Unleashed with Grace: Side by Side Animal Home Hospice and Euthanasia
  • Home
  • In Home Euthanasia
    • Knowing if it's time
    • The Euthanasia Process
    • Quality of Life Exam
  • Services and Fees
  • Contact
    • About Dr. Heidi
    • Blog
  • Home
  • In Home Euthanasia
    • Knowing if it's time
    • The Euthanasia Process
    • Quality of Life Exam
  • Services and Fees
  • Contact
    • About Dr. Heidi
    • Blog

Unleashed Blog

Comforting a Friend Whose Pet Has Passed Away

11/23/2018

2 Comments

 
Picture
Losing a beloved pet is extremely difficult.  It is a HUGE loss yet what makes it most challenging is that life around the loss seems to carry on as normal.  This is SO hard for someone who has lost a pet because they start feeling like their grief isn’t normal when in fact, it is, and it’s important to acknowledge that.  Here’s what you can do to help a friend who has lost a pet:
  1. 1. Listen and be present: in my experience in performing hundreds of euthanasias, there are two forms of families: those who want to share stories of their pet and those who just want to be quiet.  The best thing you can do for your friend is to listen if they are willing to share, or to just be present during the tears.
  2. 2. Affirm their decision: let them know that they did absolutely everything they could for their pet and if the pet died by a euthanasia decision, let them know they made the right choice and gave their pet a gift of a peaceful ending.
  3. 3. Gifts: Etsy has beautiful mementos to remember a pet such as bracelets or even lockets that will hold pet ashes. These can be beautiful reminders of the love they shared with their pet.
  4. 4. Make a donation: there are some really great organizations out there that allow you to make a donation in the name of a deceased pet.  Not only are you helping the common good, but you are showing your friend how much you care for them and their pet
  5. 5. Week later check-in:  THIS is the most important.  One week later, it is not unusual for a pet owner to feel strange for still feeling grief, although this is completely normal.  If you send a loving text or card or phone call a week later acknowledging their grief and just seeing how they are doing, you are telling them that it is ok to still be sad.  This helps soothes their fears about grieving too long and allows them to continue carrying out the grieving process which in itself is a healthy process.
Well done, you!!!! for reading this and wanting to help a friend who is grieving a pet.  We are stronger together and your support will mean the world to them! 
2 Comments

Brrrr.....Make Sure Your Pet's Not Left in the COLD!

11/14/2018

1 Comment

 
Picture
Booties!!! Slow positive reinforcement is key to success!  Take it Week by Week with these actions followed by a few treats and praise
Week 1: show your pet the booties daily immediately followed by a treat
Week 2: tap booties to their paws then treat
Week 3: put one bootie on and give treats and praise for one minute then remove
Week 4: put all booties on and give treats and praise for 5 minutes
Week 5: put all booties on and give treats praise and take outside: play distract have fun!

Jackets: in the picture you can see my little chiweenie’s parka.  She will not poop without it! So if you have an older pet, they may have trouble with real cold temperatures.  Please purchase a warm winter coat for them to do they duty in and get extra points if it’s stylish!!!

Walk outside with them:  My girl will stop dead in her tracks if her paws get to cold and will make me pick her up!  Make sure your older pet isn’t getting stuck outside or slipping on any ice. Watch them closely because even though they may not have had trouble when they were younger, they may find some as they get older and their joints become stiffer.

Warm up afterwards with a nice heated throw blanket or just a large hug!

A note on road salt:  Winter sidewalk/road salt can dry out and crack your pet’s paws.  So try to find a “pet friendly” salt like Morton’s “Safe-T-Pet” salt or make sure to wash their paws after their walks.
These few tips will make the winter friendly and warmer for both you and your pet!!!



1 Comment

Top 5 Tips for Knowing if It's Time

11/6/2018

0 Comments

 
There is no magic formula that will tell you if it’s time to choose to put your beloved pet down.  For most families, this decision falls in the grey area and causes a lot of agonizing stress. Here are my top 5 tools that I have used over the years to help pet owners look at their pet’s quality of life.

1. Talk openly with your vet!  We are here to help you through this.  We know the disease or diseases your pet has and we know in general what you could expect.  It is our job to help you through this process. Unleashed with Grace offers Quality of Life phone calls for only $50 for 30 minutes to help guide you through this tough decision. You do not have to make this decision alone!

2. Check out my quality of life parameters on my webpage https://www.unleashedwithgrace.com/knowing-if-its-time.html If your pet is experiencing trouble in more than 3 of these categories, than it is likely that quality of life is diminishing.

3. Take a quality of life assessment online and track your pet’s scores daily.  http://www.pethospicejournal.com is totally free and is a great resource.  Ask different members of your family to take it and then compare.  You can even ask your vet to take it with you.

4. The “Grey Muzzle” APP is totally free and lets you track good vs bad days on your phone.  This helps you catch a downward trend quicker in order to try and prevent a crisis situation with your pet. https://www.lapoflove.com/Quality-of-Life/Grey-Muzzle

5. Knowing that a couple weeks too early is better than 2 minutes too late.  In cases where quality of life is poor and death is imminent, making that decision prior to a crisis will avoid a lot of pain and suffering for the pet.

Chances are if you are reading this, you are facing this difficult decision.  Do not be afraid to reach out, we are here to help...you are not alone.


​
0 Comments

    Author

    Write something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview.

    Archives

    May 2020
    April 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    September 2018

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Picture
Unleashed With Grace
(815)270-2011
Email: info@unleashedwithgrace.com
Serving the following Illinois Counties: LaSalle, Kendall, DeKalb, Kane(Southern portion), Grundy, Will (Western portion), DuPage (southern portion)

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
HOURS
Mon: 8am- 6pm
Tues: 8am- 6pm

Wed: 8am - 6pm
Thurs: 8am - 6pm
Fri: 8am - 6pm
Sat: 8am - 3pm
Sun:Closed

Services

In Home Euthanasia
Services and Fees

Company

About Dr. Heidi
Blog

Support

Contact
How Do I Know If It's Time?

© COPYRIGHT 2018. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.