River City Pet Hospital
Dr. McHenry volunteered on a Pet Loss Hotline while a vet student at OSU CVM . Dr. McHenry has experienced pet loss grief, having shared her life with over 30 personal pets so far. "If tears could build a stairway and heartache make a lane, I'd walk the path to heaven and bring you back again."
What happens during a euthanasia?
The word "euthanasia" translates to "a good death." This means a death without lingering pain and suffering. A pet is given a drug that causes unconsciousness and slows the heart until its beat stops. It is performed usually by injection into a vein or other appropriate site. The time it takes varies from pet to pet, but is usually a matter of minutes. Some pet owners choose to say goodbye and step out before the injection, and some choose to stay. Either way, the pet is hugged and loved and spoken softly to by the staff attending to the pet until the last breath is taken.
What are the options of caring for my pet's body after it dies? Burial at home or a pet cemetary, or cremation, are common choices. Cremation produces grey dry crumbly remains that can be stored or dispersed as wished. | Pets are really family members with fur or scales. They may not speak our verbal language, but they speak the language of our hearts. It is extremely distressing to lose a beloved pet, no matter how long that pet was in our lives. Grief is different for every individual, though it usually follows a pattern. This pattern of grief involves feelings of denial, anger, sadness and acceptance. If you or someone close to you is experiencing grief over the loss of a pet, you can get help. Be assured, that your memories of your pet will not "go away," but they will become less painful and more sweet in time. http://vet.osu.edu/vmc/pet-owner-support-and-counseling (grief hotline at OSU) Explaining pet death to children
Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
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