, and notes about your pet. Read “The Rainbow Bridge” poem online. It will make you feel better about your loss.

Go on with life. Although losing a pet is very sad, it is no reason to shut yourself up in your house or go into depression. Your pet has always felt comfort in your comfort, and the sooner you get back on track, the sooner you’ll be yourself again.

Consider volunteering at a local animal shelter. While emotionally, you may not be prepared to welcome another pet into your home right away, the act of helping to care for a homeless pet, a pet in desperate need of a caring human, may help with your grieving and sadness.  (Read More Here)

These are just some of the healthy ways to deal with your beloved pet’s loss. While there’s no single formula when dealing with your loss, know that there are people who are willing to stay with you. Your pain is not insignificant, and it’s okay to take it slowly.

When grieving over the loss of a pet, there’s no one formula of going dealing with the loss. You don’t have to follow what other people are telling you—whether you should cry or not, or be angry, or laugh at the special moments you had together. You shouldn’t tell yourself what to feel: feel what you feel in your own terms.

There’s a growing community of pet owners who are willing to support you. Online, there are message boards, hotlines, and support groups. There are people who care and understand about your grief.

A funeral may also be in order. This will put a closure to what happened, and will allow you to express your feelings. You can also prepare something to commemorate the joy of your beloved pet’s life: compile a photo album, plan a tree, or share your cherished memories.

And while you’re at it, don’t forget to take care of yourself. Grieving over the loss can take a toll on your emotional and physical health. Don’t forget to sleep, exercise, and eat regularly. Also, go about your regular routine with your other pets. They might be grieving just like you, and in these moments, you only have each other to look out for.

For senior adults who have to deal with the loss of their pet companions, a feeling of loneliness and longing might well up. At this point, diverting to other activities to occupy their time is good, like taking up a new hobby or volunteering.

Loss of a Pet – Saying Goodbye to Your Dog

Stay connected with friends. Pets, dogs especially, can help seniors meet new people or regularly connect with friends and neighbors while out on a walk or in the dog park, for example. Having lost your pet, it’s important that you don’t now spend day after day alone. Try to spend time with at least one person every day. Regular face-to-face contact can help you ward off depression and stay positive. Call up an old friend or neighbor for a lunch date or join a club.

Boost your vitality with exercise. Pets help many older adults stay active and playful, which can boost your immune system and increase your energy. It’s important to keep up your activity levels after the loss of your pet. Check with your doctor before starting an exercise program and then find an activity that you enjoy. Exercising in a group—by playing a sport such as tennis or golf, or taking an exercise or swimming class—can also help you connect with others.

As for children whose first experience of death is that of their beloved pet, they may easily get traumatized. The best solution is not to pretend that they went away, but to simply be honest about it to give them a chance to grieve.

At this point, you should reassure them that they’re not responsible and involve them in the grieving process.

Allow the child to be involved in any memorial service, if they desire. Holding a funeral or creating a memorial for the pet can help your child express their feelings openly and help process the loss.

Do not rush out to get the child a “replacement pet” before they have had chance to grieve the loss they feel. Your child may feel disloyal, or you could send the message that the grief and sadness felt when something dies can simply be overcome by buying a replacement. (Read More Here)

Indeed, dealing with loss of your beloved  furry friend is difficult–for children, seniors, and adults alike. But it’s not impossible to overcome. You can move forward, in your own terms, and without having to forget the memory you shared with your best buddy altogether.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRwPqkW-Ed0

In this video, famed pet physic Sonya Fitzpatrick explains that sometimes a FurBaby does not understand our attachment to its remains or why we do the things we do sometimes when we are grieving.  To the animals, they know that they remain with us in spirit to continue to love and support us…so why would be holding on so dearly to their ashes?

Sonya discusses a client that had a hard time parting with his beloved pet, and the pet thought it was rather funny because he was right there with his dad all the time.  Hopefully this makes you feel good as well if you have a FurBaby that has passed on.  They remain with us and the love lives on, we just need to realize that they won’t leave us and that we can speak to them and make a connection with them when ever we want!

 

 

The basics of the story behind the Rainbow Bridge stem in part from a wonderful poem written by William N. Britton back in 1994.  In this poem, Britton describes the beautiful pet heaven that awaits each and every lovely pet that passes on.  Their spirits are taken to lovely meadows where they want for nothing, getting to eat,  play and be together in a wonderful place while they await their pet parent on the other side.

In this beautiful land, they are no longer in any pain or discomfort and everything they need or want is there and they live in happiness.  Then, among their friends they keep and eye and ear out…waiting to see us come up over the bridge calling their name.  They are so happy to know that they have been missed as much as they missed you – and they are so happy to hear you call their name!  They go running up to welcome you to the other side and to finally have the opportunity to be with you again.

It is a beautiful poem and one worth checking out.  You can read the full version by clicking here: http://www.legendofrainbowbridge.com/poem.html

Do you have any of your own poems that you would like to share? We would love to read them and share them if that is okay with you!  Put them in the comments section below and let us know if it is okay or not if we share them with everyone else.