Losing a Pet (Family Member)

I Luv Bulldogs

I Luv Bulldogs

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I had to say goodbye to my sweet love Brian on Thursday. (Yes that's him as my avatar. He was just a little baby then.)

They found a 6.5 cm tumor on his heart. This all happened suddenly and I would like to think that he didn't suffer long. He was 10 1/2 years old.

I'd would also like to think that he had a happy life and that I was a good mom. I'm trying not to dwell on the times that I was tired and didn't want to take him out or the times that I was cranky because he drooled on my clean floor.

I loved him so much and he was a huge part of my life.

I am not sure why I am posting this. I guess I am just struggling right now.

Hug your babies tight . . . . .
 
Awww...I was right where you are in January. The kitty in my avatar died. I'm so sorry for your loss. :(I still dwell on so many things. But our babies know we love them. Losing a pet is so hard. Just knowing that people here on FSU understood and that I wasn't the only one who took the loss of a pet so hard was really very helpful to me. Just the smallest acknowledgement really meant so much. I hope it brings you some comfort as well.
 
I'm sorry for your loss, @I Luv Bulldogs. I lost one of my pets in November and truth be told I'm still not over it, so I completely understand how you feel.

For animal lovers, pets are family members, and based on your post (and user name!), it's pretty clear that Brian had a very special place in your heart. Animals are very perceptive, so I'm sure he felt that love every day and rested easy knowing that you were there to take care of him.

((((((hugs))))))
 
I Luv Bulldogs said:
I'd would also like to think that he had a happy life and that I was a good mom. I'm trying not to dwell on the times that I was tired and didn't want to take him out or the times that I was cranky because he drooled on my clean floor. I loved him so much and he was a huge part of my life.
Click to expand...

I know the rule, when we say "i know exactly how you feel" we rarely do know EXACTLY "how others feel". But with 90% accuracy, this time i can safely say "I know EXACTLY how you feel". And! given what you posted, you can be 200% sure that you gave Brian the best life a dog can ask for, from first to last day. (P.S. and don't feel guilty if besides a sense of loss, there is a feeling of relief lurking in your thoughts).
 
I'm so sorry to hear about Brian. I love the picture of him in your avatar - he looks like such a sweet boy. I have struggled deeply every time I've lost one of my precious dogs.... They are like children who never grow up - they're always dependent on us, no matter how old they get - and they have a way of getting right inside our heart, and taking a piece of our heart when they leave us.

I'm sending you a great big (((hug))).
 
So very sorry for your loss. dh and I have lost two dogs so far and both losses have been painful in very different ways. One was a total shock (burst splenic tumor; we could have tried surgery but the likelihood of a good outcome wasn't great) and we bawled our eyes out for a week. The other we knew was coming (she was 16 and going downhill), but it still hurt to lose our sweet Fable. Trouser we lost in 2006 and Fable in 2013 and I still feel guilt. Having a pet put down just plain HURTS, even if you know you're stopping their pain and suffering.
 
I Luv Bulldogs said:
I had to say goodbye to my sweet love Brian on Thursday. (Yes that's him as my avatar. He was just a little baby then.)

They found a 6.5 cm tumor on his heart. This all happened suddenly and I would like to think that he didn't suffer long. He was 10 1/2 years old.

I'd would also like to think that he had a happy life and that I was a good mom. I'm trying not to dwell on the times that I was tired and didn't want to take him out or the times that I was cranky because he drooled on my clean floor.

I loved him so much and he was a huge part of my life.

I am not sure why I am posting this. I guess I am just struggling right now.

Hug your babies tight . . . . .
Click to expand...
Hugs to you!
I think it is a good thing you posted. Within a year, I've lost 2 cats to serious illness. I posted here last April when we lost our beloved Jools and the outpouring of support helped so much! I am still so grateful for it.
In Feb., we lost Farsi, the lovely black cat in my avatar. We'd only had him for 4 months! He had been a Quebec death row cat so survived death once only to be taken down with multiple health issues - cancer, heart and other things. Luckily, we did it right, got him to the vet quickly and eased him out with as little pain as possible. And I know he felt our love.
I'm sure your beloved pup felt your love too! Our good pets are worthy of our tears.
Hang in.
 
