Dora our beloved sausage shaped adopted dog was adored and kissed on her forehead every time I saw her. She died at home with her own family. She died in the best possible way, in her favorite room and at the side of her human. When i was informed of her heart disease i went to see her at the vet. Her beautiful family shared this moment with me. She walked out from the vet rooms and greeted each one of us individually moving from one person to the next sharing a greeting with each one of us. That was the last time I saw Dora. “I love cats because I enjoy my home; and little by little, they become its visible soul.” - Jean Cocteau (director, Orpheus) JC was a ginger bomb. A boy cat. No frills on him. When we first met each other he was young and cheeky. He used to sit on the roof of the terrace and tease me as i fretted below him. During his last days I was visiting him as his family were away on holiday. His routine would be to crawl out from under the duvet and saunter out of the bedroom and 'miouw' a contented happy greeting to me. He would roll on the floor and then walk off into the sitting room where our cuddles would take place. On the last day i entered his flat and he didn't come to greet me. There was no miow of greeting or furry roll on the floor. JC had passed away during the night from Sudden Death Syndrome. I wrapped him in a blanket and preyed and cried to the empty space around me. I thanked him for his special place in my life and for enriching it with cheekiness and laughter. Grief. Death and grief are certainties in life. Grief is the response to loss. Loss could be the loss of a limb, loss of a dream, a family member or a beloved pet. When a cherished pet dies, the experience of grief and bereavement are no different than mourning the death of a person we have loved. Pet loss is real, significant, and heart wrenching. The feelings of sadness, loneliness, guilt, or anger don't discriminate because the deceased was a pet. Our society's customs around human loss are well established - we have funerals, religious ceremonies, and we are encouraged to share our stories and memories of the deceased. In Judaism for instance, the bereaved formally mourn for seven days of shiva, during which, the bereaved are surrounded by, and lifted up by their community. Similarly, in Hinduism, the mourning period is over 13 days. I think we have all heard of Irish wakes. Ignoring grief, tears at the fabric of being human and disallows one of the most crucial experiences that must occur in the wake of our loss. Yet there are no such established norms for pet loss. Here are some points to help understand a bit more about grief: To feel the pain of grief when the bonds with our pets are broken. The bonds we have with our companion animals are deep and strong and when those bonds are broken our grief is real and worthy of attention. To feel shocked and overwhelmed by the intensity of our grief. Since our animals’ life spans are so much shorter than our own, it is inevitable that eventually we will experience the loss of our beloved animal companions. The grief we feel at such times can be far more intense than we ever expected, no different from that of losing another special family member or cherished friend. To understand our grief reactions, feelings and behaviors as normal. Grief is a natural, spontaneous response to the loss of a significant relationship. Truly acknowledge that you are, in fact, grieving. This is usually very difficult to come to terms with because allowing yourself to grieve demands that you be vulnerable — not just with others, but with yourself. You must be willing to look yourself in the mirror and resist the temptation to bury the pain that resides within you. Physchological research (1) has shown that those who repress their grief are more likely to succumb to depression, sleep disorders, and other adverse effects in the aftermath of grief than those who don’t. As scary as it can be to allow yourself to experience grief, the reality is that it can actually prevent complications down the line. Don’t hesitate to seek out support from a licensed therapist or a support group or find help from a friend who will listen without judgement. A friend who can empathise and who is not afraid to broach or share the pain, someone with whom we can openly acknowledge our feelings, express and work through our feelings, and come to terms with our loss. To have our grief recognized by others as significant and legitimate. Since grieving over animals isn’t generally accepted in our society, we may feel uneasy or embarrassed, as if we have no right to feel or express our grief because our loss is not significant enough. But we’re not grieving “just an animal.” Since we’re the only ones who know how much our animals meant to us, when they’re gone we’re the only ones who can measure how very much we’ve lost. All grief is painful but disenfranchised grief – grief that is dismissed by others – is more painful still. Honor the memory of our pets in whatever way we see fit. To memorialize our beloved companion animals is to honor and acknowledge the important role they played in our lives, to bring comfort to ourselves and to help us keep their love and presence in our hearts. Among other things, we can memorialize our pets by writing about them, making an album or a scrapbook, planting a living memorial in our garden, having a meaningful memorial service, funeral or ritual, or making a donation to a charitable animal organization in our pet’s name. My information for the above blog was taken from the following sites:
