Coping with the loss of a pet

[ThetaPrincess24]

Who has ever lost a pet? How did you grieve? What got you through it?

Last night one of the family dogs died. She was a 13 year old cocker spaniel named Buffy Family members are taking it really hard. I was wondering how others cope with the loss of a dear pet .

[Rudey]

Originally posted by ThetaPrincess24
Who has ever lost a pet? How did you grieve? What got you through it?

Last night one of the family dogs died. She was a 13 year old cocker spaniel named Buffy Family members are taking it really hard. I was wondering how others cope with the loss of a dear pet .

I'm sorry...I guess time solves everything.

-Rudey
--Hope you and your family feel better

We had lots of pets growing up, so i lost a lot of pets.

2 of the hardest were our German Shepards. Max died on Christmas eve in like 88 or 89. We had gone out shopping the day before christmas eve and left him in the back yard. We came home and he had cut his leg on the metal screendoor. Dad took him to the vet and they stabilized him and told us he'd be ok and to come get him in the morning. He went into shock in the middle of the night and passed away.

We got another shepard after we had moved to virginia in 91. Ginny passed away last spring. My dad came home from work and just found her lying on the floor. Me and sis were in college and mom was in South Dakota, so he just took her out in the backyard and buried her himself. I felt so bad and actually cried when my mom told me that.

I'll probably get my own dog this fall when i get back from summer school in Vermillion.

Kitso
KS 361

[TheEpitome1920]

I lost my English Mastiff last year and it was the first time I had to deal with the death of a pet. Luckily we had a lot of pictures of him so I have them up and I kept his collar. I think it helps if you talk about it with other family members. That has helped my family a lot.

[xok85xo]

my dog bailey passed away last summer and i took it really hard. I think i cried more when she died than when my grandfather passed away two months prior. I knew that she was old and was quite sick at the time and was in a better place.. but that didn't make it any easier. Like Rudey said, time heals all wounds..

but this is what gcers said to me at the time...

http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh...threadid=36196

i hope it helps like like it helped me.

sheesh, even re-reading that thread made me cry

[Sister Havana]

I was only about four years old when my first dog died so I didn't completely grasp the concept at that time.

Our second dog (and first Welshie!) was just shy of 15 when she died...we got Winnie when I was 4 or so and she died a few months after I turned 19. I was completely devastated by that. I was very attached to her. She was very much a member of the family and I cried quite a bit. I still think about her a lot.

I am sorry for your loss. It is very tough to lose a pet.

[ThetaPrincess24]

I feel like a family member is gone with Buffy's loss. I felt the same way when our ten year old shih tzu Chelsea died in April of 2001. I still get upset thinking about Chelsea. Our other shih tzu, Hootie, who is 13 as well is also very sick. We think she is sick from being depressed from where she has gone blind.

[rainbowbrightCS]

I had two (mine own) that I loved very dearly. Miss Abigial April (german mix) and Charmin (sheep dog) and I had Abigial from Pre-K and she died in Jan. 2002. I got Charmin a about 5 grade (she was 8 then) and she died about 2 weeks after my Abby did. I still hurt over them and cry on a monthly bases. The best way I can cope is talking about everything that they did.

Christia

[Hootie]

It's certainly not easy to part with a special pet. It is especially hard when they've been in your life for so long. My family had to put down our dog Fozzy last March. He was 17 years old and lived such a long, wonderful life. It was super hard for us because he wasn't sick...he was just getting so old. And because pets can't tell you when they're in pain, you have to guess. My pet's experience with "going to sleep" was terrible. TERRIFYING to be exact. I NEVER WANT TO REPEAT THAT AGAIN! It wasn't just loosing my dog...it was what the vets did to him that made it so hard to let go (not to mention that the vet clinic backs up to my apartment building - so I see it every day).

I can't really tell you HOW to deal with the loss. My family sat down together and talked about the good times. We all said one of our most fondest memories of Fozzy.

I will buy stuffed animals (dogs) that look like him to cheer me up. I also made sure to put his pictures out a while after so I'd never forget.

It will be hard for a while - you may even had dreams about your pet. But just know it is for the best.

