posted
Oh, Lyrhawn, I'm so sorry. It's so painful losing a pet. My thoughts are with you and your family.
Posts: 910 | Registered: May 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
I am sorry. Pets are so hard to lose. When my childhood pet died, my sister was shocked to see my dad literally bawling- she had been with him at the funerals of both his parents but had never seen him so upset.
Posts: 2223 | Registered: Mar 2008
| IP: Logged |
posted
Very sorry to hear that Lyrhawn, it's an unfortunate inevitability for anyone who tries to share their life with a pet. Posts: 14316 | Registered: Jul 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
I'm going to bed in a moment, considerably earlier than usual for me, but I'm wiped out from the day.
Everyone in the family knew going in that she wasn't coming home, but I still thought up until we got to the vet that maybe she wasn't eating because she was sick, and they could just give her a shot and she'd be fine. She would have turned 15 next week. They kept asking me what I wanted to do. We could have spent hundreds or thousands of dollars to have her live longer, and my parents were perfectly willing to spend the money to do it if I had requested it. What I wanted to do was take her home and never let her go. She was my little fuzzball. But it became clear pretty quickly that for her sake, the best option was to let her go. It all happened so fast. One minute she was sitting on my lap at home, and it feels like only seconds later she was sitting on my lap at the vet's office, and she was gone. It was so fast.
She did the quirkiest things, even up until today. Whenever people would leave the room, she'd reposition herself so she could watch the people in the room and the doorway where the person had just left so she could keep tabs on everyone. She slept in the hallway where all the doors to the bedrooms were, and when she got older and couldn't hear as well, she'd often lay against the bathroom door so people couldn't get out without her knowing. When she was a puppy, she'd stick her paws under the bathroom door when people went in. She always had to know where everyone was, and always had to be in the middle of what was going on.
I'm going to miss having her underfoot. I'm going to miss her throwing a hissy fit whenever we don't do exactly what she wants when she wants it. I'm going to miss her ravenously pouncing on any dropped food (despite the fact that she was overly well fed for most of her life), and then spitting back out things like potato peels. I'm going to miss not being able to put any food within four feet of the ground for fear that she'll get it somehow, some way. I'm going to miss her jumping up on my bed at three in the morning and laying on top of my head, or pushing me off the pillows entirely to get more comfortable. I'm going to miss playing tug of war. I'm going to miss her tauntingly running away, only to stop at the corner to wait for me to catch up so she can continue the chase.
I love her so much, maybe more than I realized until it really hit me that I wasn't going to have her anymore. And now my little fuzzball is gone. So fast. It all went by so fast.
posted
I am so sorry, Lyrhawn. My dog is 15-years old today and it's so hard to think that some day she won't be around. It sounds like you have some wonderful memories of her.
Posts: 2064 | Registered: Dec 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
My thoughts are with you Lyrhawn. I've been through it myself several times. Dogs are just the best thing ever.
Posts: 1080 | Registered: Apr 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
I'm so sorry Lyrhawn. I know what you're going through and it's tough. Thoughts and prayers are with you. (I still have pictures of Goblin, my dog, on the bedside table. It's been 5 years, and I still miss him.)
Posts: 511 | Registered: Mar 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
I have lost several dogs who were as much a part of my family as me or my sister. My heart goes out to you.
Posts: 15082 | Registered: Jul 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
I'm so sorry for your loss. We had to put our dog (Toby) down when I was 17; it was a hard thing to do, but I was glad he wasn't in pain anymore.
Posts: 2926 | Registered: Sep 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
I've also experienced what you're going through, Lyrhawn. Like Kwea, my pets have been family members, and their deaths have been incredibly hard. I actively mourned my ferrets Frida and Diego for years after they died, and resolved that I wasn't going to have any more pets because of how much their inevitable early (from my perspective) deaths hurt. A stray cat forced herself into my life about six years after they died, though.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
Poor you. My dog is fourteen and quite ill - when the time comes, I hope I'll be as brave for her as you were for your dog.
Posts: 1528 | Registered: Nov 2004
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Uprooted: I'm sorry, Lyrhawn. What kind of dog was she?
A cocker spaniel.
quote:Originally posted by Noemon: I've also experienced what you're going through, Lyrhawn. Like Kwea, my pets have been family members, and their deaths have been incredibly hard. I actively mourned my ferrets Frida and Diego for years after they died, and resolved that I wasn't going to have any more pets because of how much their inevitable early (from my perspective) deaths hurt. A stray cat forced herself into my life about six years after they died, though.
She was a member of our family too. I guess I didn't realize that either until I saw both my parents crying. I've only ever seen my dad cry once, and it was almost two decades ago (and I'm only 24). My mom was sent home from work because she'd been crying all day. This morning she started gathering up some of Simba's things (I was 10 when I named her, and the Lion King had just come out) to send to my Uncle for his two dogs, and I was struck with the thought that I'll never need them again, because I never want another dog.
But I know I'll get another dog someday, in a few years.
Thanks everyone. I appreciate the kind words and sympathies. Thankfully I get to go lose myself in some mindless work for the next six hours.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
I'm sorry to hear that Lyrhawn. We lost our cocker at 14 1/2 a little less than two years ago. As crazy as he was - he was a good boy. Mom's little shadow. I still miss him, but I love to remember all the great stories and memories I have of him.
