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Comment by Felicia on November 10, 2015 at 11:08am

Thanks, Kris, for your kind words and the link to the pet loss support. I wish my city had something like this. I live in the second largest city in the state of Arkansas and you'd think they would have some kind of petlosss support, but if they do I haven't found it. The only grief counseling they offer here comes with a heavy price tag and most of them don't accept insurance.

Comment by Kris Baclawski on November 9, 2015 at 12:38pm

My heart goes out to you as I have lost my mother, a close friend, then two of my pets in less than 4 years.  My pup and cat had been with me for 16-17 years.   Each of these losses have left holes in the fabric of my life which I'm trying to fill with becoming more involved in my community and church.  I've adopted younger animals to keep my seniors company and inject some youthful energy into my home. 

Our animal companions are so much a part of our lives.  As they are a part of God's creation, I believe that our animals go to heaven and await our arrival.  

Keep up the treatment of your Nicole, dogs and cats can live a quality life with congestive heart failure often surpassing estimates on their longevity.  You must enjoy what time you have together.  And please find a professional to talk to about your grief.   Talk to your vet about a referral to a counselor dealing with pet loss or here's a link to pet loss resources:  http://cvm.msu.edu/hospital/services/pet-loss-support/pet-loss-supp...

Comment by Felicia on November 8, 2015 at 5:56pm

I have a beautiful little girl with big, brown eyes that are so expressive. In fact, I have told God so many times that I think she is the loveliest creature that He ever created. She walks on four legs, and walked into my life 11 years ago. She is my chihuahua girl, Nicole. I originally bought her for my son, but he was a busy teen and didn't give her much of his time, so my mom and I spoiled her. She actually stayed with my mom till she died, five years ago. She was mom's protector, made her feel safe when my step dad had to work nights. When mom died, she came to live with me. Gradually, through the terrible days of grief when mom died, Nicole became my comfort. She always waited by the door for me to come home from work. And when I arrived, she was a wiggling ball if joy, so happy to see me. I went on long walks with her, could tell her my joys and my sorrows and she would look at me knowingly with her beautiful, intelligent eyes and would listen to me with those big chihuahua-bat ears!  My son had left home a couple of years earlier, and not under the best of circumstances. I had "" empty nest syndrome" terribly, in addition to grieving over the loss of my mom. Nicole became like my child. She always wanted to be picked up and carried, would stick up her little brown nose and give me kisses. I think those are the two things mothers miss the most when kids grow up and leave: someone to hug and kiss on. Well, I spoiled my doggy girl with love. I have probably kissed her little ears and nose thousands of times. She sleeps with me, her little paws touching the back of my legs. Back in June, she began coughing a lot. I had her to the vet the year before because she was coughing some then. They told me she had a heart murmur and we would have to watch it. This time around they told me she was in heart Failure, and might only have six months to live! I was so stunned I couldn't even speak for a minute. I wasn't expecting her to be this I'll. I was told chihuahuas have a longer lifespan than most dogs, even living up to twenty years. Why was my girl this sick this early? I have wondered a thousand times. The vet gave her meds, but she kept having issues with them. So I went the holistic route. It seemed to help quite a bit...until now. She seemed quite sick last week. Another trip to the vet! If Nicole could talk, she'd tell you she'd rather face a firing squad than go to the vet! We have to muzzle her as she bites the vet techs. Nothing new showed in the blood work, but since then her appetite hasn't been as good. I feel her time to go is fast approaching. I am so grief stricken I could die! And this latest grief has dredged up the old feelings of grief over losing my mom. My sadness and depression has greatly intensified. And you can't just tell your friends your grieving over your dog when your walking around hollowed eyed with sadness because those who don't feel as deeply over animals just do not understand the grief of those who do. So I keep my mouth shut to all but a select few. In the meantime, I just don't know how I am going to cope with putting her down and then the loneliness that follows. I have suffered from anxiety and depression since I was a teen, and this little dog helped me more than any pill I ever took. I know I should just have faith that Jehovah God will help me through it, but I am just so sad that it's hard to feel anything. I know without a doubt that I will see my dead mom again in the resurrection, but my little dog is a different story...God help me, please!

Comment by Helder Silva on August 27, 2015 at 7:42pm

I lost my precious little girl on August 25th.  I had been taking her to the vet and had her there for 5 days at one point while they pumped her full of fluids and force fed her.  She had hepatic lipidosis. I wanted to keep her over the weekend as well, but the didn't have staff available, so I took her home and force fed her myself.  I took her back on Tuesday and I asked them to resume the IV and feedings.  When the vet told me she was in pain and the jaundice was worse and that she had no chance of survival...it was like a hammer to my heart.  She trusted me and I was her protector. I feel responsible for her death, like I killed her.  The guilt is consuming me....I had no idea I would be bringing her to her demise at the vet's office.  I had spent $3,000 on vet bills only to not be able to save her.  I feel like I have failed her and part of me doesn't want to believe she is gone.  She is my little baby....my precious little girl and I love her like a daughter.  The grief and guilt is so intense.  I am angry at myself and angry at the vet for not saving her.  I have to go to work and I find it so hard to concentrate and focus.  My beautiful angel is gone and I feel so much guilt.  I'm grieving like I grieve a blood relative.  I am lost and I feel helpless and hopeless.  My wife is not a cat person, so she does not understand my grief.  The grief comes in waves and sometimes I will yell out her name.  Men aren't supposed to cry, espcially for a cat, but she was my precious little girl and I am lost ;(

Comment by Courtney R on March 17, 2015 at 11:44am

Hi everyone!  I'm glad to see that there's an online support group for the loss of a pet because our furry friends have a very special place in our hearts.  A few years ago, we have to euthanize my German Shepherd, Saffron that I had all throughout my school years.  She was a wonderful dog and a great dog to grow up with, I really enjoyed the years that I got to spend with her.  Putting her to sleep was the hardest thing ever because even though her body was in terrible shape, she still wanted to be a part of our family and participate in whatever we were doing.  I miss her very much!

