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My husband and I had to put our wonderful 11 year old dog to sleep today. And we are both a mess. I dont know how to function going to work tomorrow. My husband welcomes the distraction of work. I on the other hand don't know how I'm going to be able to concentrate.
I have overwhelming guilt putting him down even with how he was unwell. He was active the last few hours and then to see his eyes close is something I will never be able to forget.. All I do is cry. We put all of his things away for now as its too hard to see them.
I have had to put two of my sweet babies down and it doesn't ever get any easier. Put my sweet yellow lab to sleep a few years ago and I still can't imagine getting another dog because I am not ready to go through that again.
The best gift you can give your pet is to not let them suffer needlessly. Thank you for being great parents.
You will get through tomorrow and the next day but you will cry - its o.k.
Sending you a big hug.
If your dog could talk, he would probably say "thank you Mom. I am up here with all my doggie friends, and I am happy and free from pain. I will miss you and Dad but you can know you did the right thing. We had a wonderful time together, didn't we? I will be waiting for you when it's your turn to come. But in the meantime, know that I love you for sending me to this great place."
I have to make the very same visit for my 16 year old cat. She is done. I will cry alot but I know she is suffering. So we are planning to go this week. Just thinking about it makes me tear up.
I's the kindest and most selfless act that there is. You freed him from his suffering, both physical and mental. They don't understand illness.
I don't know whether you believe in an afterlife. If not, take heart that he is now safe from pain and suffering of any kind. If you do believe in an afterlife rest assured that you'll be with him forever.
My husband and I had to put our wonderful 11 year old dog to sleep today. And we are both a mess. I dont know how to function going to work tomorrow. My husband welcomes the distraction of work. I on the other hand don't know how I'm going to be able to concentrate.
I have overwhelming guilt putting him down even with how he was unwell. He was active the last few hours and then to see his eyes close is something I will never be able to forget.. All I do is cry. We put all of his things away for now as its too hard to see them.
Right NOW, you are RAW..your best fur buddy's essence still remains..BUT truly as comments said below here are so True..What you did was allow your best fur friend to go over that rainbow bridge..able to frolic..and treasure their time with you His spirit remains inside you as well..so the connection never really ends..I recall having dreams after putting down our 13 year old..who I knew it was time..but allowed this "Buddy" to struggle weeks before I could finally reconcile it..SO ..now its coming up 3 years May..I still sense him..still smell him..even sometimes hear his unusual vocals..SO Yep..His Spirit is still with me!
Huge Condolence to you especially...Bet your hubby will recover much quicker ..But both of you had a special bond .. {{Hugs}}
Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlotteborn
I have had to put two of my sweet babies down and it doesn't ever get any easier. Put my sweet yellow lab to sleep a few years ago and I still can't imagine getting another dog because I am not ready to go through that again.
The best gift you can give your pet is to not let them suffer needlessly. Thank you for being great parents.
You will get through tomorrow and the next day but you will cry - its o.k.
Sending you a big hug.
Quote:
Originally Posted by PhxBarb
Dear Hanna:
If your dog could talk, he would probably say "thank you Mom. I am up here with all my doggie friends, and I am happy and free from pain. I will miss you and Dad but you can know you did the right thing. We had a wonderful time together, didn't we? I will be waiting for you when it's your turn to come. But in the meantime, know that I love you for sending me to this great place."
I have to make the very same visit for my 16 year old cat. She is done. I will cry alot but I know she is suffering. So we are planning to go this week. Just thinking about it makes me tear up.
Good wishes to you.
Parting Note to OP:..While you need to go thru this grieving process...and just maybe you want to replace your beloved pet..Please do not rush into such a move. Animals tune into your grief..and unable to differentiate it..So they assume your are sad..out of sorts yet have no idea why..possibly think it's them..and so it deters positive bonding ...So really best to put next pet ( If any is planned) off a little while until you come to terms with your loss...and BTW~~ Next pet is not a replacement....as you cannot replace THAT relationship..However, it could allow another into your heart in order to continue the sharing/caring that's obviously part of your lifestyle!!
