Helping a dog with grief

[noideabutstilltrying]

Our older dog was euthanised on Friday afternoon. She was a beautiful and calm girl that got to 12.5 years.

We have a second girl who is almost 10.

She is missing her companion massively.

She's not eating and is unhappy and restless.

We have ensured that she isn't left on her own. We took her to the beach today.

Can anyone give me advice on how to help our remaining girl cope with her grief please?

No direct experience but it’s coming to us and I have discussed with my vet.
My vet says it’s helpful for dog 2 to see dog1 post death, as they do have n understanding of this.
Failing that, maybe a calming collar abd diffuser, such as Adaptil, or some herbals like Nutracalm, may help your dog; alongside keeping things as normal as possible. Also if you have a blanket or bedding which smells of dog1, perhaps place it near dog2’s bed ?

These are just ideas. Perhaps someone with more direct knowledge can help more.
Sorry for your loss. Its so hard to let them go.

Vet suggested we got another ddog.. We had 3 at home still and a new dpuppy. It did help the existing ddogs.. He told me they really do grieve...

We lost our almost 13 year old dog in May, we let younger dog see her dead and sniff her etc. He is slowly getting back to his normal self now. I'm sorry for your loss. It's heartbreaking.

When I booked the euthanasia I asked the vet about the the younger one seeing our older one after and she said it wouldn't help just traumatise her.

We have left both beds down to try and comfort her.

I will look at the hormone diffusers

This is so sad. Hope your dog feels better soon. A friend’s ancient cat died recently and she says the dog won’t stop looking for it, going to peer at at the places it liked to sleep.

We always get a new dog within about a month (mostly for me but for other dogs too). But it's not something I would advise unless you know how your existing dog will react - introducing a puppy to a dog that has experienced a loss is very difficult and needs careful management.

Honestly? Just include her in everything, give her cuddles and love. Try giving her treats for food (chicken and rice) or urn it into a game/reward based to get her to eat if you must. Can she sleep in your room at night?

Thank you.

The hound is currently curled up on my daughter's bed so she's not alone.

We are also lucky that as a family there is always someone at home as we all work different hours.

I don't think a new addition is right for us as a family.

I will need to find her some doggy pals in the village for future walks and companionship for her

Poor thing. Getting another dog was definitely not on the cards when our older dog was PTS. Same ages as yours. The younger one grieved for 6-9 months, totally out of sorts and mopey. Didn’t even really want to go for walks on his own. We just gave him extra love and cuddles - it was Covid times so everyone was home anyway which probably helped. He gradually perked up over time and I think now enjoys being an only dog.

@noideabutstilltrying great she won’t be alone. She’ll come through it.

And i’m so sorry for your loss (realise my first post focussed just on your other dog!). It’s awful losing a dog and if you’re anything like me, still having one at home doesn’t make it any easier or the process any faster! 12.5 is a good age - she must have had an amazing life with you and an amazing family

@noideabutstilltrying sorry for your loss. Keep routines the same, give extra tlc. Cuddles, toys, food, walks etc... and things will gradually get a little easier for your 10yr old girl.
My boy is 10 now and he lost his brother then his sister the following year. He did see them passed at home as vet come to the house.
Took 8-9 months for him to get better. We also kept blankets of his brother and sister for comfort to him xX

When my old dog died at almost 16, the younger dog, half his age, was depressed for about six months. Tried to make sure he got a bit more attention than usual but as with humans it takes time.