Heal Thy Pets

First I want to share my perspective on the death of animals, people, trees, flowers and maybe even our world.

I feel there is a web of energy in the universe and that every individual is a unique physical manifestation of that energy with lessons to learn which will contribute to the growth of the universe.

While each person may struggle in life to discover their purpose, most animals are clear about their purpose.

Animals can have specific life lessons they need to experience and sometimes this is done in a long life, sometimes in a very short life. Death is a passage into another wonderful adventure.

My grief is missing the physical presence and interaction of a being who was in my life. I know energetically they are with me forever and I can communicate with the energy that is/was them. When I grieve very deeply and I am in pain after a loss I know that I am feeling guilty, or have something unresolved with that being. The healthier (physically and mentally) animals and people rebound with fewer problems from a loss, so always focus on overall good health.

I will cover grieving for a lost pet, how pets grieve, caring for surviving pets when a person dies, and more resources.

Grieving for a lost animal Each of you is in a different place about the death of a loved animal. Be gentle and kind to yourself and respect all your feelings and emotions. Look for support of like-minded people when your animals die. Buy a soft, tiny, stuffed animal (a ‘Comfort Pal’) to help comfort you.

If you put "pet grief" into an Amazon search, 66 books will appear. Many of these books are also available at your library. There are shelters, which adopt 16 year old and older cats, giving them a home for the rest of their lives (some live as old as 27, several till 25). Sharing other people's perspectives and other people's stories can help you grieve and move on. Many of my clients have held memory ceremonies where friends of the animal who died come and share stories, feeling, memories, and thoughts. Candle lighting can be healing. There are some animal communicators who can speak with animals who have passed on.

How pets grieve When the family structure is disrupted by the death of an animal or person, life also changes for the surviving pets. In some cases, animals react much as humans do. They might cry, lose their appetite, oversleep, or become withdrawn and sullen. More than ever, these depressed pets need you to help them through this period of loss. Flower essences are very good for any emotional problem. Any of the following are safe and may make a big difference:

1. Rescue remedy, Walnut, Honeysuckle
2. Grief and Loss
3. Lodgepole, Douglas Fir and many others
4. Each of the other flower essence companies has remedies for grief. People take the same ones as their animals unless there are additional special ones they realize they need as they read up on the essence for the animals.

If your animals (or yourselves) are still having trouble functioning or old symptoms return, homeopathy may be needed - Ignatia and Natrum muriaticum are two, which can often match the state an animal has entered after losing peers. If homeopathy does not work, acupuncture may be needed to deeply heal the grief.

Caring for pets who survive loss of their owner When a loved one needs intensive care, is facing a terminal illness, must move into a facility that does not allow animals, or dies; you are faced with many difficult decisions. One is how to relieve your loved one's mind about the future of their beloved animal companions. Be sure to tell your animal and your loved one exactly what you are doing and why. When your loved one has died, tell the animal about the death and your plans for the animal. There are numerous key steps that will assure the animal has the best care.

1. Where will the animal live?
2. Check out the potential new guardians.
3. Make sure, if at all possible, you let a family know that if there is not a great match or for any reason they do not like their new animal they may return the animal and you will find it a different home.
4. Contact a reputable communicator (psychic), to speak with the animal about the transition.
5. Flower essences and homeopathy or other natural therapies will help the transition.
6. Talk out loud to the animal(s) and do not leave them alone for long.
7. Write down joyous memories, emotional needs and medical problems.
8. Obtain copies of the veterinary records to give to the new owner.
9. Most importantly, keep the original guardian (if still alive) apprised of the animal's progress and be honest if there are problems, as they may know the solution.

Sometimes animals will develop a physical problem in the new home, which may worsen if treated without realizing that the transition is part of the illness.

By Christina Chambreau