Pet loss

[Feraligator]

I lost my first dog, Ruffles, 10 days ago. He was my first dog, only 12 years old. A healthy and lively Yorkshire Terrier who was always making noise and very active.

He died alone at the vet of acute pancreatitis. Coincidentally, he was perfectly fine until he was vaccinated and died a day and a half later. Very unexpected and we're all hurting so much. It's so lonely without him.

I'm still grieving, but coming to accept I can't bring him back. He's gone forever, but at least he's out of the pain he was in in his last moments.

Of course, lots of people have had pets and have sadly lost them. How did you deal with pet loss? Our friends deserve to live so much longer.

My little tribute to Ruffles:

 

[Croconaw]

I’m sorry for your loss. Losing a pet is difficult. If only dogs had a longer lifespan.

 

[DinosaurDumpster]

I'm so sorry about your dog. My dog Shadow died last year, at 9 (about April 2011-October 2020). Apparently she was sick and died as she was coming home from the vet. (not just that, she was overweight and my mom fed her a lot of chocolate over the years and overfed her sometimes- kind of a bad caretaker). This month she would have been 10 years old.

The night she died, I called my best friend (who knew her for just as long as I have), and we stayed up and watched some favorite movies and shows of mine and it helped. I kind of let it out that day and I haven't really been sad about it since (still sad, but I've accepted it.)

I hope you get better soon. Losing a pet sucks.

 

[Cristaaaaal]

I'm so sorry for your loss @Jez. It gets easier, but you never stop missing them. I lost my fat boy Bob in 2013. We had him since I was about 6, so he was about 17 years old. He was hit by a car. It was even more heart breaking because he had so much more life to live. It was one of the hardest things I've ever been through. He was a part of our family. I look at pictures of him now, and it's not so sad anymore. He brought us more joy than we ever could have imagined. You'll probably dream that Ruffles is still here or think you see him in the corner of your eye in the hallway. It's really hard, but it will get better. Be patient with yourself. Sending much love and healing your way. <3

 

[Seastar]

Back in September 2019, I lost the cat I had for about 17 years or so. She got sick and I do not know why. Her last few weeks alive were very depressing and I probably shouldn't be thinking about that.
Occasionally, I still have dreams about her. It's hard to deal with...

 

[LadyDestani]

I'm so sorry for you loss. Ruffles is adorable and I'm sure he brought a lot of joy into your life.

I have lost several animals over the years and it's always difficult. There's no easy way to deal with it other than time. I still think about every one of them and it will always make me sad because I miss them, but I find comfort in the fact that I gave them a good home and loved them while they were here. I believe they know how much they were loved. It's hard but try to think of the good times and smile instead of just thinking about the end.

 

[slzzpz]

I'm so sorry! May Ruffles rest in peace. ❤

Losing a pet is literally losing a loved one. I took it pretty hard when my cat Tibbers died unexpectedly from complications caused by crystalized urine in his tract a couple years ago. I still get sad but I look at the pictures and videos I have of him and it makes me happy.



Great video by the way! Awesome way to remember how blessed you were to have Ruffles in your life.

 

[Foreverfox]

I am soo sorry for your loss, @Jez I had something similar happen a few years ago to my little dog, Sampson. I got him from a rescue and part of the local law is that you have to have them checked out by a vet within 2 weeks of adoption. He was fine, bright, fiesty, etc...I took him to his appointment and he was shivering scared it seemed. He didn't even get shots or anything, they just checked his ears and coat, got his weight, and that was it. He was never the same and died 10 days after I adopted him. He was the first dog I ever loved (I'm a cat person).

A couple years later, I believe he led me to my current dog, Sydney, who looks remarkably similar. I adopted her from a house with a pig and a whole bunch of other animals (she's a pomeranian, so she definitely did not fit in!) and she walked right up to me and I knew it was meant to be! I'm sure when the time is right, Ruffles will let you know, and will lead you to a dog that you know he hand-picked for you. ❤

 

[Disneyfangirl23]

I had a Hamster, some fish and a Greyhound
I loved them all but I think I miss the Greyhound the most she was so lovely (I have a picture of her in my bedroom)

 

[Belle T]

As an animal lover, I am deeply sorry for your loss. I have lost quite a few animals over the years, so I know perfectly well how hard it can be to cope with it. In fact, at the time of writing this, my family is currently debating when the best time would be to have our own cat put down, as it is currently going through a very rough time in its final stages of life. So suffice it to say, I may very well be in your exact situation again very soon.

