Philip Treuil completed his residency in Radiation Oncology at Colorado State University in 2005. He also received his Master of Science in Mammalian Radiobiology, and maintained a perfect 4.0 grade point average in the process.
Today he is a radiation oncologist at Carolina Veterinarian Specialists in Matthews, North Carolina, where he has been since 2011. He has treated thousands of animals during the course of his career, and knows better than most the special bonds that develop between a pet and its owner. He understands that when a human loses a companion animal, it can be just as emotionally devastating as the loss of a human companion.
Not surprisingly, the stages of grief that people go through when a pet dies mirror the stages of that people go through when a loved one dies. The stages, as defined by the Grief Education Institute, are shock, protest, disorganization and reorganization.
The shock phase begins as soon as a pet owner learns of the loss, and usually lasts from a few hours to a few days. It is characterized by a sense of being dazed, and unable to focus. The protest phase can last for many months, as the person tries to come to terms with the reality of what happened. The disorganization phase is the lowest point of the grief cycle; it is when the reality of the loss really sinks in and it is fully experienced. Reorganization occurs gradually, as the person slowly accepts what has happened and begins to renew an interest in daily activities, and thoughts about the loss of the pet are no longer a preoccupation.
Philip Treuil is Board certified in Radiation Oncology by the American College of Veterinary Radiology.
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