I am so sorry for your loss. I've been in your position and I was a total mess. My heart literally ached and the tears just kept flowing. You did the right thing, but the right thing is seldom easy. Idk how it is for others, but it wasn't until I got another dog that the hole in my heart began to heal. I'm so sorry you are going through this now. Take care.
I'm so sorry for your loss...losing a beloved and faithful pet just rips a huge chunk from your heart. I know this won't mean much to you right now...but time is the healer. Be kind to yourself knowing you did the right thing helping your pup find peace. I'm certain flights of angels carried him to his rest.
May you find some manner of peace knowing he has found his. Many hugs...
I leave you with this quote..."Grief never ends...But it changes. It's a passage, not a place to stay. Grief is not a sign of weakness, nor a lack of faith...it is the price of love."
(((Hugs))) to you and your husband on the loss of your beloved friend. It's never easy, but sometimes when an animal comes into our lives that we bond with so closely, letting them go can be incredibly difficult.
I did this with my "heart" dog Kaya back in 2012. She was almost 16 and had developed a mast cell tumour on her leg. My son was living almost 300 miles away, and while we both knew that her time was limited, she was doing well on medication. My son, who had spent most of his boyhood with Kaya and loved her dearly, planned to come home that summer to see her once more, but she didn't make it that long. One morning on a hot summer day in July she collapsed, and I rushed her to the vet. I was given two options: either put her on the strongest pain meds they had, just to buy her a bit more time, or euthanize her. I wrestled with it for a moment, knowing my son was due home in just over 3 weeks' time, but in the end I knew I couldn't do that to her. The thought of her going through any unnecessary pain, or of her collapsing again...it just broke my heart. So I chose to go the humane route, and I stayed with her as she fell asleep in my arms and drifted peacefully away.
The next day I went to work. All I can say about that is, if you are able to, and if you feel it is what you would want to do, you may find it helpful to take the day off. Everyone is different, and some people (such as you said of your husband) will find the distraction helpful. For myself, when I went to work I was unable to concentrate, was constantly on the verge of breaking down, and struggled greatly the entire day. I didn't want to face anyone; just wanted to go home and be able to cry. Do what is best for yourself; you are grieving, and do so in your own way.
As for guilt...I don't know of anyone who has loved a pet and hasn't felt at least a twinge of guilt when the time came. I go through it every time, with every animal I've ever had. With Kaya, who was the closest animal to me I've ever had - I consider her a very close soulmate - the guilt was incredibly deep at first, despite the fact that she had a terminal disease, despite the fact that she'd enjoyed a long and happy life, despite the fact that when I took her into the emergency vet that morning and she was assessed, it was determined that the medication she was on was no longer effective on her growing discomfort - apparently she was in a huge amount of pain, but she kept it well hidden, still running around and exploring, still eating, until she finally collapsed.
Despite all of that, the guilt flooded me. The 'what if's' took over, and the inevitable 'did I do the right thing? Was it time, or should I have waited?' We all do this, and I can tell you that I do believe the amount of guilt we feel tends to come from the amount of love we feel for our pets. We want to keep them alive forever, to have them forever happy and healthy, running and playing and flopping on the floor in pure joy at the end of the day. But we can't. And even though I do wish we did have a magic wand of some sort, I also do believe that animals come into our lives for a reason. We take care of them, but they also take care of us; whether we are aware of it or not, they guide us, and teach us, and when their time comes to leave, I do think that on a subconscious level they know it. Even their leaving has a purpose, for we get to feel the depths of despair intertwined with the depths of love, and that, as painful as it is when it happens, is one of the greatest gifts we can receive.
If I could have that magic wand, I think what I'd want it for would be to help the humans who are left struggling with their own pain, and somehow, with a wave and sparkles, take it away. That would be my intention...but then, taking that away would be taking away part of the process...that of healing one's heart. May your love for your beloved friend stay with you always, and may he always be with you and your husband in spirit.
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His spirit remains inside you as well..so the connection never really ends..I recall having dreams after putting down our 13 year old..who I knew it was time..but allowed this "Buddy" to struggle weeks before I could finally reconcile it..SO ..now its coming up 3 years May..I still sense him..still smell him..even sometimes hear his unusual vocals..SO Yep..His Spirit is still with me!
