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. So last December, I was 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. The 32-year old actress had a heart attack, which caused her death at their shared home with her husband in LA on December 20, 2009, as stated by the news reports.

As I clicked through her husband’s web site I saw breathtaking photos that Simon had taken of Brittany. It is such a loss for someone that beautiful and talented to be taken 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. I am such an animal lover that I cried when I read online at People magazine’s web site that Brittany’s husband said that the dog was experiencing a change in behavior since Brittany’s death.

Her husband gave Clara to his wife as a Christmas gift the previous year. Describing Clara as “a humongous personality in a tiny package,” Brittany named her after the silent film star Clara Bow. She is treated not as a pet but as a family member.

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 know how to mourn? If so, how do survivors help the pet’s physical and emotional health during the mourning period?

Dr. Ava Frick is a pet behavior specialist, which is also my pet’s veterinarian. Actually, she has been using Alpha-Stim technology treatments on one of my dogs for 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 undergoing a mourning period after the loss of a human or animal companion is common for a dog. The symptoms are actually exhibited for days or even weeks plus 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.

If the pet’s mourning period seems to carry on, it is a good idea to seek the advice of professionals. Your veterinarian can identify Physiologic abnormalities, which might be contributing to the dog’s depression.

Alpha Stim – is often recommended for those dogs that are depressed, which is very interesting to note. Horse Pain Relief

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!