Last week was a very sad one after Tyson the dog passed away.

At 17, you couldn’t say this Maltese terrier’s death was unexpected, but Tyson was always a little different.

I had already looked his owner in the eye several times over the years, with the mutual understanding that Tyson might not pull through whatever crisis he was going through at the time.

And there were quite a few crises.

The worst was probably when he developed a heart condition a few years back, and then we thought there was no way he would get through the liver problem.

At one point he had lost half a kilo – though it may not seem like a lot, it was a tremendous amount of weight to lose for a three-and-a-half-kilo dog.

But Tyson was resilient and definitely lived up to his name.

His owners loved him very dearly and no matter how difficult the circumstances, they did not give up on him. They kept bringing him over and sometimes even administering his medication themselves.

It is perfectly natural and understandable to mourn the loss of your pet – especially if you considered the animal to be a part of your family. It is like losing a relative or a friend.

It is important to feel we have done everything we could have in order to safeguard or restore our pet’s health and, if this is not possible, at least to make sure our pet is comfortable and does not suffer.

I also believe it is advisable to allow some time to pass after bringing a new pet into the family. New animals can never replace old pets, but they will help to fill that void left by a beloved pet that has passed away.

thisweekwiththevet@gmail.com

Dr Debattista is a veterinary ­surgeon.