Honestly, I don't think there's anything you can do to really cope with it. Time is the only thing that really can mend the wounds. But I think turning your grief into something creative can definitely help. It gives you a sense of accomplishment and can help you express the more complicated parts of losing a loved one that aren't so easy to convey with words. Of course, everyone is different and has a different process of grieving so what works for some will not necessarily work for all. Anyway, I hope you and your family will be able to recovery as quickly as possible.

 

[Violet Witch]

I'm so sorry for your loss.

Losing a pet is always incredibly hard as we treat them like members of our family who will love us unconditionally and more often than not provide us with more comfort and support than humans. All I can say is over time it will get easier and always try to remember Ruffles when he was at his healthiest. Also don't feel any shame in crying, let it out and ride the emotions that come with grieving for a beloved pet otherwise it will eat you up inside in the long run. That's what helped me when I lost three cats in under 18 months (they were all old) years ago, it was horrible but I got through it eventually and I can now look back and remember them with great fondness.

 

[Imbri]

I am so sorry for your loss. It is never easy to go through and sometimes all you can latch on to is that they are at peace.

Try to remember the fun and happy times you had, and know you gave Ruffles all the love you could and a good home.

Let yourself mourn, and when the time is right, let yourself give another pup some of that love and a secure home.

Sending all the hugs.

 

[skarmoury]

First off, I'm really sorry for your pet loss. I know what it's like to lose a loved pet.

Last January I lost both of my hamsters for unknown reasons. Our vet wasn't trained in hamsters so she couldn't help us, and I felt so bad knowing I couldn't do anything to help them either. Even thinking about them makes me cry, even though they've passed away about 3 months ago. It's still really painful for me considering I loved them with all my heart, especially the older hamster I had. Her name was Hammy and she was with me for a good year and a half and witnessed all my ups and down in my first year in medical school. My younger hamster was Winter, he was a bit jumpy but I did like him a lot too. I loved both of them dearly and I think about them at times.

Honestly, I don't have any solid advice since I still find myself grieving about them (I cried thinking about them the other day, haha) but if you just feel like crying, then don't hold back. Also, hold on to the dear memories you had with your pet, I'm sure they're things to look back at fondly as well. I know it's a huge shift in lifestyle and it'll be difficult, so don't force yourself to get over it right away, take your time to grieve and cry it out if you need. And always remember that you gave your pet the best and unconditional love and support he needed, and I'm sure he loved you back so much as well. Your pet must have lived a good life under your care, seeing how much you care for him.

I guess another way I coped the loss of my hamsters is commissioning artworks of them. I have a commissioned art of me holding my Hammy and it has been my icon on my personal social media for months. I smile whenever I see that picture as it reminds me of the goods times I had with her and how she brought me so much happiness in a short amount of time.

Hope this helps in any way. Many hugs for you. ❤

 

[Midoriya]

I’m sorry for the loss of Ruffles. He sounds like he was a great dog and well taken care of. I haven’t experienced too much pet loss in my life, but one of our three cats, Tucker, died a couple years ago due to complications, and we’ve only had two cats since then. One of those two is the one that I take care of, Lulu, and she’s getting older and probably won’t be around for too much longer. I know I’ll be really sad when she dies.

I hope that the pain gets easier to deal with over time for you and that Ruffles is in a better place now.

 

[daringred_]

oh. well this thread came at an opportune time.

my cat is being put down tomorrow. i've had her since i was 7 (i'm 21 now) so we literally grew up together, and i think it's going to hit me harder than ever when we actually take her to the vet. she started losing weight at the beginning of the month, but when we took her the vet who saw her said she was fine -- that she only needed some teeth out since they were rotten. unfortunately, she kept losing weight, and then she started drinking excessively. i knew it was her kidneys because we've lost a cat to it before, so we took her in again last saturday. this time, the vet said she had growths on her kidneys. she had a blood test and we were told she's in the endstage of kidney failure. we didn't have them test the growths, but they were what caused it, and i can only presume they're cancerous. we've had an additional six days with her, but i can't help wishing we'd had more. she's unsteady on her feet now, one of her eyes keeps going gungy, she sleeps all day, won't eat the food, doesn't want to move and seems miserable. it's hard and i'll miss her, but i know letting her go is the right thing to do. i don't want her to suffer. she did get to go out and sleep in the sun for an hour or two today at least, which i'm grateful for. she's always loved sunbathing.

i plan to have her cremated so i can keep her with me. i know it probably sounds silly to some people, but she's my best-friend and putting her in the ground doesn't feel right. (we also don't own the house outright, and i'm obviously going to move out at some point down the line, so.) we've lost four cats before her, and she's the eldest one we've had, but that doesn't make this any easier.

