Losing a pet is an immense pain for their fellow humans. But it is also a hard setback for the rest of the animals in the house, especially if we are talking about dogs that formed an inseparable team. Dogs are usually friendly and live very well with others of their kind, so they miss their furry best friend when he is gone.
In addition to the sadness of missing their other animal companion, they are very intelligent animals, so they will also be aware of the pain and grief of the humans in the house. They will also feel lonely, bored and stressed, the latter as a result of an inevitable change in their daily routine.
You will notice that your pet is having a hard time because there will be changes in his behavior. It may be that he cries or barks more than normal, that he is restless and nervous or, on the contrary, very apathetic, not wanting to play or go for a walk. You may also have a poor appetite, be more restless, and sleep more or less than usual. As well as wanting to be alone or looking more than usual for the affection of their reference humans.
The duel in your pet will have a variable duration depending on many circumstances. But in these cases it is important that you help and provide support to cope as well as possible. For this, it is also important that you feel good, so do not hesitate to ask for help to overcome your grief for the loss of your other companion animal.
As for how to help your pet, try to alter his daily routine as little as possible, as this would cause him stress and insecurity. Keep the schedules of their meals, walks and playtime.
Precisely the game time is a very important factor. Even if your pet is listless and discouraged, you should try to encourage him to play and do activities that make him happy. It can be going for a walk in your favorite area, putting on music if you like that, playing with interactive toys...
Entertainment will be key to raising your spirits. Try interactive toys, play new things together, teach him new tricks, go places where you know he likes to explore, etc.
On the other hand, it will be a great help to encourage him with sweets and food that he loves, without overindulging. Make sure you give him a lot of love and cuddles, be by his side as much as possible and that he feels cared for and accompanied. Finally, if you don't see an improvement in your pet's mood, ask for help from a canine ethologist who will know how to intervene.
