Hi everyone,

I'm beyond devastated. My darling golden labrador was put to sleep yesterday. We have had him for over 11.5 years. He had always been healthy but about 2 weeks ago, he became quite lethargic all of a sudden. It was suspected that he had an ear infection and he was given antibiotics by the vet. These antibiotics seemed to be working, and he seemed much perkier and really seemed to be turning a corner.

But then around Friday or Saturday last, he became extremely lethargic and sluggish to a point he had never been before. He no longer had mind for his favourite food (that he used to gobble down every day before that), he was falling over and bumping into things, and he suddenly stopped hugging us and licking us (he was always a very affectionate and loving dog). We were very alarmed and at first assumed that the ear infection may be back.

We decided to call the vet out late on Monday, and that's when things started to move very fast. The vet examined him and took blood tests, and later that night told us that he had liver cancer, and that there was more or less no hope for him. We were absolutely devastated and made the awful decision to have our dog put to sleep.

The vet called round yesterday morning and as my parents, my sister and I held our dog's paw and kissed him and told him that we love him, the injection was administered to our dog. He slipped away before our eyes. We knew his pain was over, but wow, the amount of pain we've been through in the last 24 hours. I really know now what it means to be heartbroken. We've just been crying and crying.

The house feels so weird today without our dog. I miss him desperately, and I keep replaying his death over and over again, the terrible minute or so that our dog slipped away after he was given the injection - I can't seem to get it out of my mind.

My parents, sister and I have debated whether or not we should get a new dog soon, It would be lovely to get a new dog, but on the other hand, the pain of losing our beloved labrador has been so great, a couple of us have said that we don't know if we could ever go through something like that ever again.

I can't even look at photos of him without being on the verge of tears, I miss him so much. We all do. It feels like a member of our immediate family has died.

Sorry for the vent guys, just needed to share.

There is sorrow enough in the natural way
From men and women to fill our day;
And when we are certain of sorrow in store,
Why do we always arrange for more?
Brothers and sisters, I bid you beware
Of giving your heart to a dog to tear.
Buy a pup and your money will buy
Love unflinching that cannot lie
Perfect passion and worship fed
By a kick in the ribs or a pat on the head.
Nevertheless it is hardly fair
To risk your heart for a dog to tear.

When the fourteen years which Nature permits
Are closing in asthma, or tumour, or fits,
And the vet's unspoken prescription runs
To lethal chambers or loaded guns,
Then you will find - it's your own affair, -
But ... you've given your heart to a dog to tear.

When the body that lived at your single will,
With its whimper of welcome, is stilled (how still!),
When the spirit that answered your every mood
Is gone - wherever it goes - for good,
You will discover how much you care,
And will give your heart to a dog to tear!

We've sorrow enough in the natural way,
When it comes to burying Christian clay.
Our loves are not given, but only lent,
At compound interest of cent per cent,
Though it is not always the case, I believe,
That the longer we've kept 'em, the more do we grieve;
For, when debts are payable, right or wrong,
A short-time loan is as bad as a long -
So why in - Heaven (before we are there)
Should we give our hearts to a dog to tear?

Kipling


Sorry for your loss.

A member of your immediate family has died. Cry until you can cry no more. It all needs to come out. You've done the right thing by him. Something you could never do sadly, if it was one of the two legged members of your family.

You can create an online memorial for free on HERE which might help you in the future.

Go easy on yourself. It can take a long time to begin to heal and even longer to feel that you can function without bursting in to tears.

Take care.

So sorry to read of the loss of your beautiful dog. It's a traumatic time when you lose a pet so crying is perfectly normal and reasonable. I cried bucket loads and for days when my dogs and cat passed away but though you'll never forget him, the pain does get easier. Everyone is different so only your family can tell whether it is the right thing for you to consider having another dog one day, but if it is you'll know when the time feels right. At the moment though just give yourself as much time as you need to grieve. The best of luck with whatever you decide.

So sorry.
Jackie's right - you need to grieve and take things easy for a while. Sounds as if he had a lovely life with you and in time you will look back on some wonderful memories of him.
Wish you and your family well.

So sorry for your loss. We had the same on Friday, putting our epileptic dog to sleep as his fits had become so bad. It's awful and I feel so guilty.

But they are in a better place, free from pain and stress, and our dog can finally get some rest (he used to be awake for days on end).

You've done something out of kindness to stop another's suffering so take comfort in that, even though it is hard. That's what I'm trying to do anyway.

We have another dog so that helps with the emptiness, but he was a big dog so the place does seem empty still.

I can't look at pictures either and I've had to change my walking route a little with our other dog, until I feel I can walk that way again.

It is the same as losing a family member, they are reliant on us like a child, and you don't realise how much of your day is taken up with them until they are gone.