(1)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1112778/ (2)https://www.griefhealingblog.com/2012/10/a-bill-of-rights-for-grieving-animal.html (3)https://www.upworthy.com/4-steps-to-dealing-with-loss-plus-why-you-need-to-grieve-before-you-can-move-on (4)https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/sandy-kiaizadeh/pet-bereavement_b_10918534.html (5)https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/animal-attachment/201702/four-steps-take-after-experiencing-pet-loss (6)https://www.bluecross.org.uk
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What is Cannabidiol? Cannabidiol or CBD, is one of over 60+ naturally occurring cannabinoid compounds found in Cannabis, an annual herbacous plant. CBD oil is derived from an organic substance formed in the plant's secretions. Both marijuana and hemp are forms of cannabis, but it is important to note that cannabis does not mean marijuana. Cannabis is the genus name and general umbrella term, under which all forms of marijuana and hemp fall. Of the 60+ cannabinoids, there are two that are well known:
What does CBD have to do with our pets? For sometime now it has been known that the mammalian body, also naturally produces cannabinoids known as endocannabinoids. The mammalian body has an endocannabinoid system made up of receptors which are located throughout the body and that sends and receives signals through the brain, nervous system, internal organs and cardiovascular system. This system is primarily responsible for regulating and supporting many central nervous system functions, which, in turn supports the immune system. The Endocannabinoid system has four primary purposes:
Research into the cannabinoid, CBD, started as early as 1940. There is literature that states a poet gave it to his son for epilepsy treatment in the 15th century. It was not until 1963 that it was properly identified, and, only in the 1990's and 2000's that research was taken further. Two Tales of CBD and its positive affects
Both Pao and China have responded positively to CBD. China has regained a childlike energy and is back to her normal activities. Pao licks his paws significantly less due to the pain of his neck hernia. Will CBD give your pets a high? THC is the cannabinoid known to interact directly with the two classical cannabinoid receptors that are found in the mammalian body (CB1 and CB2), causing the well known high. CBD, on the other hand, does not interact with these receptors. Instead, CBD inhibits the enzymes that break down endocannabinoids, leading to an increase in your body’s naturally-produced cannabinoids What is the legal status for CBD in Spain in 2018? CBD is legal in Spain since it is not psychotropic. On the other hand, THC remains illegal. CBD is legal in many other European countries such as Germany, France, Netherlands, and UK, because it does not contain or contains less than 0.2% of the physcoactive component THC. What are the medicinal benefits of plant based CBD? CBD can benefit pets for many of the same conditions as humans:
How to choose CBD for your pet? It is important to know that CBD has no toxicity and your pets cannot overdose on it. The benefits of daily use increase as CBD builds up slowly in the body. Choosing the right CBD is critical. You need to get a high quality CBD product to get all the benefits. Usually the fewer ingredients the purer the CBD you are getting. The best CBD oils:
Always consult a veterinarian for professional advice and before changing any medications that your animal maybe taking. Plants Not Pills (https://www.plantsnotpillscbd.com/who-we-are) This is the product that has recently come to my attention through the two dogs, Pao and China above. Please browse their website. They fulfill all the necessary requirements for a high quality CBD product. Contact details for any questions or research you may like to do. Vet Clinic: Clinica Veterinaria Volpevets, 931189789, Vet called Nacho, Barcelona Visits a domicilio 650 85 56 62 Website: www.plantsnotpillscbd.com Contact person for PlantsnotPills: Lili @ 63823 92 64 Utube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trQh2E7CHtg&feature=youtu.be References Plantsnotpills Dogs Naturally Magazine The Guardian Bluebirdbotanicals cen.acs.org |
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