Blog in English

 WHEN WE LOOSE OUR PET

In August 2022, we said goodbye to Bikkja after long and mature consideration. In the last years of her life, several illnesses had appeared. It started with a uterine infection, which caused her to undergo surgery. Blood tests also showed that her pancreas and liver were not working so well. As a result, her diet was changed, still home cooked food but now low fat and freshly prepared. Her mobility also started to decrease. In April 2022, she went to her last Rally-O competition, which she won. It was amazing. But over the next few months, her mobility got worse. She wanted to go for walks in the forest, but she realized her self, that it was better to wait around the house, for us to come back. It was difficult not having her with us. Her musculature slowly declined, and when she could not walk anymoe, we decided that she should not be with us any longer. It is my privilege and my duty to handle that, which of course took place in the kitchen in the presence of the entire family, both two- and four-legged. It was sad to say goodbye, but also okay.

But just 8 days later, a terrible accident happened and little Tik lost her life. It completely knocked our legs away. We were still in mourning and missing Bikkja and not at all "ready" to say goodbye to another one.

I went into shock and later learned that I was in some kind of stress state. I guess I "had stress-related breakdown", as they say. It is not something I have experienced before, not even close. I had physical symptoms with palpitations, nausea, dizziness, and discomfort. Talking about Tik and her accident triggered it. My heart was beating out of my chest, and I had to sit down to keep from falling over. I was tired, unhappy and saw no sense in her abrupt departure. I had to close the clinic for a period and only take in the most urgent clients. About three months passed before everything was "as it were" again. That is, things won’t truly be thus.

My experience has made me think about how much our animals mean to us and how big of an influence they have on our lives. Since this summer I have talked to many people, heard their stories and heard about their loss and grief. The grief you feel when you lose your pet can be completely different and for some much greater than when we lose a person close to us.

Society does not accept this grief in the same manner as with people, and many have opinions about grieving over a pet as something that " you must get over quickly".

Throughout my long life as a veterinarian, I have seen the grief of losing all kinds of animals from large horses to small budgies and guinea pigs. Now I have also experienced for myself how heavy that grief can be.