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Aiding A Dog Over The Death Of Its Owner

I am a huge movie buff, with one of my all-time favorite teen flicks being “Clueless” starring Alicia Silverstone, Paul Rudd who later went on to “Friends” and other movies, and Brittany Murphy. Last December, I was definitely stunned by the news about Brittany Murphy’s sudden death. Animal Chiropractic

My heart went out to her mother and her husband, Simon Monjack, as they laid her to rest, following her funeral, at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles, California. News reports have listed the 32-year-old actress’ death as being caused by  a heart attack at the home she shared with her husband in LA on December 20, 2009. 

As I clicked through her husband’s web site I saw breathtaking photos that Simon had taken of Brittany. Such a shame for someone so beautiful and talented to be taken from us too soon. 

What truly broke my heart was when I learned of Brittany’s female Maltese named Clara aside from the tragic loss of her family and fans. As an animal lover, I wept when I read online from people magazine’s web site that the dog was experiencing a change in behavior since Brittany’s death, according to Brittany’s husband. 

“One of the saddest things is that Clara has looked everywhere for Brittany and can’t find her”, she looked in every place Brittany could be, she couldn’t understand why Brittany was not in the bed or in the bathroom, and she looked in every inch of the house,” as quoted by Simon Monjack in People magazine. Describing Clara as “a humongous personality in a tiny package,” Brittany named her after the silent film star Clara Bow. She’s more of a family member than a pet. 

This tragic turn of events made me wonder how pets react to their owner’s death though I had never really given much thought. Do pets have the ability to mourn? If so, how do survivors help the pet’s physical and emotional health during the mourning period? Pet Depression

Dr. Ava Frick is a pet behavior specialist, which is also my pet’s veterinarian. In fact, she has been using Alpha Stim technology treatments on one of my dogs due to problems with his excessive barking and showing aggression toward my other two dogs. 

Dr. Frick and I talked about Clara and pets’ ability to mourn during our next appointment.  She said that it is common for a dog to go through a mourning period after the loss of a human or animal companion. Symptoms are actually displayed for days or even weeks with decreased appetite, lethargy, and changes in the dog’s behavior. 

She said that keeping a dog in its normal routine in such cases is important. Exercise can do wonders to alleviate stress for pets like humans who are going through issues.  Also, acquaintance with familiar people and meeting new friendly faces can boost the pet’s mood. 

It is a wise decision to seek for professional advice if the pet’s mourning period seems to continue longer than expected. Physiologic abnormalities, which might be contributing to the dog’s depression can be determined by a veterinarian. 

What is interesting to note is that the very treatment we have been going through with my dog – Alpha Stim – is often recommended for doings who are depressed. Dog Pain Relief