When Your Pet is Seriously Ill

After our beloved family dog Vina passed away last year, I started asking myself if I had done enough to try and save her. Did I miss any signs? Should I have visited her at the vet hospital more often when she was confined? Could I have tried harder to find a compatible blood donor?

Then I started asking myself if I could have been better prepared for her passing.  When she was still sick, should I have been more open to the possibility of losing her? Could I have coped better?

I asked the veterinarians in Beterinaryo Sa Fort, a vet hospital in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, for some tips on what to do when your pet gets sick.

1.    When your pet becomes ill

“Have them seen by a veterinarian as soon as any symptom develops. Allow your veterinarian to conduct tests to be able to provide a proper diagnosis and prognosis. Together, the pet parent and your veterinarian should be able to discuss the best course of treatment and options for your fur baby.  It is essential that during this time, vet and pet parent work together, discuss and understand each other’s concerns, capabilities and limitations.”

2.      When your pet is confined indefinitely in the hospital

“Daily visits to your fur baby while in confinement are ideal. Keep daily tabs of your pet’s progress via phone call if you are unable to come in personally.  The personal interaction is essential to a patient’s recovery and gives a feeling of security.  Personally ask about the progress of your pet’s health. Your veterinarian will be more than willing to keep you posted on how the condition is developing.”

3.      When your pet dies in the hospital

“As veterinarians, we don’t think there is an easy way of coping.  Pet parents would have to undergo the process and pain of loss, as fur babies could never be replaced. I believe that if each parent is fully informed and prepared in each step of their fur baby’s condition, death will be more acceptable. Communication would be key in this trying moment.”

Professional veterinarians witness the sickness and death of many beloved pets. They’ve learned to cope with it as part of their job.

“Personally, a part of us dies with them. We actually feel the parent’s pain and loss as if we’ve lost our own, but we have to be at our strongest so that we can provide support and comfort.”