Daily Inspiration: Meet Dr. Jenn Roedig

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Jenn Roedig.

Hi Dr. Jenn, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’ve known I wanted to be a vet ever since I was 8 years old. I don’t remember a specific moment or event that happened to lead me to that decision, I just kind of knew that’s what I wanted to do with my life. The road to make that dream a reality wasn’t always easy but the joy that I felt when I got my acceptance letter made all of the ups, downs, twists, and turns worth it.

I’ll never forget the day that I learned about hospice and palliative care for pets. It was the first time since starting veterinary school that I felt like I had found my niche. I was immediately drawn to that work and knew deep within my soul that that is what I was meant to do. And as I began my career, I only felt that passion deepen and the calling to do that work grow stronger. When I started doing in-home end of life care for pets, what I found was I really enjoyed being able to provide pet parents with the emotional support they so desperately needed during one of the most difficult times they’ll ever face as a pet owner. And when they had that support, it seemed to make that time just a little bit easier for them.

That’s why I started Sage Paws, to give those who are struggling with an aging pet a safe, compassionate, and empathetic space to openly express fears, desires, goals, and concerns as well as ask questions without fear of being judged. I love being able to provide virtual support and guidance to pet parents who are facing and navigating aging and end of life with their pets.

I am incredibly passionate about talking about, educating on, and normalizing anticipatory pet loss grief or the grief you start to feel before the loss occurs while you’re pet is still physically here and likely still doing very well. I don’t think we talk about it nearly enough and there are so many who still don’t know it exists or has a name or have the language to describe what it is that they’re feeling. And maybe even think that there’s something wrong with them or something broken about them that needs to be fixed for the way that they feel, for feeling sad and they haven’t even lost their pet yet. I’m here to tell them that what they’re feeling is so incredibly normal and common, and they’re not broken for feeling the way that they do. Anything and everything that comes up is so incredibly valid.

When it comes to anticipatory grief and preparing for end of life with your pet, I am a big believer in taking a proactive approach – planning for the end ahead of time, talking about things early and often, long before you’re ever faced with any major decisions as I believe it’s much easier to get ahead of things than it is to play catch up. Breaking it down into small manageable bite sized bits. I think doing this can give you the best chance of not only having more time but also more quality time. When you know what you want and don’t want it can help you feel empowered, at peace, and confident in your decision making, especially if you ever find yourself in an emergency need to make a decision now type scenario, which is a scenario I have found myself in with more than one pet. And I thank my lucky stars that we had the courage to have the tough conversations about what we did and didn’t want for them – it truly helped with making decisions for them and allowed us to feel peace that we made the kindest decision for them allowing them to go out with dignity and in the most compassionate way. It was still incredibly hard and sad to lose them, but talking about the end did help make things just a tiny bit easier, it helped us to be more present, and helped us to focus on cherishing the time we did have left instead of worrying constantly so that when we did look back we had few to no regrets about the way things went. Addressing all of this head on ahead of time also helped with the post-loss grieving process.

I know a lot of people are afraid to do this, to talk about the end and prepare for what’s to come, because they think they will make the end come faster. And I know a lot of people are afraid of death and dying, still a very taboo topic in today’s society. But I believe that talking about things early, getting educated on what to expect, and addressing that fear head on can help to decrease that fear. I believe the more you can talk about your pet’s illness, diagnosis, aging, the end, anything and everything that’s coming up for you, the more the stress, guilt, anxiety, and sadness will decrease and soften. I believe that dealing with these things head on allows you to process your emotions, be prepared, and plan for the end, enabling you to be more present, cherish the time you do have left, and make it as comfortable as possible for your pet. And when the time finally comes, you’ll be more likely to feel at peace and as ready as you’ll ever be to say goodbye.

So if I can make this time just a little bit easier, a little less scary, help you release some of the guilt you undoubtedly feel, and affirm you’re making the absolute best decision, that’s why I do what I do. My hope in working together is that you feel empowered and at peace with your decisions. To me there truly is no greater honor or privilege then to get to walk side by side with you every step of the way.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Overall it has been a pretty smooth road. Of course there have been typical challenges that come with starting and owning your own business but even with those challenges, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. This is truly the work that I was meant to do, work that lights my heart and soul on fire. To me there truly is no greater honor or privilege than to be invited into such a sacred space to help a pet parent create an end of life plan or support them through anticipatory grief.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a veterinarian, pet aging and end of life coach, certified end of life coach, and certified pet loss bereavement specialist. I am known for supporting and guiding pet parents through end of life planning and anticipatory grief. What sets me apart from others is I am both a veterinarian and pet loss grief specialist all rolled into one, and that I take a proactive approach when it comes to pet loss support by providing support before the loss occurs.

How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I love to collaborate on Instagram whether that’s doing posts together or doing Instagram lives. I also love to be a guest on podcasts and plan to start my own podcast soon. People can support me by following me on Instagram, liking and sharing my posts, telling others about my business and the work that I do, etc.

Pricing:

• $197 for a 90-minute 1:1 session

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sagepaws.com/
• Instagram: @_sage_paws

Image Credits
Emily Lupton Photography took the two headshots of me with the green shirt and white with floral kimono cardigan; the rest of my photos are personal ones I took.