4 Tips to Help You Prepare for the Loss of Your Pet

Losing a pet is always difficult, but taking steps to prepare beforehand can alleviate some of the emotional and mental burden. Below are four methods to help you prepare for and cope with your pet’s eventual passing.

#1: Assess your pet’s quality of life

Although your pet cannot verbally communicate when they are not feeling well, they can still show signs of physical or mental distress. Using a quality of life scale, you can assess your pet’s health and happiness as they age or deteriorate from a chronic medical condition. The quality of life scale is a tool that can help you evaluate your pet objectively and determine if they are experiencing any suffering.

#2: Decide when to schedule your pet’s euthanasia

Losing a pet unexpectedly may relieve you from the difficult decision of euthanasia, but it may also make you wonder if you overlooked any signs of illness. On the other hand, deciding when it’s time to let your pet go and scheduling euthanasia can also be challenging. It’s important to keep in mind that most pets don’t pass away peacefully in their sleep, so choosing humane euthanasia can be a compassionate way of ending your pet’s suffering and showing your love for them.

#3: Discuss how to care for your pet’s body

If you’re not prepared for your pet’s after-care after they pass away, it can be difficult. To reduce stress, you can discuss how you’d like to handle your pet’s body if you know their end is near. Cremation is a common option and allows you to receive your pet’s ashes. Aquamation, although less available, is also gaining popularity as an after-care alternative. No new details or facts have been added.

#4: Rely on grief support groups to process your pet’s death

As you cope with the loss of your pet, don’t hesitate to seek help from support groups. Some universities have hotlines that provide pet loss support, and social media has many pet bereavement groups that can relate to your experience. Remember that you don’t have to go through the grieving process alone; there are resources available to you.

If your pet is becoming less healthy or happy, contact our team to evaluate their quality of life and help you prepare for their eventual passing.