Give yourself a little time to grieve before getting another one. Mind you, when I was young and our old dog had to be put to sleep at the vets, my mum and dad were so upset they came back with a puppy - the same day - that really did concentrate the mind on something else.

Sorry to hear of the loss of the two fm's dogs. Its a cruel lesson to learn in life when we have pets. Take care, both of you. x

I am so sorry to hear about your loss. There is nothing wrong in how your feeling. Your pain is raw and the wounds of loss are open and gaping. This is an awful time - a time when your world seems to stop and your can think of nothing else but your four legged pal who shared your life for the past 11 and a half years.

The last moments of his life are being rerun in your mind over and over again...which only adds to your pain and grief. This is grief, this is loss and it is bloody awful. The pain is tangible and almost physical.

But.....in time as the days, months and years go by the rawness of the pain lessens and you will remember you pal with a smile and the memories of him will comfort you rather than upset you. Take support from those around you...as they will take support from you.

Loss and pain is part of being alive, it is part of loving. You will remember you pal until the end of your days.

Take care...............

I am so sorry to hear about your loss, give yourselves time to grieve as you have lost an important member of your family (((hugs)))

Sorry for your loss. It's lovely that you stayed with him and kissed him xx

What an incredibly beautiful post. You really do know how to say the nicest things without being OTT. Bravo.

Ah cass, I'm sorry. Really want a dog myself so I can only imagine how horrible the loss is. That poem Elyan posted is lovely. Give yourself time to grieve until you get a new dog as it wouldn't be fair on a new little pup. Wait a few months and you can welcome a new one with open arms. Any dog would be lucky to have you as its family.

I am so very sorry for your loss.

Hi guys - Wow, thank you all so much for the lovely replies. It's been two days now since our labrador passed, and I think we are slowly adjusting to our loss. We are busying ourselves at the moment with arranging his cremation, and choosing an urn for him, which we will keep on our mantlepiece.

I want to respond to each of you individually for your very kind messages...


Thank you Elyan, and that poem you posted was really beautiful, and so apt. I love it!


Thank you Yeah_Jackie. I've cried buckets in the past couple of days, even around other people, but like you said it's very important to let it out. I still have that feeling that I'm about to burst into tears though. Thank you also for the link to that online memorial, it's beautiful! I sent the link on to my sister and we're going to make a profile for our dog. We're putting our heads together at the moment to think of a good message to put on the site.


Thank you for your kind words, Itsy Bitsy, and I'm so sorry to hear you have been through the same with your dogs and cat. We'll certainly never forget him. We've actually decided, only this morning, that we will get another dog, perhaps in the spring time, when we have had time to really grieve over our dog. Thanks again.


Thank you Delazarous for your kind words. We're making up a memory box of photos and some of his old toys to keep his memory alive.


Hi Jammoon, thank you for your kind words. I am so sorry to hear of your own loss last week. Please don't feel guilty, you absolutely did the right thing putting your dog to sleep. I felt the same on Tuesday, but now I can see that I absolutely made the right decision - like you said, both our dogs are free from pain and illness now, and we have done them such a huge favour. I'm still finding looking at his old pictures quite difficult, and also find it difficult to walk the same route we used to walk our dog, as recently as last week. It's definitely the same as losing a family member - the house just feels so empty and everyone is in mourning at the moment, I'll give myself a bit more time to grieve - we've already started to discuss what breed of dog we may get, perhaps in the spring.

Thanks again Jammoon, and again I am so sorry about the loss of your own precious dog last week.


Thank you avasgranny. I've heard it said before that the only flaw that pets have is that they're with us for such a short amount of time.


That was a beautiful post, WInterLily, thank you. It definitely feels like my world has stopped, I've been on autopilot for the last couple of days. But I have things to look forward to in the next week - so I'm doing my best now to focus on that. You're totally correct in that the grief is physical - it literally feels like my heart IS broken. I'm doing my best to replace the images of my pet being put to sleep with those of him, playing and being happy, all those happy memories across the 11 years before he became sick last week. We are all supporting each other and just talking about our memories with one another. People have been lovely on Facebook, sending condolences and this has been very comforting for all of us.

And you're right - as time passes, this pain at his death will be replaced by the memories of the wonderful 11 years we spent with him, and how lucky we were to have him. We'll always remember him. Thanks again for your lovely comment.


Thank you Lurchergirls. It's a very hard time at the moment grieving for our beloved labrador, but we'll come out the other end. xx


Thank you ILoveMyDog. We had been debating whether or not we should see the injection being administered, or whether we should leave the room. But even though I found seeing him being put to sleep before my eyes very distressing on the day, I'm now glad that we were all there for him at the very end to say and to kiss him goodbye. xx


Agreed, it was a really beautiful post


Thank you MissPinotGrigio. I agree, that was a lovely poem that Elyan posted, and very comforting. We'll hopefully get a new dog around springtime or thereabouts once we've grieved for our dog. Thank you for saying that any dog would be lucky to have us as its family, that's very sweet of you, thank you again.


