“My little dog is getting older and that is making me sad. I just had to start him on a supplement for inflammation because he is having trouble walking. I hate seeing him this way!”A friend of mine recently closed her email to me with those words. From previous friends I have had who owned pets, I know she is walking on an inevitable path that will lead to her dog’s death and her accompanying grief. The one who has given her great memories will become one.
As pets age and benefit from loving care of good people, we should never underestimate the tremendous benefits people reap from them. The National Poll on Healthy Aging sponsored by AARP and Michigan Medicine reports that pet ownership helps older adults cope with mental and physical health issues, connect with others, and get more exercise. Unfortunately, pets can cause concerns with some people putting their pets’ needs ahead of their own health. But the rewards improve human aging in numerous ways before pets die.
In this video, plastic surgeon Andrew Ordon grieves over his beloved bulldog Lulu who recently died. Veterinarian Courtney Campbell offers advice on coping with the loss of a pet. For more information about end-of-life pet care, visit www.aspca.org/care.
Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes is available in paperback and e-book editions in America and other countries at online and offline booksellers.
Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog
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