 

[litilravnur]

I'm really sorry for your loss, @Jez

In my life, I have had to say goodbye to 2 dog friends. Even if you expect it or not, life never prepares you to experience this kind of thing and in a very deep part of my heart, I still think I haven't deal completely with the feelings. I really think time is what you need... you just learn to cope with it and eventually it's easier to remember only the good moment you shared with your fur friends, and more importantly, eventually, you can open up your heart again to create a new bond with another pet.

Take the time you need to heal and I really hope you and your family can find peace. Sending you lots of hugs

Also sorry to hear about your cat, @daringred_... I also have a cat with kidney troubles and maybe I'll have to go through what you're experiencing at some point. Guess there's a point in life when you prefer to end their suffering even if it's hard. Hope you have the chance to be together till the end, in my case, I wanted my pets to know we are family and we will be together always. Also sending you lots of hugs

 

[DaisyFan]

I am sorry for your loss.

For me, my sister and brother-in-law's dog has been put down in June 2019 (almost two years ago) because she was extremely ill. I was sad to hear her passing. When I was 11 years old, I overcame my fear of dogs because of her.

I watched your video and it was nice. Sending in a big, big hugs.

 

[Feraligator]

Thank you for the condolences, I appreciate it so much.
Thank you for the gift as well @Foreverfox , so thoughtful of you!!

I read everyone's stories. I'm sad (and honestly irritated) that all of our friends can't stay with us a little longer. I genuinely feel it's just unfair that our companions who give us unconditional love are lost to us so quickly. Of course, you can't mess with nature, but I think it's just that bit of anger you get when you grieve.

Again thanks for everyone who posted. I hope you are all able to feel better soon or are feeling alright now. It's heartbreaking reading these stories, but I guess it's just life and that time can heal (I hope).

It's not the first death in my life, I lost my grandma at 5 and my other grandma at 16. It's always hard even if you expect it coming as some people said, but I just don't think I can ever deal with it when it comes.

 

[dragonpisces69]

I'm sorry for your loss

So far, I have only lost two goldfish in 2013 and 2014. It made me very anxious to see them suffer on the bottom of the aquarium. Gold, the one who died first, had their tail all bent and it was very scary to see them lying on the bottom of the aquarium so helplessly. Orange, who died about 9 months later, also had a tail malformation, but not as severe, but still in a way that they were often bound to the bottom of the aquarium, scaring me all the same.

Nowadays, I'm very paranoid that my childhood pet dog will eventually suffer and have to put down anytime soon (she's 12 right now), since she's physically becoming weaker and weaker, and that also makes me very anxious, mainly with the thought that she'll eventually have dementia, be unable to hold her "organic waste" properly, and all that jazz...

 

[Foreverfox]

Thank you for the condolences, I appreciate it so much.
Thank you for the gift as well @Foreverfox , so thoughtful of you!!

I read everyone's stories. I'm sad (and honestly irritated) that all of our friends can't stay with us a little longer. I genuinely feel it's just unfair that our companions who give us unconditional love are lost to us so quickly. Of course, you can't mess with nature, but I think it's just that bit of anger you get when you grieve.

Again thanks for everyone who posted. I hope you are all able to feel better soon or are feeling alright now. It's heartbreaking reading these stories, but I guess it's just life and that time can heal (I hope).

It's not the first death in my life, I lost my grandma at 5 and my other grandma at 16. It's always hard even if you expect it coming as some people said, but I just don't think I can ever deal with it when it comes.

It was given to me and my immediate thought was to give it to you. Losing someone special is always hard. I've lost my grandma, 2 grandpas, my stepmom, and an aunt all within the past year. They never really leave you though, so hopefully knowing that can bring you some peace.