PetlifeRadio.com
– It’s A Doggy Dog World
Liz Palika, Petra Burke & Kate Abott
Liz Palika, Petra Burke & Kate Abott
The How Book of
Dogs
Liz Palika
This week I took an opportunity to listen to a podcast about "The End Days of Our Dogs Lives" while surfing through Itunes. The podcast is sponsored by Petlife Radio.com “It’s a Doggy
Dog World” by Liz Palika. Everything a dog owner would need to know about caring for
their dog is available on this radio podcast program. Personally,
I found this show entertaining, personal, transparent, and serious. The
host; Liz Palika is a wealth of knowledge & experience about dogs. Also, I liked her stories regarding dogs and
found her program to be real, honest, and filled with true life humor.
What
is your doggy philosophy on life? Have ever
thought about the day your loving dog or pet grows old and may need to be euthanized?
Real life altering questions we all must consider at some point in their short future. What
is euthanasia? Some folks believe dogs
should die naturally, regardless of how much they suffer. Personally, I am not one who believes this. Questions you may have about your dog's life or death issue may be:
o
Is your dog having more bad days than
good days?
o
Is the quality of life for your pet getting
better or worse?
o
How uncomfortable or unhappy are they?
o
Is the joy of being a dog and the job they
perform, now a burden?
o
Is the dog in pain (medicated)?
Liz,
along with her two guests; Petra Burke & Kate Abott told us a story about her Velcro Dog unable to follow her from room to room when she conducted simple house
chores around her home; “I can’t follow you into the next room like I used to do; I'm so sorry?"
Therefore,
a decision to euthanize a family pet member is always difficult. It is a decision that should be discussed
with your spouse, and other family members, because the sudden absence of a
family member will likely have traumatizing psychological and emotional effects
on other personalities who live in your home, including the cat. Everyone should have a chance to say, “Good-bye!” Also, Liz encourages folks to consider veterinarian
policies when putting down a family pet. Some vets allow family members to be present for
the procedure, others do not. In either case,
grieving the death of a dog or cat is real, regardless if it is sudden or a long
process. As I have always believed, our
dogs are wonderful gifts and their lives with us are just on lease.
If
it be possible, one can plan ahead by understanding the best options for how your dog should be put to sleep may be a very
good way to dealing with one’s ultimate grief.
Liz also talks about weighing options before settling on the decision to
euthanize. Her best advice on the
subject is to gain knowledge by understanding your process on dealing with loss
by help others in their grieving processes, as well. The panel suggested collecting artifacts such
as paw impressions, the dog’s collar, identification tags, photos, videos, and even
fur while they are with you as a way of preserving their memories which are
helpful in preparing us during times of our grieving. How do you deal with your grief?
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The
5 Stages of Grief
o
Denial
o
Anger
o
Bargaining
o
Depression
o
Acceptance
Lastly,
it is important to choose whom you talk
with about death of a family pet. Not
everyone will understand what you are going through. Liz Palika encourages folks to call grief
counselors at:
University
of Davis Pet Loss Hospital
o
1
(800) 565-1526
o
1
(530) 752-3602
Cornell
University Pet Hotline
o
1 (607) 253-3932
What are your thoughts
on the topic?
The End of Our Dogs Lives
The End of Our Dogs Lives
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