Here is a poem to help!

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.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown...

[tinydancer]

I am so sorry for your loss. Pets are indeed members of the family. I love the Rainbow Bridge poem. If my pets aren't going to meet me in heaven, I don't want to go.

I'm going to go hug my kitties now.

[thetalady]

Mary-

I am so sorry for the pain you & your family are going
through :'-( My best advice is to let yourself experience the pain. You will feel awful for a while. It will pass ONLY if you allow yourself to miss your Buffy and hurt for awhile. Don't pick up her dish right now if it comforts you to see it. Don't put her leash away until it feels right to you. Don't let anyone rush you into getting another pet until YOU are over this grief. Stay away from people who just don't understand, to whom a dog is "just a dog." They will never get it.

Losing a beloved pet IS losing a family member... maybe the only one who gave you unconditional love, never criticized you, was always there when you came home, and always had a smile on her face and a kiss for you. You were the center of her world & she worshiped you, all in exchange for a litttle food and a scratch on the head. Pretty good deal!

Remember all that she meant to you and it will heal the heart.

[kappaloo]

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss.

I lost all three of my childhood cats within a year. It was really hard on me because except for one I don't really remember life without them. I agree that your pets are family members and their deaths can require much greiving. I still get teary eyed when I think of my kitties... I miss them so much.

What we found surprising when my first cat died, is that another of cats (the mother actually) grieved for her. They had a place they would always sleep together and Kitty (yes yes, originality) would just stay there all the time - just waiting. We had to move her food down there for awhile because she just didn't want to come up - even to eat. She got over it after awhile. Ironically, she was much better when the other cat died, but I think that's because he was mean to Kitty and always bit her.

[AXO_MOM_3]

One of the things I do with my children (school setting) is have them make a book about their pet...the first day they got them, thinks they did with their pet ( walking, feeding, playing, etc), places they took the pet, funny things about their pet (our dog howls every time he hears a siren)....and a picture of where they see their pet the happiest. It seems to help them process things, and they have a special book to remember the pet.
Adults should try this too - there's something very theraputic about crayons, magic markers, paper and silence.

[lifesaver]

When my childhood dog of 15 years died the summer of my senior year in HS, my mom being the one with the compassionate heart in the family woke me up with, "Get up and get a shovel. Your dog's dead in the backyard. Take care of it before it starts to smell. He better be planted before I come home for lunch. I'm off to work."

At least it gave me something else to discuss in therapy.

[UKDaisy]

I am so sorry Mary! Losing an animal is one of the hardest thing to go through. *hug*

The worst was this past summer. Peaches was a white, spotted with cream cat. My neighbor and best friend owned her, but Peaches was practically mine too. She was an outdoor cat so she always ran across the street to greet me, she totally knew my cars. When I was little she'd come over and we'd sit on the porch and when it got cold I'd give her milk. I really loved this cat and when annoy Katie's parents when I thought it was too cold for Peach to be out b/c I'd call them at midnight and say Peaches is still out do you want me to walk her over? This summer Peaches was 14 and my family and I had gone somewhere for the day and it was raining outside. On the way home I said I hope Peaches is under some cover (Peaches hated the rain!!!!) When we got home it was about 11pm and I didn't see Peaches, but I k new she had to be close b/c she normally hid at our house when it rained. But when I stepped outside I saw her under my car, I called her a few times but she didn't move. She had been rolled by a car, not hit - just rolled, and she went under my car to lay down. It was so hard for me to cope with b/c Peaches didn't deserve to die that way. She deserved to live the rest of her life out in a safe environment. I love, love, love my best friend but I always wanted to adopt Peaches b/c she was too special to be an outdoor cat on a busy street.

The only good part was that somehow Peaches managed to get under my car to get out of the rain. Which I cried and cried about, b/c she hated rain....so at least she wasn't wet. Ahh....

I think the best way to cope with this is just to talk about it. I couldn't at the time, but this is the first real time I've gone over it. Sorry its so long! One way I helped though was to donate money to a local shelter and visit shelters or Pet Smart to play and be around the kitties and puppies.

Okay, now I'm going to go hug my kitty!