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So sorry about your loss. I can't add much to the above - agree with all of it. I live with regrets about our first 2 dogs. Was it too soon to make the call? Should we have spent the money with no guarantee of the outcome? I know they had good, long lives with us and I have to remember that. Too many dogs never experience a loving home, and we gave them that.
Thank you for sharing your story as I was not familiar with the symptoms Grindle had. RIP Grindle.
Thank you for sharing your experience.
I think all of the vets we visited in the last few months thought it was cancer first and foremost, which is why they always recommend blood test first.
We're too optimistic about Grindle's health that we just thought it was something minor if it's not cancer, but that delayed critical diagnostics and treatment which could have helped Grindle lived longer.
You did the best you could do with the information you had. You can second guess your decisions from here to eternity. You gave him the best life, he had his forever home with you when everyone else returned him because he wasn't perfect. I'm sure Brindle would not want you to feel guilty. He was too good of a friend for that and understands humans are not perfect either.
Everyone who has loved pets goes through this. Sometimes it makes it difficult to think about getting another because of the heartbreak it causes when we lose them. But then after a while you remember the good times.
You did the best you could do with the information you had. You can second guess your decisions from here to eternity. You gave him the best life, he had his forever home with you when everyone else returned him because he wasn't perfect. I'm sure Brindle would not want you to feel guilty. He was too good of a friend for that and understands humans are not perfect either.
Everyone who has loved pets goes through this. Sometimes it makes it difficult to think about getting another because of the heartbreak it causes when we lose them. But then after a while you remember the good times.
Really appreciate the kind words, I am trying my best to remember our good times together, but that just makes me sad because I miss him so much. I know it will pass but in a way I want the sadness to linger on a little longer and that Grindle will know just how much I loved him.
I hope typing this all out has helped you grieve. I don't think you could have done much more. Grindle was 13 and got very sick. It happens. Spending another $5000 may not have helped. He was old. Stop blaming yourself.
So sorry for your loss. Stop kicking yourself. You did what you could for him. The panting was the sign that things were shutting down. Been there with a few of our old dogs. Our last girl that passed was panting & freaked my husband and myself out. Stayed up all night with her. She was our 15 MinPin. Have had them for over 30yrs. We both finally fell asleep & Gracie crawled between us & passed. It was so heart wrenching when I opened my eyes & saw that. Had to wake hubby. Don’t know what was worse. The pain of losing “little red†or the pain of seeing my husband crying.
You did everything you could. Big Hugs!!!!
Sometimes you can do everything right and it will still go all wrong. The vet made a mistake with my German shepherd which ended up resulting in euthanasia just over a year ago. It was so traumatic that I still have to check myself to stop my thoughts from wandering in that direction.
Animals can't speak for themselves and it is sometimes difficult to know what the right decision is to make. It sounds like you did a lot for your dog. I'm very sorry for your loss.
Thank you everyone for your kind words. I am feeling a bit better but it still hurts me so much to think that Grindle might have had a chance to live perhaps much longer if I just made the right decisions for him or communicated better with my wife about his treatment options.
Right now I am working towards missing him rather than feeling guilty, I know I didn't try my best but a lot of things happened that went wrong that lead to his death and I'm not feeling solely responsible.
I can't wait to bring him home after his body has been cremated.
I may get "flamed" for saying this but if you continue feeling so guilty, I would recommend that you contact an animal communicator and "speak" with Grindle. I think I'm a pretty rational person but I have contacted a few animal communicators when I was at a crossroads with a pet-stewardship decision (e.g., whether an elderly dog was "up" for a new puppy in the house), and it has been surprisingly helpful and in some cases comforting. Across the board, the animal communicators will (persuasively, in my opinion) show you how unconditionally your pet loves you and is grateful for your efforts to take care of them. And some of the animal communicators do specialize in communicating with deceased pets. Again, I know there are doubters, and of course, I do NOT know for sure if there is anything to it. And yes, it's a bit pricey. But it is a fraction of the cost of what you were willing to spend, and if you receive a message that persuades you that Grindle loves you and does not harbor any blame at all, it will be SO worth the price. (NOTE: If this happens, it will likely intensify your grief in the short term but it will be a clean sadness, not the wracking guilt.)
I have nothing at stake in this, but it's what I would do if I were in your position. You've got nothing to lose, except the cost of the 30-minute session. And I have no connection (other than satisfied client) with Karen Anderson, but she's who I'd recommend (link below).
I had a situation with a beloved dog and Congestive Heart Failure and my mistake was that I didn’t euthanize soon enough. I blame the vet for some of it but I should have known better. She had all the meds and honestly, I still waited too long. One of the biggest regrets of my life.
Don’t be too hard on yourself. You did the best you could.
I may get "flamed" for saying this but if you continue feeling so guilty, I would recommend that you contact an animal communicator and "speak" with Grindle. I think I'm a pretty rational person but I have contacted a few animal communicators when I was at a crossroads with a pet-stewardship decision (e.g., whether an elderly dog was "up" for a new puppy in the house), and it has been surprisingly helpful and in some cases comforting. Across the board, the animal communicators will (persuasively, in my opinion) show you how unconditionally your pet loves you and is grateful for your efforts to take care of them. And some of the animal communicators do specialize in communicating with deceased pets. Again, I know there are doubters, and of course, I do NOT know for sure if there is anything to it. And yes, it's a bit pricey. But it is a fraction of the cost of what you were willing to spend, and if you receive a message that persuades you that Grindle loves you and does not harbor any blame at all, it will be SO worth the price. (NOTE: If this happens, it will likely intensify your grief in the short term but it will be a clean sadness, not the wracking guilt.)
I have nothing at stake in this, but it's what I would do if I were in your position. You've got nothing to lose, except the cost of the 30-minute session. And I have no connection (other than satisfied client) with Karen Anderson, but she's who I'd recommend (link below).
I don't know why anyone would flame you, I know you are only trying to help, and I really appreciate that.
I know for a fact that Grindle will forgive me because he has a big heart and loves me unconditionally, I only wish I did more to help him, and I know I could have.
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