Comment by Kris Baclawski on February 9, 2015 at 12:52pm

Hello fellow pet lovers:

Just a week ago, my oldest cat Mr. C. passed away from chronic renal failure.   At 18 years, he was beginning to slow down and three weeks ago he stopped eating and began to hide.  I brought into the vet and he ran a full blood panel.  His kidney values for BUN and Creatinine were so high they were unreadable.  I didn't know he was so ill.  I know renal failure cannot be cured but can at times be treated.  So, we tried doing at home palliative care--subcutaneous fluids, special diet, and feeding him in an effort to gain some extra time.   But it was not to be as he lapsed into a coma and passed away quietly.   He was my first cat, living with me for over 17 years--and my longest living animal companion.    There have been many losses in my life over the last 4 years--2 close friends, my mother, my godmother, and just 18 months ago my Border Collie.   All have left significant holes in my life.  At 59 years old, I find myself saying there are too many endings and not enough beginnings.

Comment by Erica on October 1, 2014 at 7:52pm

Hi there, I'm glad to see that there is a group for loss of the pet. I posted about mine here: http://www.onlinegriefsupport.com/forum/topics/my-parents-put-down-... 

I would love to hear from more people that understand about dogs and that they can be trained to not nip and don't need to be put down for nipping without trying some other interventions first.

Comment by Debra A. Whitemaine on May 27, 2014 at 4:53pm

Hi Ellen,

I can relate to you feeling like there is a void in your house.  We lost our beloved Dude (cat) of 18 1/2 yrs only a week ago.  He was like our child and I am so lost without him.  I don't like to go to bed at night because I know he won't be there in the morning.  Even though he was old his passing was quick and unexpected.  I lost my father 1 1/2 yrs ago and I am reliving the emotions again.  In a way I feel worse because Dude was with me every day.  No disrespect to the loss of my father.  He took ill on a Monday afternoon and passed early Tuesday morning.  He was at home with us and I am so thankful for that.  I am cherishing our fun times and memories.  I found 2 of his whiskers and saved them.  My thoughts and prayers for you.

Comment by Elley on July 25, 2013 at 6:32pm

Hi I don't no if anybody still comes to this group but we had to put our beloved great Pyrenees sierra down yes.It happened so fast the decline in her health but I know she lived a long happy life she was 11yo.We all miss her so much it was so hard getting out of bed and not seeing her here.There is such a big void in our house.she was like our daughter.she grew up with our oldest son who us 18 and leaving for college in 3wks half of our family will be gone.Iam just devastated to make things worse I lost my only sister 8 mo ago.I feel like I am losing everyone in  my life I love and am so depressed.Anyone experience multiple losses like this?How do we go on after losing a pet we were so close to there will never be another to take her place.

Comment by Storyas Fawnfeather on August 7, 2012 at 9:57pm

Hi everyone.  Tomorrow morning a group called Angel Paws Pet Hospice is coming to my home to euthanize my parent's dog.  My dad died a year ago and my mom died a few years before him.  I took the dog after my dad died.  My parents loved this dog so much, and she loved them so much.  She's never really bonded with me, but I have tried to take good care of her in feeding her and getting her vet care, but I know she misses them.  So, on one hand I feel some hope that maybe she will be with them again.  On the other hand, I do feel grief as I did have some good times with her when she lived with my parents and this is also bringing back all of the memories of the times I shared with her and my parents and now my parents are gone.  She is 15 years old and is getting weaker and weaker, but when I took her to the vet two months ago they couldn't find what was wrong with her and assumed it was allergies.  Well, to make matters worse, my husband has a 15 year old cat that he doesn't take proper care of.  The cat is sick, so I'm having her euthanized tomorrow when Angel Paws is here tomorrow.  I've been begging him for a month to take her to the vet and he won't do it.  Again, I'm not really bonded to this cat but I am going to do the right thing for her since my husband won't.  That hurts cuz I feel sorry for the cat and cuz I'm upset with my husband cuz everything dirty and messy ends up on me and after being a caregiver for ten years and having all the dirty messy dropped on me with no help from him I'm angry at heck that the dirty messy from his cat is now on my shoulders too.  He has a lot of good qualities, but he is so weak when it comes to situations like this that it forces me to be stronger than I am, and after this many years and situations my back is breaking.  I'm at the point where I feel like I can't survive any more.  I feel like I'm going to be walking down the street one day and just fall over from the weight of all of it and never get up again.  I lost many people the last few years with my parents being the ones that hurt a thousand times more than any of the others.  I also lost my dog, Sorsha, about a year and a half ago and my dad's cat Samson.  I've had a lot of pets, but those two were the two I was most bonded to in my life.  Everyone could see how much different my relationship with them was than other pets.  I couldn't tell where i ended and Sorsha began, and Samson always rode on my shoulders.  I told both of them I loved them several times a day.  Yet, the two animals I had bonded closest with and loved the most in my entire life had to die around the same time the two people I had loved most in the world (my parents) died.  I'm starting to feel like I did something really horrible I'm being punished for, but I know that't probably not the case, I hope. 

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