Main description:

This concise workbook is written as a guide for veterinary professionals to support owners through the many challenges they face before, during and after the death of their companion animal. This unique text provides a wealth of practical advice to be used when supporting both adults and children through the grief process. It offers support when discussing subjects such as natural death versus euthanasia and guiding owners through after death services. Also, it covers the difficulties experienced by owners due to separation for other reasons, such as when a pet has to be rehomed. The book: - Gives highly practical guidance on pet bereavement support for vet staff before, during and after animal loss, including communicating with highly distressed people; - Includes exercises and activities which can be downloaded and shared with owners to help them cope with the destabilising effects of grief; - Helps gain a deeper understanding of the owners' perceptions of the process, including their fears and feelings; - Addresses the importance of self-care and peer support within the veterinary team or animal welfare organisation; - Contains numerous case studies and practical examples in the book and via additional online resources.

Contents:

1: Perspective from Opposite Sides of the Consulting Table 2: Communicating with Distressed Owners 3: Approaching End-of-life Issues with Owners 4: The Owner's Resources 5: End-of-life Planning 6: Supporting the Owner as They Find the Right Time to Say Goodbye 7: Euthanasia for Pet Behaviour Problems 8: Euthanasia, Sudden Death and Natural Death 9: After-death Services and Memorials 10: Supporting the Newly Bereaved Pet Owner 11: Difficulties During the Grief Process 12: Children and Companion Animal Bereavement 13: Guiding Owners - Caring for Grieving Animals and Taking on a New Pet 14: The Personal Cost of Caring 15: From Compassion Fatigue to Compassion Resilience 16: A Holistic Approach to End-of-life Support in Practice 1: Epilogue 2: References and Resources