Death of a pet

My dog was 11 years old when she became ill, I just watched her go slowly downhill. It came to my 29th birthday and I knew that I needed to have her put to sleep but I could not do it, not on my birthday, and I think she knew as she raleighed around a bit and so we were able to leave it to the next day. She could not walk and she was incontinent and we had to carry her to the car and then into the vets, and she knew, you know, she knew. The vet told me she was suffering with heart failure and that it was the kindest thing to do. He let me have time with her to make her comfortable and I was with her when they did it, her legs were so swollen that he could not get the needle in the vein at first, then when he did I watched the life leave her eyes and broke my heart. She was more than a dog, she was my best friend, she had been through so much with me and it was the worst thing I ever had to do. I will never have another dog, I cannot stand to go through that pain ever again, it has been 6 years now, and I still miss her so much.

I lost my doberman, Circe, back in November right after my youngest daughter was born. They're amazing dogs, and I was heartbroken even though we knew it was coming. She was diabetic, and the last year was very hard for her and us. While I wouldn't say it's as bad as losing a family member, it is horrible.

Our dog Shep was a rough collie , he looked just like Lassie in the films , He was a member of our family too pal , when Ross was born he Rocked him in his bouncy chair , people didn't believe it until they saw him , He has been gone for about 20 years now but I still think of him a lot , I am quite sure he could read my mind , xx

Pets, any pets no matter if it's a dog, cat, rabbit are part of the family and are mostly treated as such, they are a family member so when they die the grieving is terrible and it's like we've lost a loved one. We get so attached to them and expect them to live as long as us and of course they don't we lose them and it's like a big empty space in our lives. Grief for a pet can be just as traumatic as grief for a human. Some pets are more company than humans and then it hits hard, especially if you live on your own with own your best friend your pet as company in the evenings. When I lost our first dog I was 15 and it was the first time I had to deal with grief it hit me hard, just not seeing him each morning. We couldn't replace him and the house was so empty without him.

oh yes my pets are part of the family and I grieve when they die as well. I let my cats out and I lost all of them but one, now I will never let that one out. It was the first time we did it our cats have always been house cats. Then we got a back yard. Big mistake

My pets have always been apart of the family. My pets were like siblings to me. We had to put my childhood dog, clyde, to sleep because he was in so much pain from his arthritis. He could barely move, and it hurt his joints if he did manage to move. I still miss him and think about him all the time.

I have very old dogs, one is nearly 16 the other almost 15. I try to convince myself on a daily basis that as long as they die safe and comfortable either in their own beds or in my arms at the vet I will be ok. The reality is I will be broken hearted and cry for weeks. I love your comment about the ex though,I can so identify.

I still think about my dog that passed about 10 years ago. When I think about her, my eyes are wet. I miss her everyday. She was almost like my baby. I have 2 dogs and one cat now. I can not imagine to loose any of them. They are my family members for sure.

Its very hard losing a pet as they have become part of the family. It's sad that they have such short life spans and it is like they become like a child. I am so sorry to hear about your loss and allow yourself to go through the grieving stages at your own pace. Thoughts are with you.

Our pets are family members. Tuesday 25th we had to put our cat down cause he had diabetes and something was wrong with his pancreas. He was 7 years old and we took it hard to do that.

I am a cat lover. I currently have eight, losing my youngest about a month ago and don't know how. That's the hardest part to deal with. He just disappeared. All of my cats are family members with their own personalities and peculiarities. When we lose one, a part of us goes too because the personality is no longer with us. I have had 2 major devastations losing cats. The first was when my house burned down. I lost 3 cats. The worst part of it that was, I made sure they were inside when I was not home to keep them safe. And that's what killed them. The second was losing the first cat I had gotten after the fire. (I was afraid to do so for quite a while.) He was a 16 year old MaineCoone cat, a stray and I got him when he about a year old. He was the most lovable, friendly guy you could ever wish for. It's been a year and a half he's gone and I still miss him.

I do not see my cats as just animals...they are members of the family and I would just as devastated to loose one of them as I would to loose any other member!

of course.. i don't know what to do if they die.. T_T

It's not easy for me to get over such things. I used to own a lovely kitty years ago, she went away and never came back home again. Since there's no where I could found her, I became depressed and couldn't hold back my tears. And it took a couple of weeks for me to calm down to do other things. But never did I dare to keep pets ever since then.

oh goodness, thank you for the warning regarding the rawhide treats - laced with arsenic!! what country do they come over from? shoot you can not even handle pressure treated lumber with out all sorts of warnings and protective hand covering. our dogs are part of our family, an integral part - but we do consider them our pets still. We love them and provide their needs and like to do extra things for them. We are still sad over the loss of our 8 year old bichon last year about this time, from lymphoma.