When Your Pet Gets Sick or Injured

Psalm 68:6 - God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

You may wonder why this post is on an emotional pain page. To some people pets are seen only as creatures that eat the food, we provide for them and let them out back to take care of their business. But when our pet gets sick it can affect us both physically and emotionally. A special bond can form between you and your pet and when they are sick, we are bonded to them in our hearts just as we would be bonded to a member of our family.
 
Pets are important to those who live alone. In this case, they are much more than just companions. Many of us are home much of the time and our pets are our companions and loved ones. So, we are definitely concerned when our pets are sick. You see, they fill an important void – to love and be loved and we will do almost anything to make our pet well again.
 
Pets are easy to love. Cats love to cuddle and the sound of them purring sets off a smile on our lips that spreads to our heart.
 
Dogs, with their tails wagging, will bring a favorite toy and drop it at our feet waiting for us to play with them. And taking them for a walk not only provides exercise for them, but for us as well. In my case, I might otherwise stay in my apartment all day not wanting to go out, but my dog has needs. So out I go four times a day.
 
Even birds are fun to have around. When I had two finches they knew exactly when it was time to feed them. They would react to the sound of the refrigerator opening and begin to squawk up a storm.
 
The difficulty that comes is when our pet gets sick. It can be devastating to the owner. And as time.com in their article, “People with Sick Pets have More Anxiety and Depression,” points out caring for a sick pet is similar to the caregiver burden you would have when caring for a sick person. This is partly due to when we consider our pets to be a member of our family. I live by myself, so I do see my dog as family. Children get very attached to their pets and definitely see them as family. In addition, pet owners with sick pets can develop higher stress, anxiety, symptoms of clinical depression and a lower quality of life. There is also the financial distress that comes from veterinary bills and prescriptions for the pet.
 
If our pet has been very ill, we may have to take the painful step to have them put to sleep. This can be difficult, but if your pet is in pain, it is the loving thing to do.
 
After a season of mourning some may choose to not ever get another pet. While others, choose to find a new companion to join their family.
 
Whatever pet we have, you can bet that they will show us a side to love we may never have seen before even while they are sick. I believe that when God spoke in the Bible that he puts the lonely into families he may have also included pets. This is why we see our pets as one of the family and want our pet to become healthy again when our pet gets sick or injured.
 
Key words: sick pet, physical and emotional affects, pet special bond, make pet well

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