Thank you NirvanaGirl.

Thanks again everyone, I just want you all to know how much your replies meant to me. It's a very tough time and I still do miss him like crazy, but we're going to always have the happy memories of our dog, and nothing can ever change that.

I have just seen your post, and I am very sorry for the loss of your beloved pal. The fact that you were all there at the end was really touching. You did the best thing for a beloved family member, and I applaud you for that. Take time to grieve and remember your dog with love and a smile.

Take care xxx

You will miss him like crazy for a while. i lost my two, 3 and 4 years ago. My heart still lurches everytime I see a yellow lab or lab/retriever cross. I am ok with other dogs but yellow labs and yellow lrc still have me filling up. I am so lucky as I have my 2 back home with me. Take care. x

I have posted this a few times over the years, as I know how one feels. I lost my pal after 18 years in 2008. She will never be forgotten and I still have moments when I read this to myself. I hope it helps as much it does for me.




True Fidelity

There’s a certain kind of friendship
That’s difficult to beat
And rare to find anywhere
In people that you meet

Yet every dog that ever lived
Has this gift to bestow
A loyal firm devotion
As so many of us know

Though people judge you by your looks
Your cash, your job, your car
A dog is so much wiser
They just take you as you are

You can be a saint or sinner
Down 'n' out or a millionaire
They’ll not ask to see your pedigree
Just as long as you are there

While those around are planning
Their trips to Greece or Spain
With a Dog you’ll find adventure
By a walk along the lane

Their days are full of pleasure
And needs are very few
A pat, a dish, a cushion
A ball to fetch for you

If others seem to shun you
And think your such a bore
Dogs let you keep on talking
Though they've heard it all before

As they settle close beside you
Their head upon your knee
There’s no place in all the world
Where they would rather be

When friends may be missing
In your hour of need and strife
A Dog is always ready
To defend you with their life

No matter if you're right or wrong
They’ll never criticize
But show a trusting confidence
In clear adoring eyes

And when their lives are ending
The signs that you can tell
And joy has turned to sorrow
Knowing they never will get well

The tail that wagged in ecstasy
To greet you at the door
Now hangs low, once honest eyes
Are sad and shine no more

It breaks your heart to do it
You know you’ll miss them so
But when their life is over
It’s best to let them go

To make their end more easy
The last thing you can give
Is to let them die with dignity
The way you let them live.

Thank you Porcupine for your kind words. Even though it was horrible at the time, we're all so glad now that we were there for our dog at the very end. We've spent the day looking at photos of him and remembering how happy and healthy he once was, and not focusing on his last few days. Thank you again, it means a lot xxx


Thank you avasgranny, and I'm really sorry to hear that you also suffered the loss of your dear labradors in the past. We're not too sure whether we'll get another labrador (the same breed of dog we had), or a mix. My mum said there's a danger we might end up comparing the new dog to our dog who has passed on too much, if we do. Our dog was a labrador/retriever cross, so this time we might get a pure-bred lab. You take care too xx


So sorry to hear about your loss, Mindee, Sounds like you had a lovely 18 years with her. Dogs are the best pals alright. That poem is beautiful and touching, thank you for posting it. I'm going to save both poems that you and Elyan posted - they are very comforting for me to read at this time.

You felt like he was a member of your family because he was a member of your family.
You did the last kindness and just the way I would want it for me and my dog - for the vet to come out to the house.
Hugz to you and yours x

That's a truly lovely poem.

So sad to hear of your loss OP, as you can see by my name I adore labradors. Your dog had a wonderful life with you and 11.5 happy years of life. You will always have wonderful memories of him.

My labrador is 15 yrs old now and we are sad because we know it won't be long before he leaves us.

I know I will cry and cry, I can't even bear to think about it. Here's a big hug from me.

My last dog lived to 19 and was raised with all of my kids.

It was devastating when we eventually had to have him put to sleep due to his chronic ill health.

I kept myelf together for the family all day, but when they went to bed that night I stood outside on the patio and cried like a baby.

My current dog is about three now.

I miss my pugsley everyday, I had him from about the age of 13. I didn't have the best upbringing and I remember all those nights we sat out in the rain till the early hours after we were locked out time and time again! I remember all those times I wanted to top myself but I couldn't for fear of what would happen to him. He kept me going, I was devastated when I had to put him down but greatful I had him for over 16 years! Never had a dog since though, couldn't go through that again.

Yes he gave you the will to carry on and you are here to tell the tale. I am pleased he had a long life with you, they give you so much. I hope you are happy and well now.

Yea, I ended up a Paramedic. Got three of the best children a dad could wish for! Everything else is a bonus.