Hiya everyone.

This morning my old friend had to be put to sleep. I am heartbroken and I miss her like you wouldn't believe.

She was 13 years old and she was healthy until last night, she couldn't stand up, she had no balance and kept on being sick. This morning at half past nine the vet came to our house and she went peacefully being cuddled by me on the sofa.

My other dog has been hunting around the house for her, but she doesn't seem to be upset, thankfully!

But I feel crushed right now, I've had her since she was a young puppy, and she's just gone so suddenly.

I can't stop crying. She was so perfect!

I'll miss her forever!!!

Ahh,,,sorry,have some nice big hugs with your other dog today..you both sound like you need it x

Oh dear - so very sorry to hear this.

I have had to do this for beloved pets in the past, and it is heartbeaking.

She had a fantastic life with you and obviousy loved you very much.

I guess none of us can ask much more of life, really, happiness and love.

Hugs

That must be awful for you, a shock as well if she was well beforehand and it came on suddenly I am sorry to hear of the loss of your dear friend. It is never, ever easy and I cannot imagine the pain you feel. It sounds as if she had 13 lovely years with you. RIP.

Hiya,

I've just had another bloody good cry into my cushion.

I'm looking through my phone videos and pictures of her, it's actually helping!

I still can't believe my lovely kind friend has gone!

It is normal to cry, for the first month or 2 you will feel rubbish. It's normal. But it wasn't your fault

So sorry to hear your sad news, thinking of you, xx.

Thank you all for your kind words.

I am so full of regret, why didn't I hug her more, I would give anything now to hug her!!! I keep on picturing her kind eyes, I wish so so much that I could be with her just for a moment more.

I know it's still so raw as she only went today, but I feel so very sad.

I stuff little boxes with treats for the dogs to tear into and eat, I made one for my Border Collie just now and the pain of not making two hit me harder than I thought! I know that sounds stupid!


I feel guilty for the times I told her off......... She'd lay on the couch or on her bed and bark loudly for a treat (biscuits, schmackos) and normally she'd get one but there were times I'd say "No, be quiet!"...... of course she'd bark louder but I'd tell her no again, if she continued to bark for a treat we'd just ignore her until she went to sleep , I feel like shit about those times now!!

I know that is natural when grieving aswell, but it doesn't change it!

Thanks for your kind words again everyone!

She wasn't ill for long and didn't suffer so while it was a horrible shock for you, at least she didn't have operations or weeks of feeling unwell, being off her food, getting thinner. I too find that looking at photos helps when the worst happens. It makes me appreciate all the good times and fun we have with our animals. Be kind to yourself - I'm sure you have nothing to reproach yourself for.

You loved her, she obviously loved you. Sorry for your loss

Thank you Normandie!

You're right, I am grateful in that respect that she was healthy until a few hours before, she had a fantastic quality of life all of her years!

I am going to have an early night tonight, I only had 2 hours sleep last night and I don't think that's helping my emotions!

Serving 1 dogs dinner just now was hard too, all these little things I just did on auto pilot are now highlighted!

Thank you again for your kind words!

Very sorry to hear that

Horrible, horrible, horrible.

I remember my dogs dying, altough after a more distressing decline and after the last one went hearing this horrible wailing, only to realise after a split second that it was me.

I still think about them both every day, although I have another lovely one. As she's getting a bit older I've started getting more and more fearful. I don't know what I'll do with myself when the time comes. I sometimes think I hope I go first.

I'm very sorry for what you're going through. I guess the pain is the price of the joy you have with animals. If they didn't mean much to you there would be no problem.

I feel for you, I really do with all my heart, its horrible. every thing I say will seem empty and shallow, but that is not how I feel.

There are supportive people here who can maybe make the journey easier

I'm so very sorry to hear about the loss of your dog.

My dog is 16 now and almost completely blind (the vet says he's completely blind, but I think he still sees a little).

I'm beginning to think about when he goes and I know i'll be in bits when it happens, he goes almost everywhere with me, including to work.

I feel for you!

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. I know exactly how you're feeling as this time last week I had to have my little cat put to sleep.

so sorry xx

I'm so sorry OP.

I feel your pain as I had my elderly dog put down yesterday. She collapsed in the garden and I rushed her to the vets. She was 14, deaf and becoming incontinent. The Vet was very understanding. I had a dog put down years ago and rather than prolong the pain and suffering like I did then we both decided it was best for her to go to sleep. The Vet said the biggest factor is guilt and she was true. A dog being deaf apparently is worse than being blind as they rely so much on their hearing. We all miss her but the vet did explain that the more you prolong the life the more you start to get annoyed with the dog and not remember the good times.

I know how you feel, my dog died this morning, She was out of breath the last few days, an appointment was booked with the vet tonight, but I think it was old age as she was 14 like yours. she just died, no pain from what I can tell so at least that's something.

I'm sorry to hear about all of your sad news aswell, it's just horrible isn't it!

I think I would be coping better if I didn't have so much guilt about her last days -

My mum had to go away because of an emergency and won't be back for a while, so the dogs have not been walked since Sunday, the last 3 days my poor old girl didn't get walked and I feel so guilty about that.

Also, one of her favourite things was to have biscuits from the tin, but I didn't have any to give her these last few days, when she barked for one I just told her to be quiet, and ignored her.

I've been quite busy these last few days and she really didn't get the attention she deserved.

I feel so bad about the times I was ever short with her and told her off, I wish to god I would have spent more time playing her favourite games, especially in those last lasts, if only I'd known.

I should have sat on the couch and cuddled her more often, she loved that so much.

Don't get me wrong, she was a dog with plenty of attention, treats and games, but those last few days were not as special as they should have been.

I feel like shit for ever being annoying at her.

So I've got a mix of guilt - her last few days without her favourite things (Walk and biscuits), not giving her as much attention as she deserved for the last few days, and the times I told her off!

Wednesday night (early hours of Thursday really) as she started to suddenly get unwell, not being able to walk, I gave her milk, she enjoyed that, I let her lick butter from my hand as a treat, because we had no biscuits, and later when she was on the couch, she had some sweet warm tea from a bowl. I am slightly comforted by that, but if I could just have her back for 1 day, I would spoil her with all her favourite things!

Is anyone else feeling like this awful guilt?

how horrible for you.
Try and keep it all in perspective....you provided years of love and tlc
she had a lovely life with you.

When my cat died in october 2006 it broke my heart like nothing else before and nothing else has since.

When my grandparents died (1996/2003/2004) I wasn't as upset about them, mainly because I didn't grow up with them and only met them twice a year. I know I shouldn't really say that because human death>animal death, but its really how I felt.

We got our cat at the back end of 1992, I was only 6. I spent every day with since (baring holidays) sleeping on my bed etc, and then died suddenly when I was 20. Nearly destroyed me.

But give it time evesapples, you'll be grieving over this for a while but let it run its course because it's natural, but in time you'll begin to appreciate the great life you gave her.