Posts: 306 | Registered: Jun 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
I had my to put my cat Pig to sleep yesterday, too. I find myself walking around feeling like there is a chunk of my life missing. I've had him since he was born, he was my first cat, and I'm missing him terribly.
Lyrhawn, I am sending out love for your dog and my Pig together. As my son said yesterday, "I hope he has fun with the other spirits!"
Posts: 99 | Registered: Aug 2007
| IP: Logged |
posted
I am sorry for your loss as well. I know that I couldn't have had another dog right after my first died, but about 2-3 years later we got another one, and since then dogs have been in and out of my life. I feel blessed to have known all of them, even though their leaving hurts so much.
I am a far better person because of them somehow.
Posts: 15082 | Registered: Jul 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
Adam, I'm so sorry. I lost my dog last year, and it's so tough. I still think about her all the time. But you made the right choice. When we put my dog down, we had to think about her, and how miserable she would have been being so sick and not being able to be there for us.
I'm sorry that you had to go through this. You know where I am, if you want to talk.
Posts: 1789 | Registered: Jul 2003
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by landybraine: I had my to put my cat Pig to sleep yesterday, too. I find myself walking around feeling like there is a chunk of my life missing. I've had him since he was born, he was my first cat, and I'm missing him terribly.
We've had Simba since she was a tiny puppy. I remember the very day we got her. We got her at a pet store, it was before we know all the problems with pet shop dogs and next time I'll either get a shelter dog or from a breeder. But my mom, dad and I were in the little doggy viewing room, and Simba was tiny. She'd hide under the bird cages that were in there, and then dart out, slowly untie my dad's shoelaces, and then run back under the bird cage. My dad would retie his shoes and she'd do it all over again. We fell in love with the little fuzzball right there.
She was my first dog. And I feel like I'm constantly being punched in the gut every five minutes. Half the people at work tonight knew what had happened because my brother worked last night and told them, and I had to keep pushing people away trying to give me hugs, cause I knew I'd start crying if any one actually did. Silence is the only way I've been able to keep it together, though that didn't stop me from choking up at the Taco Bell drive through.
::sigh::
I'm going to try and find some pictures to post so people can see her. I know I have some from when she was a puppy, I'm just not sure where they are.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Our family cat died last summer while we were all away on our family vacation. The cat was fourteen (my youngest brother was 13, so the cat was higher up in the family hierarchy than he was), and our neighbor would come and feed the cat and let her out every day while we were away. We got a call from the neighbor that Tinkerbell (our cat) seemed really sick, and we then called other family we had to come and take care of her, and see what they could do. She was taken to the vet, where they declared that there was nothing that could be done, and she was put down.
So when we all returned from vacation, Tinkerbell was just gone. None of us had said goodbye to her, none of us were there when she died. We left for vacation and our cat was fine, and we returned to an empty house.
I still gets pangs of sadness when I think of Tink. I can still picture and feel exactly what she looked like, and how it felt to have her on my lap.
So sorry for your loss, Lyrhawn.
Posts: 1711 | Registered: Jun 2004
| IP: Logged |
I'm so sorry for your loss. The pain of the loss of a pet can last for a very long time. I still carry the last dog tag of my beloved Louie on my backpack. I had to have him put down eight years ago. There is a poem called "The Rainbow Bridge" that is quite comforting.
quote: The Rainbow Bridge
Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
posted
I'm very sorry for your loss. I really wish pets lived longer. We lost our 12-year-old chocolate Lab in December. We have two other dogs and just had a second child, but it still feels like there's a hole in our family. One thing that helps me feel a little better is that we display several photos of her (including a Christmas photo we had taken with all 3 dogs and our [older] daughter) -- I don't want to put them away and just try to forget about her. I want to remember what a good and funny dog she was, and how much we loved each other.
(((((((everyone grieving a pet)))))))
Posts: 1512 | Registered: A Long Time Ago!
| IP: Logged |
posted
Lyrhawn, I am deeply sorry for your loss. Losing a pet is very hard, and it happens too many times in our lifetime. I always try to remember that the many happy years spent with pet outweigh the last moments of sadness. Peace be with you, your family, and Simba...
Posts: 1918 | Registered: Mar 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
I'm sorry for everyone's losses. I've never lost a pet close to me, but we have two dogs that I can't imagine losing. My husband's first dog, Kushi, had to be put to sleep a few years ago, and he still misses her. I'm glad that you were able to be there with her in the vet's office, Lyrhawn.
Posts: 2409 | Registered: Sep 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
kmbboots, Thankfully Starla is back to her normal self and it was only a pulled muscle in her hip. Anti-inflammatories work wonders Thank you so much for asking. I have found that my pets teach me something new every day. I learn more about them and more about myself. If nothing else, all of our dogs have taught us to celebrate life, to live for the moment, to let go of the past and how things used to be and accept how they are right now, to be happy with the smallest pleasures, and to simply love the 'pack' we are now.
Posts: 1918 | Registered: Mar 2005
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Thank you so much for asking.
