Pet Loss and Veterinarians Who Cry: with Veterinary Oncologist and Author Dr. Renee Alsarraf

Nobody likes to talk about pet loss… but everybody wants to talk about pet loss. What a difficult scenario that is! Veterinary oncologist Dr. Renee Alsarraf joins us to talk about grief, professionalism, and the importance of being human - on the job and off. 

 

In this episode we cover: 

 

• The whole truth about loving - and losing - your pets
• The terrible advice Dr. Renee Alsarraf’s grad school teacher gave her (and why she refused to listen) 
• Why veterinarians and other professionals should really NOT check their human emotions at the door
• When it’s time to welcome a new love into your life (human or otherwise)
• How Dr. Alsarraf’s experience with veterinary oncology did (and didn’t) prepare her for her own cancer diagnosis

Announcement: want to become a grief-informed therapist? Registration is open now for Megan Devine’s 6 month grief care professional program. Details at this link. 

Notable quotes: 

“I think we tend to see our pets - especially when they're ailing - more like our little babies, and so we want to protect them. That's our innate role. and yet we can't protect them from the inevitable. That's really hard.” - Dr. Renee Alsarraf

 

“You can't push emotions down and expect them to not pop back up in other places.” - Megan Devine

 

About our guest: 

Dr. Renee Alsarraf is a veterinary oncologist, lecturer, and philanthropist. Her new book Sit Stay Heal is a moving and uplifting memoir of an esteemed veterinary oncologist fighting to save her four-legged patients while making sense of her own unexpected cancer diagnosis.

 

Find Dr. Alsarraf on IG @reneealsarraf  and read more about her book at sitstayhealbook.com

Additional resources:

Grief is everywhere. Want to become a more grief-informed therapist or provider? Registration is open now for Megan Devine’s 6 month grief care professional program. Details at this link. 

Get in touch:

Thanks for listening to this week’s episode of Here After with Megan Devine. Tune in, subscribe, leave a review, send in your questions, and share the show with everyone you know. Together, we can make things better, even when they can’t be made right. 

 

Have a question, comment, or a topic you’d like us to cover? call us at (323) 643-3768 or visit megandevine.co

 

For more information, including clinical training and consulting, visit us at www.Megandevine.co

 

For grief support & education, follow us at @refugeingrief on IG, FB, TW, and @hereafterpod on TT

 

Check out Megan’s best-selling books - It’s Okay That You're Not Okay and How to Carry What Can’t Be Fixed

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