How does the loss of a dog affect our body?

 

 

 

 

If you’ve ever lost a really dear pet you will find it easy to remember the emotional pain knowing they no longer share your life.  Our cherished buddy can leave a grief as strong as losing a significant other yet we tend to deal with it in different way.  We are unlikely to seek time off work or seek emotional support either from friends or a professional.  If humans also add a measure of shame to the equation e.g. ‘I shouldn’t feel so much pain because it was a pet and not another human being’, this can add more of a hindrance to healing.

After all, your dog was more than just ‘present’.  They provided company, emotional support and even gave us a greater sense of meaning.  If we regularly mixed with other dog owners whilst we had our own dog we can miss the extra social company when our routine changes.  Also our routine of seeing them first thing in the morning for feed time and last thing at night is no longer there.  A bunch of other tasks in our day were designed around our pet and if our dog was part of our exercise regime that has changed too.

Some physical responses to grief can include elevated heart rate, panic, high blood pressure, loss of appetite, low energy levels and immunity can be weakened. A number of symptoms can occur simultaneously and in some cases pet owners have been known to experience stress-induced cardiomyopathy (broken heart syndrome).   

As time goes on we might see a picture of our dog, someone mentions his or her name or we catch a glimpse of the same breed.  Whilst our dog was alive this would have us grinning with joy but now it feels like a little dagger just turned in our heart.  Pet owners who have lost a dog will understand best of all what we are going through when we lose one of ours and be sympathetic to our pain.

Another dog will not fill the void.  All pets bring their own love and joy but one never replaces another.  Failing to recognize and accept our pain will make for a lengthier recovery.

Leah & Angela O’Meara

Hound Dog Day Care (Specialists in Dog Minding & Dog Boarding, Pet Sitting Brisbane & Doggy Day Cares Brisbane)