I had to say goodbye to my dog.?

Question

I had to put my 19y/o dog to sleep yesterday and I miss him so much.His kidneys were failing and yesterday he was in so much pain that we had to let him go.We got to the vet and had him run some tests,which confirmed that his kidneys were not functioning at all.My wife couldn't stand to be in the room when he was put to sleep,so she kissed and hugged him then went crying into the lobby.There was no way I was going to let him be alone when this happened, so I held him in my lap and petted him while the Doctor gently gave him the shot.I think he knew what was happening,because he looked me in the eyes,reached up and kissed my nose,then he put his little head down and was gone within a minute.I'm in my late 30's and consider myself a tough guy,I've been an iron worker for over 20 years,but when that 12 pound dog passed away in my arms I was crying like a baby.I had to take the day off today because I am just so torn up emotionally about this.Does anyone know a way to cope with this?

Answer 1

My husband and I put our 13yr old Lhasa to sleep on Thursday and he and I were both weeping loudly and you know what I am a Vet Tech and I deal with euthanasia and death everyday.

I am struggling with the thought that she is wondering why we got someone to put her to sleep but I also know it was unfair to keep her alive because I will miss her. She came to work with me everyday and slept with me.

I beloved Rottie died 3 years ago and it took ages for me to get over it and I still cry every now and again. All I can say is it gets easier and the sad times will eventually get less.

Don't feel guilty for laughing and going about your life.

At sometime you will be ready for a new friend and don't feel guilty like you are replacing them cause you can NEVER replace the love and affection that a dog will give and you won't forget such a great mate, but some people just NEED a dog in their life.

Just cry and grieve as much as you need to don't hold it in.

Remember the good times and celebrate what you had.
My dogs name was Honey so the staff at my surgery and I had a Honey morning tea, we drank honey chai latte ate honey jumbles and other honey treats and laughed about the silly things she did at the surgery.

Answer 2

I don't know that there is truly a way to cope. I started crying when I read this. I had to put down my 1yr. Malamute last year he got so aggressive that there was nothing else to do. It hurts so bad because I feel like it was my fault, and it was I mean I should have done more research on the parents which where the case, very aggressive dogs I did not no at the time that it could be carried on.
I think that you just have to keep reminding yourself that this was the best thing to do, Remember the good times and just let yourself cry. I don't think there is ever a time that you get over your loss but there will be a time that you will be able to cope, and for everyone healing is different. For me and my husband a while down the road we came across Alaskan Malamutes in the paper, right here in our hometown which is hard to come by so we checked them out and ended up coming home with a sweet little girl it has helped me alot and then again sometimes I look at her and wonder what Samson would look like now and it hurts. But my Samson will always be my first baby his picture are still up in our house. I just think of the good times with him and forget about the bad.
I'm very sorry for your loss I don't know if this helps but I know it is nice to hear from people that have gone through a similar situation.

Answer 3

My cat Potluck (P) was 14 years old when I lost him to cancer. I had been treating it for over a year. His initial diagnosis was that he would die in 3 months, so the extra effort to get the year was well worth it. On the night that I realized it was his time, it was cold and crisp, a beautiful clear November night when you can see all the stars. I wrapped him in a really soft blanket and went outside and held him in my arms while we both looked at the stars. Although he was a strictly indoor cat and normally struggled and complained if I brought him outside, he lay quietly in the blanket and just looked up with me. Together, we chose a star for him, a star he would always be with in case I needed to find him. Shortly after that the vet relieved him of his suffering. I held him then, as well, and it was very peaceful. He knew we had reached the end of our journey together, and made our resolution. He put his paw on my arm and made a little purring sigh when he died, like an old, tired man getting into a comfortable bed for a long rest. The star, of course, is there every night. And sometimes I need to look at it- I might do that tonight, actually; I'm getting kind of teary thinking about this and it's close to the anniversary of his death- but when I do look up at it I feel only warmth and love from a treasured friend who has been gone nine years now but still missed and appreciated every single day. So that's what you need to do for your friend. Tell them how much you love them and how there is a place where you will always be together. Time is endless and so is the love between a good animal and a good person. When your heart tells you it's right, go out and adopt another dog to love. My thoughts are with you...

Answer 4

First of all, I'm sorry for your loss.

I have been through this myself, and it is a gut-wrenching feeling. Many people who do not have animals do not understand, and even some people who own animals don't understand until it happens to them.

