Buddy & Brooke

30/01/2025

This says it all 😭

26/01/2025

Guilt is something that comes up in almost every discussion about end of life care and something I struggle with myself when making these decisions.

This article from the Ralph site explores it beautifully, and the group is a wonderful safe place for any grieving pet carers.

COPING WITH PET LOSS GUILT

Something striking when one reads the many stories of loss on this page, and especially within the private group, is that – although the circumstances of each loss are different – guilt seems to be one of the unifying emotions.

Pet loss guilt is particularly present and overwhelming in the early days following a bereavement. It can haunt us, keep us awake at night, and turn every day into a living hell that taints the memories of our lost pet.

Read more: http://theralphsiteshop.com/coping-with-pet-loss-guilt/

01/01/2025

A very happy new year to all of our followers, friends and family!

As we go into 2025 I’m thinking about all of the beautiful souls we said goodbye to this past year and hope that their loved ones are remembering them at their best ❤️

Wishing everyone health and happiness for the year ahead.

Ashley.

06/12/2024

As always thank you to the wonderful dedicated pet carers who trust me to be there at such a difficult time ❤️

Your feedback helps me know I’m doing what I set out to and helping where I can.

Ashley.

02/12/2024

Quality of life is something we talk about a lot when it comes to end of life care and making the decision to say goodbye but do you know what it really means and how to figure out if your pet has good quality of life?

Quality of life describes how much an animal is managing to enjoy life and engage with the world. Assessing quality of life is a way of evaluating how comfortable and happy they are day to day.
In essence, it’s the difference between surviving and thriving.

Lots of things affect quality of life and it can be hard to look objectively at each and every part when you are faced with difficult decisions or worried about your pet.

It can help to start by thinking about what makes your pet truly themselves, what do they love, what do they live for?

Things like playing with balls/toys, sniffy walks, cuddles with owners, meeting other dogs can be important parts of life.

Is your pet managing to do these things and engage with what they love everyday or at least most days?

Being comfortable and pain free is another big consideration.

Is your pet able to move freely, get up and down with ease and do things like get into bed, play with toys, use scratching posts as normal?
If they have a painful condition like arthritis are they on good pain relief and is it helping?

It’s also important to remember that being able to do the things necessary for survival like eat/drink/toilet does not mean that your pet is ok or living a good life, they are hardwired to do these things to survive whether they are enjoying life or not!

Over the next few posts we will explore all the different factors that affect quality of life, how to assess it in your pet and decision making when it isn’t as good as we want for our beloved pets.

Please do respond with any questions you might have or ideas about what helps you know your pet is living their best life!

Ashley.

28/11/2024

Happy thanksgiving to everyone who celebrates it.

Today I’m very thankful for our wonderful pets and companions who bring so much to our lives ❤️🐾

Ashley.

22/11/2024

Is your older pet struggling with the colder weather?

Winter can be a tricky time especially for our older and arthritic pets but there are things we can do to make this season a little easier for them and make sure they still get the most out of every day.

🐾 Keep them warm
Dog coats/fleeces when outside, drying them off thoroughly after walks and a nice cosy space to rest in can all help keep our older dogs from the discomfort of feeling cold and damp when they have stiff and sore joints.
Cats that go outside should have easy access to warm, dry spaces and the option to stay indoors more with a low sided/easy access litter tray to use.

🐾 Keep them comfortable
Talk to your vet if you have noticed your pet getting slower/stiff, it’s not just an age thing and managing pain can make a massive improvement to their daily quaility of life. Most older pets have some form of arthritis and the discomfort that goes along with it.
One type of pain relief is often not enough, it helps to hit the pain from different angles and make sure to give any medications regularly as directed and not just if you notice your pet having a bad day.
Consider things like acupuncture alongside medications.
Soft padded beds that are easy for old tired legs to climb into are perfect to rest in. There are lots of options for memory foam/mattress type orthopaedic support beds that fit the bill.
Cats who like to jump/climb may need smaller/more accessible steps as they get older.

🐾 Keep them moving
Regular low impact movement is incredibly helpful for managing arthritis/stiff joints as well as for keeping pets engaged in their world.
For dogs short slow sniffy walks multiple times a day are much better than one big walk and this stops them getting very stiff when they rest after walks.
Even in the house encourage your pet to get up and move around gently as often as you can.
Avoid things like chasing balls and big bursts of speed if you can.

