Senior dog grieving. Should I take him to the vet after pet loss?

I am so sorry to hear this! It is always sad to lose a 4 legged family members but it is also heart breaking to watch their house mates suffer the same grievance. I would make sure to give your dog plenty of extra TLC and spend extra time with him when you can. I would also consider put a calming collar on him like adaptil to help calm him while you are away. There are also calming chews you could try like composure or the prescription version composure pro. At the end of the day, it is going to take time for him to grieve just like us. Unfortunately, some do not completely heal until they have a new companion to be with. I hope this helps and please know you are in my thoughts.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am so sorry for the loss of your husband! I think animals mourn as well and they can pick up on our stress and anxiety. I would call your vet and ask for medications for Sophia. I would consider a long acting anti-anxiety medication like prozac and also a short acting medication to use in the beginning for when you leave her. I would hope with time you can wean her off these medications. I would provide something of your husbands for her to keep in her crate or bed that you can give her. If she doesn't have food allergies consider giving her a Kong filled with food (there are recipes online) and keep the radio or TV on for her. If she likes other dogs you can even sign her up for doggie day care and drop her off there for the day. I wish you all the best!

I'm so sorry that Ginny has lost her friend. That can be very hard for some dogs to deal with. Yes, it is normal, but sometimes the grieving process can continue for a period of time. If it contines, I have had luck with Bach Flower Essences. Rescue Remedy is a formulation that is easy to find, but sometimes owner will have custom combinations prepared as well. http://www.bachflower.com/rescue-remedy-pets-bach-flower/ If Ginny is not eating or drinking normally, please contact your veterinarian. I hope Ginny (and you) are able to deal with your loss and that the new year brings you some relief and happiness.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Animals do show emotion and it very well could be that she is grieving or missing your 12 year old dog. If they were together for a long time, and now your other dog is missing, this is a big change in Kita's environment not having her friend around. I would recommend providing her with plenty of toys to play with and take her out a lot. If this is due to emotional stress, it should hopefully resolve with time. If any new symptoms develop I would recommend having a veterinarian examine Kita and test her blood for any abnormal changes. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear about your dog. Dogs and cats definitely grieve for other animals. If any of Luna's behaviors are concerning or are not resolving with time, I have had luck with a Bach Flower Essence called Rescue Remedy or a custom compounded blend for grief. http://www.bachflower.com/rescue-remedy-pet/ I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

I'm so sorry to hear that Gum lost his partner. That certainly can be difficult for a dog. Adding another dog to the house may certainly be good for him. In general, we recommend that a male and female dog will tend to get along the best if you have your option of genders. Depending on how long it will take you to add another dog to the house, another thing you could consider if needed would be adding a Bach Flower Essence like Rescue Remedy ( http://www.bachflower.com/rescue-remedy-pet/ ) which can be added to the water and help with emotional problems. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

This could be a delayed grieving from loosing his mate. I would try some calming pills like vetriscience composure and a calming collar like adaptil. These will hopefully take the edge off to help him. If not, I would consider talking to your vet about starting him on an anti-anxiety medicine to see if this helps. I hope this helps!