Having a dog is one of the biggest joys in life, and they are always there for us no matter what. For these reasons, it is completely natural to become attached to your pet.
Although death is not a nice topic to think about and most people choose to avoid talking and thinking about it as if that would mean they will prevent it from happening, it is important to come to terms with the fact that you may outlive your pet, considering they have shorter life expectancies.
Not many people know what to do once their pet passes away, and with so many emotions involved, you may not be thinking clearly, when this happens. In this article, we will advise you what to do after your beloved pet dog passes away.
Assess The Situation
If you have any suspicions that your dog may be unwell or may have passed away, it is important that you double-check this to make sure. There are a few things you can do to confirm whether your pet has passed away, including checking for a pulse and you can even attempt to administer CPR or any other first-aid technique that you may be familiar with.
Contact Your Veterinarian
Whether you have done the above or not, the best course of action is to contact your veterinarian. Evidently, they will have the appropriate experience of having dealt with such circumstances on more than one occasion. They will be able to guide you through what to do in this situation. They should even have their own contacts of a professional that may be able to come and collect the body. Some vets allow you to store the pet’s body with them for a couple of days until you have considered any aftercare arrangements.
Call For Help
Losing your pet can be a very difficult time – as we mentioned previously, your emotions will be all over the place, so you may become extremely stressed and overwhelmed in this situation. If you are alone when this happens, make sure that you contact someone you trust, a friend or family member, that can support you emotionally but also with the practicalities associated with the process of making the decisions on what to do next. They can also help you contact the appropriate services. Make sure that you contact someone who does not have a strong emotional attachment to your dog so that they can think clearly and support you as much as possible.
Handling The Body
One of the most difficult things to think about is to make decisions about what you want to happen to your dog’s body once it has passed away. Understandably, your emotions will most likely take over the situation, and you may not want to think about the body of your beloved pet. However, it is important that you think about this, as a pet’s body will start decomposing very quickly after death. This can result in foul smells as well as insects around the body, particularly if you live in a warmer area, as this will speed up the decomposition process.
Cremating The Body
The aftercare of your pet’s dog will depend on whether you wish to bury or cremate the body – you may be able to cremate your dog, which can happen quickly if there are services available, however, if you want to bury the body it is important that the body is properly stored. The experts at greenmeadowmemorials.com/cremation-urns suggest investing in good quality cremation urns, so you can keep the ashes of your beloved pet. This way you will always feel your best friend close to you.
Burying Your Dog’s Body
Some people choose to bury their pets on their property so that they can visit and feel the pet’s presence closer to them. If this is something you are considering yourself, you should make yourself familiar with the law in your local area, as certain locations prohibit this. If you are allowed, make sure that you learn about the process so that this can be done properly. Place the body in a wooden or cardboard casket and dig a grave 3-feet deep and choose a good location where you can mark your dog’s grave.
Seek Professional Counselling
Losing your dog can be a very emotional time for you – it is completely normal to struggle emotionally. If you feel that you are unable to cope on your own, consult with a professional so that they can support you through this.
Dealing with your pet’s death is a very overwhelming situation – the information above should provide you with a clear overview of what to do after your beloved pet dog passes away so that you handle this successfully.
