Losing a pet (RIP Suzie, 1998-2010)

Re: Losing a pet

I put my dog of eleven years to sleep in June 2009. She was my first and only dog.

The first few days without her, I was literally inconsolable, and I imagine you will be, too. I stayed in my room with her collar, remembering her smell, jingling the nametags together just to remember what it sounded like when she would run towards me. Those are the things you'll miss the most, and ultimately the things you'll never forget.

You do manage to get by. I can't tell you how, as I don't even remember, but it's a fight from day one that only gets easier. Hang in there, and I'm very sorry.

(*hug*)

 

Re: Losing a pet

I am very sorry Maddy (*hug*) (*hug*).
We have lost Felixe, our cat two summers ago. She was 14. She had been ill for 4 weeks before she died. We all knew that her life was coming to an end , and she wasn't in pain. But on her last night she tried to jump from the table to the couch, but she fell on the floor and broke her back. My parents took her to the vet first thing the next morning to put her out of pain.
It was heartbreaking for everyone, but especially for my mother and my brother. I took it better than they did, but I have left home 12 years ago, so I was used to not seing her on everyday basis, but I still have the reflex to shut the door of the first floor when I'm at my parents place to prevent her to escape in the stairs.

I think the hardest thing when you lose a pet is to lose someone who loved you exactly the way you are. Pets don't care if you're straight or gay, slim or fat, in good health or ill, they take you the way you are. I remember that when I was very depressed, Felixe used to come in my bed and was pushing my head with her's as if she was trying to cheer me up. I suppose it was her way to tell me she cared.

You have a complete right to be sad and to cry. But like for most pains, time helps to heal. After a while, I'm sure you'll be able to laught again remembering her.

 

Re: Losing a pet

It's absolute hell on earth, as bad as losing a sibling.

We have a LOT of pets at my house. and as such we've also lost a lot of pets.

3 dogs, one cat, many, many pet rodents and fish have been lost, so far.

I say celebrate the animal's life. Like, share photos and memories, and not just the sad times when they were sick. It helps, I think anyway. My deepest sympathies, its really tough.

 

Re: Losing a pet

There really is no good way to deal with it. Just mourn for a while, then move on. My cat died about a week ago, the day before I moved back to college. There was no time for me to mourn (in fact it seems there never is) so it just got repressed with everything else. I highly discourage this approach because I think in the long run it may cause more problems.

I'm really sorry for your unfortunate situation. At least you know to be prepared. That should help you a lot. It's always really sad to see an animal's health declining though.

 

Re: Losing a pet

Aw Maddy I'm in exactly the same position.
My dog is all old now and she's been here forever. She sleeps on my bed most nights, listens to me play piano and follows me around everywhere. But now she's getting old and losing her bark (I think we have similar breeds of dog too).

I think you just have to get upset for a bit and remember the awesomeness of your dog. Honestly it's not as bad as losing a close friend or a close family member, but it is still pretty upsetting for a while.

 

Re: Losing a pet

(*hug*) Keep us posted on what it turns out to be. Good luck! (*hug*)

 

Re: Losing a pet

i hope your puppy is okay.
i miss my doggie.

she was 13 and died late summer. i had her since i was in 3rd grade.

 

Re: Losing a pet

I miss my Krayfish that commited suicide by drying itself to death :/

ANd all the fledglings me and my twin took in, even though they weren't really pets.

 

Re: Losing a pet

Awe I hope your dog is alright Maddy. When our cat died the only thing that really made it better was that my family all tried to cheer each other up. I mean the thing was 27 it was ancient but it was still sad to see it go. The worst part was we were away on vacation so my grandma had to put it down and we couldn't even say goodbye. I'm sure your dog will pull through and feel better soon. <3

 

Re: Losing a pet

Aw Maddy, I'm sorry you have to go through this. You just have to hope that she gets through this and you can have her around for a bit longer.

