"She'd woken screaming in severe pain, so we went to the emergency department after consulting a home visiting veterinarian. The vet recommended we admit Karla for X-rays to see if the pain was caused by osteosarcoma a common and deadly cancerexperienced by greyhounds. As we waited, I saw a weeping family, their golden retriever lying preternaturally still on a bed in a consulting room. Their sobs were guttural; I knew what had happened."
"I bent to look into her wide eyes and to hold her close as I felt her tremble and pant against me. Be brave, this is to help you, I'll be back very soon, I whispered, before walking out in a stupor. Since the day I adopted Karla more than eight years ago, I've felt the grief of looming loss daily,"
A 12-year-old greyhound experienced sudden, severe pain prompting an emergency veterinary visit and X-rays to check for osteosarcoma. Waiting in the emergency department involved witnessing other families' grief and feeling both connected to and isolated from others facing pet illness. The owner physically comforted the dog before sedation and felt disoriented after leaving. Anticipatory grief has been persistent since adoption, managed by grounding reminders that the dog is present now. Clients in therapy commonly face similar grief when making end-of-life decisions for pets. Deciding when to euthanize involves balancing hope and futility alongside guilt and a desire to delay loss.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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