Barkes Corner: 07 543 0026 | Brookfield Vets: 07 576 1818
Bereavement
BEREAVEMENT
Bereavement affects all of us sooner or later. With our pets this process happens more often because they have a shorter life. Everyone reacts to a loved animals passing in a different way. But all of us go through disbelief, shock, anger, tears and acceptance in our own time and in our own way. Effects can be cumulative particularly where another family member has passed away or is gravely ill.
A common question owners ask me is; when is the right time in contemplating a humane decision at the end of their animal's life? There is no right answer. One person may be happy with having their paraplegic dog ambulatory on wheels while another may find inappropriate urination of their feline sufficient reason for euthanasia.
Procedural costs can always stretch budgets to the limit particularly in times of economic down turn. A decision early in a pet's life to take out insurance can alleviate some of these costs as can a sensible repayment regime set up to offset unexpected expenses. Unfortunately there are few or no subsidies available for diagnostics and treatments in our animals.
When bad things happen judgments often need to be made quickly. Unlike us the majority of animal deaths are from euthanasia. That means we are making life and death choices for our pets. We do this because they are not able to make these choices for themselves. This is completely different from the human situation where no one has the right to do that for a fellow human being without at least their informed consent.
What guidelines then are there when each and every situation is unique? Communication is the key here. Talking it over with family members and friends at home, even these days with modern communication overseas (as often pets have become surrogate representatives for family members) and of course your local vet or vet nurse.
Sometimes our animals die totally unexpectedly. The raw emotions of loss are telescoped into a few short hours or days of intense grieving. My experience is that where there is doubt over cause of death a post mortem may provide some answers and in turn this will reduce ongoing distress and needless grief in the years ahead. E.g. an untimely death blamed on malicious poisoning may cause excessive recrimination or suspicion when death may have been from natural causes.
Finally there are alternatives to burial for our smaller pets and even by special arrangement our larger ones. Cremation with ashes returned for scattering or in an urn of our own choice for keeping can offer us both comfort and closure. We learn a lot about ourselves through our relationships with our pets and paradoxically there are life lessons to be accepted and learned in their passing.
Go Back to Peter's Corner
A common question owners ask me is; when is the right time in contemplating a humane decision at the end of their animal's life? There is no right answer. One person may be happy with having their paraplegic dog ambulatory on wheels while another may find inappropriate urination of their feline sufficient reason for euthanasia.
Procedural costs can always stretch budgets to the limit particularly in times of economic down turn. A decision early in a pet's life to take out insurance can alleviate some of these costs as can a sensible repayment regime set up to offset unexpected expenses. Unfortunately there are few or no subsidies available for diagnostics and treatments in our animals.
When bad things happen judgments often need to be made quickly. Unlike us the majority of animal deaths are from euthanasia. That means we are making life and death choices for our pets. We do this because they are not able to make these choices for themselves. This is completely different from the human situation where no one has the right to do that for a fellow human being without at least their informed consent.
What guidelines then are there when each and every situation is unique? Communication is the key here. Talking it over with family members and friends at home, even these days with modern communication overseas (as often pets have become surrogate representatives for family members) and of course your local vet or vet nurse.
Sometimes our animals die totally unexpectedly. The raw emotions of loss are telescoped into a few short hours or days of intense grieving. My experience is that where there is doubt over cause of death a post mortem may provide some answers and in turn this will reduce ongoing distress and needless grief in the years ahead. E.g. an untimely death blamed on malicious poisoning may cause excessive recrimination or suspicion when death may have been from natural causes.
Finally there are alternatives to burial for our smaller pets and even by special arrangement our larger ones. Cremation with ashes returned for scattering or in an urn of our own choice for keeping can offer us both comfort and closure. We learn a lot about ourselves through our relationships with our pets and paradoxically there are life lessons to be accepted and learned in their passing.
Brookfield Vets
Brookfield Shopping Centre
Otumoetai Road, Tauranga
(07) 576 1818