I also worked as a vet tech for +/- 10 years, and I have witnessed many people suffering through it.

It's different for everyone, some people just need time, some people need emotional support, some people need to go right out and get another dog (that was me).

When I had to put my dog to sleep I immediately wrote down all the funny, quirky, cute things I could think of about her, all the nicknames I called her and how I would talk to her and how she would turn her head, all the little details. Now I will never forget those little cherished memories. And within two weeks I had a new puppy in my life, who was not a replacement of Oreo, but greatly eased my pain by bringing a little joy and distraction to fill the void.

Now my little pup is 3.5 years old, and I love him as much as I loved Oreo, but he's a different dog, and when it's his time to cross the rainbow bridge, I will make a list of all his funny little things.

I promise it will get better for you, and sooner than you think. Do whatever you need to do to ease your heart.

Answer 5

You are a real man if you can cry over your dog, especially since you all seem to ahve been together so long. Just try to remember all to fun you and your dog had together, and let the good times ease some of the pain. It never goes away completely, but eventually, you will be able to smile instead of cry when you remember his little funny ways, and how good it felt when he laid his head on your lap. You are not "abnormal" for missing him. I have animals I still cry over 25 years later. Know that in the end, you were so kind as to let him go rather than make him suffer. You were a great owner. Ya done good.

Answer 6

I can sympathize, Sean. It's like giving up your baby. And never really gets easy.

Go ahead and mourn: It's natural. But know that you gave your little friend the best life you could, and that he loved you to the end.

Do you have any pictures of him? You could make a scrap book, or even a plaque. Were there any trees or flowers he liked? Plant one for him. When the family had to put down a pet some years ago, my nephew was all of five years old at the time. It broke his wee heart. So we sat around talking about the pet, then I brought paper and crayons so we could draw pictures of him.

Don't be in a hurry to get a new dog, unless you really want to. Instead, if you miss being around dogs, volunteer at the local animal shelter.

Good luck and feel better.

Answer 7

Sean, there's no shame in crying over your friend. I've done it and I've seen people I never thought I'd ever see cry, do it.

I'm sorry about your loss, but I can tell you that you probably did the right thing. When a dog is in that much pain, you can only know that you did the right thing.

How do you cope? Well, I can tell you what I did...I didn't pretend it didn't hurt. I was devastated and it was a little odd to not have him around, but took solice in knowing that he lived a long, happy life and that I did the right thing by euthanizing him.

Time will help you deal with your loss.

G'luck

Answer 8

I really hate to say but there is not really way of dealing with the pain but over time. I wish you could out of help groups like you can when a human dies. I've had to put down a dog before as well as help people through theirs. My best advise is don't forget about your dog, he was a member of your family. remember the good times and the how many years you had with him. If you want to get another dog, wait a couple months before you really start to think about it. Yes having another pet will help ease the pain but you don't just want to push those thoughts to the back of your mind. Like I started, it really takes time and remembering all the good times.

I beat he knew he was dying. most dogs are smart enough to know. He was brave and wanted you to be brave too. You and your wife just needs to remember that. He is in a better place...doggie Heaven if you will and one day you will see him again.

Answer 9

There is no easy way to deal with this situation.I am teary eyed just reading your question/story(as my husband and i just put our dog to sleep last December).
I think that our pets especially dogs(i think) are such a part of our lives, like children. You see them all the time, play with them, love them, go places with them,have pictures of them,etc. It's like losing a family member...it's plain hard.
I cried for days after whenever anyone would mention a dog or ask about our dog. We were however fortunate to have had another dog as well. I think had we not, it would have been ten times harder. However just seeing our other dogs reaction just about killed me!!
I don't know if you had your pet cremated or not but having a special place to put your beloved friend close by is always nice. I also have my favorite photo of my dog on my bedside table so that when i go to sleep I can see her smiling face.
Overall though there is no easy way to deal with it...it does get easier though. It takes time.

Answer 10

so sorry for your loss we did the same in july with our little poodle,he have several heart problems and it was time. it doesen't matter how old we are or if we think we are tough,but our pets sure can make our emotions come out.we just got a new 9 week old poochi last week and we are having a ball. it sure helps the break in our heart from the death of the old dog. go get another pup you gave your dog many good years and he and you were lucky to have each other.we never forget our pets,i haven't and we have had many over the years.there is a lot of love in our hearts and so many dogs a person can take care of. best of luck to you and your family.there is a new dog just waiting for you