I lost my dog at Christmas. She was almost 14 and a half years old so I'd had her since I was 9. She'd gone almost blind and deaf over the last couple of years, but she was still as lively and mad as ever. But she had waves of illness over the last couple of years and had to go to the vet a few times, but she kept bouncing back. I'd moved away from home for the last few months so I wasn't around, she died just a couple of days before I came back for the christmas holidays

But it does make you extremely sad, I cried for the first time in over a decade when I heard that my dog died. You just have to remember your dog fondly, I'd taken a couple of videos and pictures of my dog on my phone and I just watched them a few times. And while I found it a very upsetting thing to happen, I accepted it pretty quickly, you don't tend to dwell on it too much. I suppose because it was Christmastime we were all around and keeping busy, the house was bustling with noise, so it made the absence of our dog a bit less noticeable.

Anyway, all the best

 

Re: Losing a pet

This whole thread makes me want to cry. I love pets soo much and it's so sad when you have to see them go. I have had to say good bye to a cat and a dog. My cat was an especially sad occasion because she was 18 years old, which is really old for a cat. My brother who's 2 years older than me was given her as a gift when he was born, so I had never experienced life without her. In her old age a lot of bad things happened, her thyroid wasnt working correctly and she couldnt gain weight.

When she passed I had to say my last goodbye before we burried her in her favorite spot in the yard. My mom and I were sobbing and so upset because we loved her so much. It was hard but eventually you get used to not having that pet around. We have pictures to remind us of her, but atleast we know she's in her favorite spot.

 

Re: Losing a pet

I hope your pet is fine Maddy; I know how hard it is =(

I lost my dog in horrible circumstances, he had Parvo, he really suffered as hell from that shit, and so did I. He was 7 months old, he just recovered from a tail surgery, which was very painful. He might not be old, but I loved him more than everything on earth, now I have 2 Dogo Canarios.

I don't know how I managed to forget him, I guess I didn't, but time heals everything =)

 

Re: Losing a pet

You focus backwards. You remember all the positives the pet brought you, and you become thankful that you got to share all those moments with her. I often tell my cats how lucky I am to have them. And don't they know it.

Lex

 

Re: Losing a pet

I was nearly in tears reading this thread. My family has never had more than one pet at at time, but it is still very hard to lose them. Our current dog is aging very gracefully, but is still getting up in years. Her joints are troubling her, her hearing and vision is starting to go. I know it is coming eventually for her, and probably within the next year, but that doesn't make it any easier.

I hope yours pulls through, Maddie! (*hug*)

 

Re: Losing a pet

I had to put my childhood dog to sleep on Valentine's day this year, after they told us his liver had failed. How did I deal? I bawled my eyes out for a week straight, pretty much. (It didn't help that I managed to get a UTI, like, that same day. It was miserable, but the tiniest silver lining is that it gave me an excuse to stay home the next day.) I cried myself to sleep. Anything I felt, I let out. I got lots of hugs, though, which helped.

It pretty much sucks for the first few days and there's no way around it. I knew he was an old dog, and he was in so much pain at the end that he couldn't move, so a quick and painless end to it all was really the best thing for him. It still didn't make it feel any better that he was dead, but I knew that trying to keep him alive would've just prolonged the pain. And it was, in a way, a relief. He wasn't really himself towards the end. We knew he was going downhill, and it got to the point where it was a question of when.

I still miss him and get a little misty-eyed at times, but I like remembering him as the young, healthy dog who'd play chase with me around the car, and cuddle with me for hours. He was my best buddy and I was his favorite person, and it was such an amazing feeling. His death sucked, yes, but his life rocked so much more. <3 Remembering that makes me smile, even if I do end up shedding a tear or two in the process.

 

Re: Losing a pet

I hope your dog pulls through okay

I couldn't even begin to imagine what I would do if anthing happened to my dog.. I think I'm going to go an give her a big hug right about now .

 

Re: Losing a pet

Awww,Maddy. I hope all goes well for your puppy.
We had our cat put to sleep a few years ago. She was almost 22 years old.
The vet knew her age (having always been her vet) and he was amazed she lived so long.For a while it seemed like she was still around,like her spirit was letting us know she was okay.
Soon after,I got my dog Roxie,who I rescued from down south. She was due to be put down,when I found out about her. I have spent literally thousands of dollars on her,because she's had a lot of health problems.
I know just what you're going through and my heart goes out to you.
Like others have said (when the time comes) you will grieve and that's perfectly okay.
Just remember all the love and craziness that you've had with him.
I hope for the best for you & your puppy. Much love to you.