🐾 Keep them engaged
Any way that you can enrich your pets environment and add in games or attention during the day improves their life experience massively, especially in days they can’t get out as much when the weather is rotten.
Food puzzles, hiding toys or treats, licki mats, sniffy safaris with different/new smells, time spent close with people, massage/petting and even a bit of gentle training are all great ideas.

What do you do to help your pet over winter?

Here is lovely old Holmes sporting his big jumper on a snow day, he loved the cold but definitely felt it in his legs after being outside.

18/11/2024

Beautiful Brooke was my first childhood dog and the start of a lifetime of loving animals and wanting to help them. She inspired my golden retriever obsession and was the best family pet!

I haven’t done any memorial posts for patients since the early days of this page apart from when I’ve been asked to specifically. It feels too invasive to offer this or ask about it at such a difficult time for pet carers and their families.

If anyone would like to share their story or would find comfort in a memorial to their departed companion please do reach out. It’s always such an honour to get to know a little about your special pets and your lives together and I’m sure others reading would feel the same.

Ashley.

15/11/2024

A wee now that I’m getting back to the page a bit more.

Thank you Alfie’s family for such lovely heartfelt words and for trusting me at the most difficult of times❤️

19/09/2024

Baby Ruaridh arrived on the 18th June and has been settling in well and growing so fast!

Thank you all so much for your patience, kindness and support while I have adjusted to life with a newborn again and found my feet getting back out on visits.

Service is mostly back to normal now although as always the more notice you can give me for visits the better but I’ll always try to accommodate when things are a bit more urgent.

Ashley.

08/06/2024

Some of you will know already that Ashley is due to give birth any day now!
We have a few kind vets who have offered to help while Ashley is on restricted duties but please be aware that visits will be very limited for June and July and communications may be a bit on the slower side.

We will be back up and running as normal as soon as possible, thanks so much for your patience!

20/05/2024

A great way to help out if you can, and supporting CAM which is a wonderful resource.

17/05/2024

Really helpful info on the grief journey from The Ralph Site ❤️

HOW LONG DOES PET LOSS GRIEF LAST? UNDERSTANDING THE ENDLESS JOURNEY...

How long does pet loss grief last? If you’ve experienced a bereavement, you may be asking yourself this question a lot, wanting to know that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

This question has no straightforward answer because grief is, in many ways, an everlasting presence in our lives. Why? Because it’s a manifestation of love, and if love can never truly die, then neither can grief.

We can reassure you though that pet loss grief eventually becomes manageable.

It changes, ebbs and flows, and sometimes it’s more intense than at other times. But, with time, you will be able to enter the next stage in your life and experience happiness and good things once again.

In this blog, we explore the enduring nature of grief, its manifestations, and the signs of incomplete grief to be aware of.

https://theralphsiteshop.com/how-long-does-pet-loss-grief-last-understanding-the-endless-journey/

30/04/2024

Sometimes travelling when your pet is struggling or the idea of going in to the vet clinic and coming out alone is just too much.
We provide home visit services for pet euthanasia and end of life care. Please get in touch if you need our help, any time ❤️

07/04/2024

Thank you Liz for your lovely feedback ❤️

25/03/2024

I was so sad to miss out on The Barket in Perth yesterday. Having planned a great stall with lots of treats and information illness struck on Saturday night and I couldn’t make it on the day.

It sounds like everyone who made it had the best time and I can’t wait to hear all about it. Massive thanks to Delizious Bakes for the gorgeous logo cookies made specially for market day. My family can confirm that they passed the taste taste with flying colours. I’ll try to drop some in with some new leaflets to all of you lovely doggy businesses in the area this week so they don’t go to waste!

Did you make it to the barket? I’d love to hear how you found it and if you plan to go to the next one.

Ashley.

20/03/2024

6 months in from officially opening Buddy & Brooke, I’m still blown away by the wonderful support everyone has so kindly given.

From local vet practices to friends, family and other pet businesses there has been nothing but encouragement and help for this little one man band and I have learned a lot from you all.

Most importantly, to the pet carers and families who have honoured me with their trust at such sad and distressing times I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your faith and your support. I have met so many wonderful people and will never forget your pets and the stories you tell of their happier times. I hope that I was able to help you say goodbye in as peaceful and gentle a way as you would have wished for.

I would be so grateful for any feedback or thoughts on how the service can be grown and improved to meet the needs of pet families all through the area, do get in touch if you have any thoughts.

Thank you all,

Ashley.