Sept. 29, 2025

Coping with the Loss of a Dog: Vet Shares Emotional Story of Her Hardest Goodbye | Dr. Adrienne Anderson #293

Coping with the Loss of a Dog: Vet Shares Emotional Story of Her Hardest Goodbye | Dr. Adrienne Anderson #293

Losing a heart dog is life-changing. Dr. Anderson shares her emotional story of Ludo, coping with grief, and finding healing after loss.

In this heartfelt episode of Dog Cancer Answers, Dr. Adrienne Anderson shares the story of her heart dog, Ludo, a 160-pound Great Dane mix who profoundly shaped her life. Dr. Anderson discusses the unique bond they shared, his medical struggles, and the difficult decision to euthanize him herself. The discussion explores how to cope with the grief of losing a beloved dog and the healing process of welcoming a new dog into your life.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• The special connection we share with our “heart dogs”

• Dr. Anderson’s personal journey with her dog Ludo

• How to process grief after the loss of a pet

• Why getting a new dog can be a powerful healing experience

Your Voice Matters!

If you have a question for our team, or if you want to share your own hopeful dog cancer story, we want to hear from you! Go to https://www.dogcancer.com/ask to submit your question or story, or call our Listener Line at +1 808-868-3200 to leave a question.

Related Videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5Bh1wIp5bY

Related Links:

Dr. Anderson’s article on how Pets Are Family: https://www.dogcancer.com/articles/stress-and-finances/pets-are-family/

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

00:30 Meet Ludo: A Life-Changing Great Dane

01:15 The Indescribable Bond of a Heart Dog

01:45 Ludo’s Medical Challenges and Final Goodbye

02:15 Choosing to Euthanize Ludo Personally

02:45 The Unique Love of a Heart Dog

03:15 Coping with the Loss of a Beloved Pet

04:00 Why Getting a New Dog Can Be Healing

04:45 A New Kind of Love: Opening Your Heart Again

05:15 Reflecting on the Many Dogs We Love Over a Lifetime

06:00 Closing Thoughts: Gratitude for Heart Dogs

06:30 Outro & DogCancer.com


Get to know Dr. Adrienne Anderson: https://www.dogcancer.com/people/adrienne-anderson-ma-dvm/

For more details, articles, podcast episodes, and quality education, go to the episode page: https://www.dogcancer.com/podcast/

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