Anticipatory Pet Loss Grief: What It Is, Why It Hurts So Much, and How to Cope (Dr. Jenn)

Anticipatory pet loss grief is the heartbreak that can begin before a loss—while your pet is still here. In this video, Dr. Jenn explains what anticipatory grief is, why it can feel so confusing and intense, and why you’re not “broken” for feeling devastated in advance. She also names the invisible weight many people carry (often in silence) and how society can dismiss this experience, making it even harder.

Key takeaways from Dr. Jenn:

• Anticipatory grief is real grief, even though the loss hasn’t happened yet.
• It can start with any threat to the bond—a diagnosis, subtle changes, aging, or even “mental math” about time.
• Feeling sadness, fear, guilt, anger, numbness, or gratitude (sometimes all in one day) is common and normal.
• This experience can feel like emotional whiplash: hope → dread, calm → panic, gratitude → guilt.
• Anticipatory grief is often disenfranchised (minimized by others) because “your pet is still here.”
• Caregiving and decision-making can create an iceberg effect: you look fine on the surface, but you’re struggling underneath.
• You are not weak for grieving in advance—you’re grieving because you love deeply.