I'm so sorry. Losing a pet is rough, regardless of whether it's sudden or expected. I'm glad he didn't suffer long. (When my cat died of cancer, they didn't know it was cancer until they did an autopsy; they didn't spot it in the x-rays. It still upsets me to think about it.) It takes a little while to get past thinking about a pet's death and thinking more about his life, but it does happen. I'm glad you have such good memories of him.
 
My Daisy died of an allergic reaction to a shot she'd had many times before. I was on vacation and boarded her with the vet since she and her sister were due for their shots anyway. One year and four later her sister Ranger died from stomach cancer which spread to her spleen and then her brain. After both died, I was inconsolable. I remember going to the grocery store and the song "Daisy's Crying" came on and I just lost it in the baking aisle. My colleagues thought I was INSANE, after all, it's just a dog, get a new one. And after Ranger died, who had never been sick in her life, it just felt so unfair. I even resented Pepper, our family dog. She was 15 and dotty, slowing down, not enjoying her food as much and Ranger was so full of terrier life. Daisy was a little easier to take just because she was always sick--epilepsy, heart condition, allergies to wheat and chicken, and a skin condition. Ranger though was perfect and the universe just seemed a hateful place for such an undignified, painful end to the world's perfect doggie.

Posting here helped. I read a book called "Coping with the Sorrow on the Loss of your Pet" which helped too. I had a lot of bizarre, paranoid thoughts and the book helped in the sense that all of what I was thinking/feeling was completely normal and even common. There's some religious stuff in there too which didn't do anything for me but I can see how it might be helpful for some. I slept with her favorite toy for a year which was Daisy's favorite toy that Ranger always carried around after Daisy died. I used Ranger's picture as my FB profile picture for six months.

Take your time. Grieve. And in time, I think the best way to honor your furbaby is to give another bulldog a long, happy life.
 
I'm sorry for your loss, I Luv Bulldogs. Brian had a good life and was well-loved, and I'm sure he forgives you for the times you were cranky or tired.

And sorry for what you went through with Ranger, Matry. Four and a half is too young for a dog to die!

Losing a beloved pet leaves such a horrible hole in your heart and make a home so empty.

We lost our last golden retriever Luna to cancer at eight. It all went down unexpectedly and quickly, within a matter of days. One Wednesday we had a healthy dog, the next Wednesday she was gone. It happened in June, right when I was looking forward to all the outings we'd have in the summertime. Summer loomed large and empty, so we ended getting crazy puppy Bandit several weeks later and he is now crazy Bandit almost three years old. I didn't give the memo that golden retrievers are puppies for life a second read before we got this dog, so here we are. :)

Puppy Bandit took my mind off missing Luna, but didn't stop the grief. To deal with it I created a shrine of sorts for her on the kitchen counter. It included a big candle, and pictures and the cards we got when she passed - one a beautiful handwritten card from the staff at the vet's.

I lit the candle every night, and looked at the pictures, and would sometimes to talk to my Luna. It was about a year before I felt it was time to dismantle the shrine.

But I still miss my Luna and all the others we've sent off to Rainbow Bridge. It's the cost of loving them. But I hope I never reach the point where I say the cost is one that is not worth paying, because the joy and comfort that animals bring to our lives is so precious and not something that money can ever buy.
 
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I'm so sorry. I lost my beloved Ashley-cat on January 3, just three weeks after she was diagnosed with lymphoma. You are going to relive and analyze the experience over and over. Just let it happen and know that it is a normal part of grief. The first 2-3 weeks are the worst, then your brain somewhat adjusts to the new reality. Know that wherever you go (work, etc.) there will be plenty of pet lovers who have experienced the same thing. Remember that every pet in your life is a gift.
 
Love and hugs to I Luv Bulldogs and Badams and everyone who has experienced losing these special family members. My dog is technically a "rescue" but the truth is that in her own way, following my parent's dreadful car wreck, she rescued us. I wish all dogs and cats could have more years.
 
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