Saying goodbye to our best friends is painful - and don't let anyone tell you it is not!
Pet caregiving and coping when we lose our four-legged companions
Hello KIRC family!
I’m sending out a HUGE thank you to those of you who chimed in on our most recent Sunday Coffee Chat & Support Session.
KIRC is beyond grateful to Dr. Don J. Harris who joined as our special guest. He is a nationally renowned veterinarian, based in South Florida. Dr. Harris works with all kinds of animals, but specializes in exotics. He is the mastermind behind Avian & Exotic - Animal Medical Consulting.
So yes, while during his career he has tended to the more common domestic animals we love and cherish (dogs and cats), his primary focus now is on helping those who own and care for more ‘unique’ species.
You name it, there’s a good chance Dr. Harris has probably had some experience with said creature.
Dr. Harris and several animal-loving guests joined us to talk about pet loss grief.
Is it real? Yes.
Can losing our four-legged loved ones leave us in an emotional tailspin? Yes.
Should we ever believe the pain we feel should be dismissed because the loss is not a human companion, but rather a pet? Dr. Harris says - NO, ABSOLUTELY NOT!
We had a wonderful conversation about all of these topics and incredible insight from such an established leader in the field of veterinary medicine.
In case you missed this Sunday Coffee Chat & Support Session, not to worry. You can check it out here.
I’m going to go out on a limb and say anyone who has a pet and feels as if they are also a caregiver to their animals, should check out this session.
For those of you new to KIRC and just finding us here on Substack, I invite you to explore some of our previous episodes of the Sunday Coffee Chat. We’ve covered topics like:
Long Term Care Insurance
Palliative Care
Coping with ‘mean’ relatives
Personal stories of navigating family caregiving
Thanks again to everyone who joined this session. Look for updates on the next Coffee Chat. Plus, if you have a topic you would like to see Keeping It REAL Caregiving dive into, let me know! Feel free to leave a comment - would love to hear from you!
Until next time~
Julia