How do I get over witnessing my dog die, also has anyone else had this experience?

Question

I had a pit-bull/lab mix dog. She was so beautiful and she was the sweetest dog I have ever known. She loved everybody. We took her to get spayed, she was barely 2 years old, and she developed renal failure. I decided it would be best if my boyfriend and I were with her when they had to put her down. I didn't want her to be alone, her death was inevitable, so we agreed to have her put down so she would suffer no more. Well, we watched, and held her while she died. I have never cried so hard in my life. Now, I can not sleep without a light on, and her death keeps repeating over and over in my head. It wont go away. Please, does anybody have advice? This is killing me. I loved her so much.....

Answer 1

I know exactly how it feels. Try to remember the good times & let time heal the loss.

Answer 2

I had to watch my dog of 11 years die...on Christmas no less...this was about 3 years ago. Her name was Brandy and she was a German Sheppard / Sheltie mix...she was awesome.

It was terrible. She was fine Christmas Eve..I guess in hind site, she was a bit more quiet than usual and she laid around more, but by Christmas, she was bleeding from every orpheus of her body. It was awful, her stomach was distended, obviously she was bleeding internally, and she was obviously in pain. Since it was Christmas there was no place open so she had to go through it the whole day. We (as a family) all stayed up with her in shifts throughout the night. The next morning we were going to have to take her to be put down..she was so miserable and it was so sad. She ended up dying before we left that morning; she made it through the night and then died.

It really was very hard, and it's hard for others to understand how much a dog can impact us.

I, now finally (just yesterday), have been able to get another dog that I am willing to love. I have tried before but wasn't able to establish a bond because any other dog just wasn't my Brandy.

It takes some time, don't rush in to a new one any time soon because it won't be fair to the new dog. Let yourself heal and let yourself be able to really give a new dog the love it deserves.

Answer 3

I had a red heeler that had gotten run over by a hit and run. He didn't die right away, and so I was holding him in my arms when he went. That was one of the most traumatic experiences in my life. In about a month and a half I got another dog and I think it was the best thing I ever did. A new dog will never replace the old one but it will fill an empty space. Just know that your dog is waiting for you in heaven and you will see her again.

Crazy fact...my new dog was born on the same day that my other dog had died.

Answer 4

my dog was recently hit by a car hes still in the vet we think were gonna put him down and u did a real good thing by owning a pit bull mix pit bills r taken the wrong way.my dads Friend died and i cant sleep it will get better after a wile but it will take a long time watching anything die is hard especial Ur own pet

Answer 5

Remember this, "you did not kill her" Just because you made the decision to put her to sleep because she was suffering does not mean that you "killed" her. You need to think that she is now chasing squirrels or running on the beach chasing beach balls. I went through the same thing when we had to put my dog down (he was much older and had kidney failure) I always blamed myself for it. I always fed my dog tomatoes, grapes, and a few other things that were bad for dogs (never chocolate). But a couple days after that i found out that all of those things causes kidney failure. I was totally heart broken! The thing that you have to remember is you did this for her! She is in a much better place! Good Luck

Answer 6

I was with my dog of 13 years and my cat of 16 years when they were both "put to sleep". I held them in my arms and petted them as they drifted off. I told them that they were good pets, that I loved them and that they would be missed terribly. I'm glad that I stayed with them through the end. I know that other people heard my sobbing in the waiting room and through the parking lot. I had them cremated and now have their ashes. It's a very, very hard experience but unfortunately, a fact of life for all of us. Embrace the fact that she was a good, sweet dog while she was on this earth and had someone who cared deeply for her and was with her through the end. This is what anyone can hope for. To be loved and cherished while we're living this life and leave others with happy memories. Try not to dwell on her death or you're doing her a disservice. Remember, she was suffering and you humanely released her of that suffering. Think of all the happy times you had with her and all the pleasure she gave you as a pet. This way, she can continue to be a good, sweet dog who makes you smile instead of cry.

Answer 7

Our dog died on Thursday, out of the blue. She was fine, playing and loving a few hours earlier. I went back to sleep after my husband left for work and when I woke up, she was gone. She was a 3 year old Bullmastiff, our baby.

I feel so guilty about the whole situation. She died, and I didn't hear a thing. I woke up too late, she was still warm! We miss her so much, she was so loving and loyal. It is hard not to know exactly what happened.

Answer 8

I held my dog Boo-Boo in my arms as he died, I too never cried so hard in my life, not even when a family member had past. Looking back (its been 4 yrs) He just crawled down in my lap blood just started pouring out of him, he looked up at me and died!( he was poisoned) His death haunted me for a long time, even though we had other dogs our home felt so empty without him. Its a hard thing to get over, you will have dreams this is normal. Just try your best to focus on the happy times you had with your dog, be blessed you had her to care for, don't feel guilty for her death. You were there for her you were holding her, and you know she knew you loved her. I can't think of a better way to die , than to be in the comforting arms of someone I love.
God chose you to take care of her on this earth, and you did the best you could for her, she was only her temporarily, until God called her home. It just takes time to heal from such a great loss.
What is the funniest thing she ever did?
How did she greet you when you came home?
What are some of your best memories of her?
Concentrate on the happy times you shared, and be glad you were the one who made the right decision for her. She trusted you and you did the right thing for her, thats all that matters.

Answer 9

I don't believe you ever forget any loss in your life. Lost my F chocolate lab over 10 years ago & still had dreams about her. I would cry all day every time I dreamed that dream.
4 years ago I decided to get a Golden Lab/Basenji mix. He has brought much laughter and eased the pain of the loss.
Losing an animal is not much different than losing a person in your life. It takes time
I don't dream that dream anymore.

Answer 10

You could try to forgive yourself. You are blaming yourself for loving her enough to let her go. There is no need to blame yourself. You loved her with all your heart and proved that by not letting her suffer. I have had many pets, and have had to let many go. It is very hard to let go of our loved ones. But a wise man once said, there is no death, only journeys to another place.

You may want to contact an animal communicator if you continue to have problems with this. They are so helpful. It may be that your dog is trying to reach you and that can be partly why you can't let go as well. I know of two, one is Terri Deiner, you can find her on line. Another has a website at: http://www.animalshamanichealing.com/. They are both reputable and beautiful people.
Another way to get through grief is to write and/or draw/paint about your feelings about your dog. I find this to be a tremendous help whenever I have found something painful to handle in my life.

Best to you and many blessings.

Answer 11

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. My poodle/beagle mix that was with me for 11 years died on me. It was the most horrible thing that I ever went through. On the tenth day after her death there was a dog for giveaway in the paper and we went and got him. I just couldn't take one more day with the house having that empty feeling. I really didn't think that I was going to make it through the loss at the time but getting another dog did help me through it. I still think about her everyday, but getting another dog does help. Now, I am attached to this dog and know that someday I will have to go through the same thing again and don't know how I'm gonna get through it. I hope that as time passes it will get easier for you. Again, I'm sorry for your loss and hang in there.