Symptoms of acute grief after the loss of a pet can last from one to two months, with symptoms of grief persisting up to a full year (on average).
Acute grief symptoms after the death of a pet can last from one to three months and general symptoms of grief can continue, on average, for six months to a year This grieving period can vary significantly from person to person and can be much longer or shorter.
A small 2019 study of 82 people found that the length of intense grief experienced by bereaved pet owners varies —with 25 % taking between 3 months to a year, 50% between one year and 19 months, and 25 % between two and six years. It's no wonder that pet loss therapy is an emerging field.
Sudden and unexpected pet loss can cause pet carers to exhibit physical and emotional symptoms of shock. If your bereavement has just happened – or you're reading this on behalf of someone it's just happened to – you may find yourself shaking, experiencing palpitations, headaches, stomach aches, sleeplessness and more.
However, the loss of that companion can be devastating and traumatic. Humans develop a lasting attachment with their pets, which breaks at the loss of the pet. Regardless of the manner of death, a pet owner may perceive the death as traumatic and experience distress or exhibit posttraumatic stress symptoms.
Psychologist Julie Axelrod has pointed out that the loss of a dog is so painful because owners aren't just losing the pet. It could mean the loss of a source of unconditional love, a primary companion who provides security and comfort, and maybe even a protégé that's been mentored like a child.
Why Pet Loss Hurts. “One reason why losing a pet is such a deep loss is because animals' love is so unconditional and accepting,” she said. But it's also because so many aspects of people's lives are impacted. “Every single facet of life is part of the loss,” she explained.
Answer: Fortunately for us, dogs do not understand they are going to be put down and what happens after they are given the injection that puts them to sleep.
It is so important to make sure that you take the time to look after yourself. The stress of losing a pet can quickly deplete your physical and emotional reserves. Eat a balanced healthy diet, make sure you get plenty of sleep, and exercise regularly to help boost your overall mood.
Losing a beloved animal friend is made harder by the relative novelty of the experience, often being a person's first experience with a close death, and by it being one of the few times most people chose euthanasia to end a life.
Some people start to feel better in weeks or months. For others, the grieving process is measured in years. Whatever your grief experience, it's important to be patient with yourself and allow the process to naturally unfold. Feeling sad, shocked, or lonely is a normal reaction to the loss of a beloved pet.
Memory Span
"Dogs forget an event within two minutes," reported National Geographic, citing a 2014 study performed on various animals from rats to bees. Other animals have long-term memories, such as dolphins, but dogs don't seem to have a long-term memory that lasts much beyond those two minutes.
In such circumstances, some pet carers find that they experience flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, nightmares and other symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for a long time after the loss of their companion.
The pets that we had to say goodbye to are alive in heaven right now in their spiritual bodies and we will see them again if we accept Jesus as our Savior. Your Pet Is Not Gone Forever.
Understand that crying for your pet is natural. It's normal, and though painful, it's part of the grieving process that's necessary for you to heal. “Most people who have bonded with a pet know the comfort and joy animals provide. When we lose a pet, part of us feels like it's dying.
Turns out it's actually quite normal for humans to experience more intense pain at the loss of a pet than that of a close friend or even a relative. For many people, the death of a pet is comparable in almost every way to the loss of a loved one.
Why is it so devastating to lose a pet? The companionship of a pet is unlike any other relationship we have. Every emotion a pet has – joy, fear, anger, sorrow, impatience, or contentment – is pure. It's experienced in that one unique moment, and then it's let go to make way for the next one.
The grief that comes with losing a beloved pet can be all-consuming. In fact, the pain can actually manifest with physical symptoms that mimic a heart attack.
Guilt is a normal response to the death of a pet. We want to make sense out of what has happened and as a result, we frequently blame ourselves. Feelings of guilt should subside as you progress through the grieving process.
Although the specific reason for feelings of guilt differ from person to person, almost everyone feels some guilt after the death of a pet. Most often, we believe we had more control over the situation than we actually did, and this is the cause of our guilt.
Pet Loss and Mental Health
Some people experience mental symptoms of grief, which may include confusion, trouble focusing, constant dwelling on your pet, or thinking you see or hear your pet. Loss of an animal companion can also lead to anxiety and depression for some people.
A hidden sorrow: experiencing pet bereavement as a disenfranchised grief. 'Disenfranchised grief' is a term used to describe grief that isn't fully or sometimes even partly acknowledged by society.