Dealing with the Death of a Pet

Posted on 13. Jan, 2010 by Annvi in Barkin' Doggie Bloggie

“When a dog runs at you, whistle for him.”~ Henry David Thoreau

Growing up, my family never had any pets; I have never had to cope with the loss of a pet member.   Soon after we adopted Rocky, my sister felt she was ready to adopt her very first dog too.  She and her roommate adopted a black lab-chow mix puppy from the Atlanta Humane Society.  They named their new best friend, Nala.

I remember my sister calling me about Nala a few hours after she brought the pup home.  Apparently, Nala was peeing all over the place.  This seemed like typical behavior to me.  When you bring a dog home for the first time, the dog may show signs of nervousness- which may be peeing all over the place.  I explained this to my sister, but she wasn’t so sure.  She said that Nala was peeing a lot, like something was wrong.  She decided to take her to the vet first thing in the morning.

After some tests, it was discovered that her puppy had “Chronic Renal Failure,” a disease of the kidneys. A properly functioning kidney removes the buildup of waste products from the blood.  A kidney that does not function as it should indicates that there is a buildup of toxins in the blood.  This can lead to a multitude of problems, such as increase need to urinate.  Typically, this affects older dogs; however, a dog can be born with this.  If it is caught early enough, the puppy’s quality of life can be improved dramatically and even extend the life of the dog.  Basically, you have to feed the dog a low protein diet so that dog’s body does not produce more toxins.  When my sister adopted Nala, the toxin level was already very high.  The vet told her that Nala had about six months to live.

On vacations to Georgia, I’d watch my sister rush to the door to take Nala out almost every hour and dote on her every move.  I wondered what it must feel like to know you have such little time with your best friend.  Despite her illness, Nala was a strong pup.  She played with other dogs and never let on that she felt tired or weak.  I remember when my sister ran her first marathon, Nala was there and even ran a couple of miles with her.

Eight months later, Nala began having seizures.  The toxin levels had increased so much that her brain was being affected.  My sister knew it was time to let her go.  Nala was still  very young.

I remember how I felt when my sister lost her first dog.  Even now, writing this makes me cry.  Coping with the loss of a pet, regardless of the amount of time you spent, is always difficult.  It is a bond that is never broken.  It is because you learn the greatest life lesson there is- you learn the proper way of how to live.

Losing a pet can be just as painful as losing a loved one.  Your pet was a member of your family.  I found this article and thought it may help with the grieving process.

Tags: chronic renal failure, death of a pet, kidneys