The pain of losing a dog

stevenamills

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For 11 years JayJay has gone to work with me. About a year ago, he was diagnosed with kidney failure. I've been doing what I can including IV's 3 times a week, but the end seems to be drawing near. It's hard to take.

I guess we all go through periods where we wonder why and it's very difficult at times like this. Why do the evil, mean people continue to prosper, while this precious animal, that only makes people smile, crosses to the Rainbow Bridge.

I'm old, tired and disgusted and this seems to be the final straw to giving up.

Never thought I would be here.....

JayJay.jpg
 
I feel your pain. I've buried too many dogs over the years. My 13 year old is starting to lose control of her rear legs and is getting dementia.

Pet owners get what you're going through. Others will never get it.
 
I feel your pain. Although I haven't a dog now( I'm working on it) I've had 2 during my marriage and grew up with dogs in the family. As said only people who have owned dogs will understand the connection.
 
Sorry for your families loss....picture sure shows a cute little dooger.
We get so attached to those loyal animals....they become family.
Have had to put mine down before....terrible thing to do through.

...it may come time again to get another, your heart will let you know.
 
Can't say that I've gone through that stage yet. We got two yorkie pups ourselves, we never were big dog lovers, still not as much as some people but the little guys have a way of growing on you. My wife will be very upset the day anything ever happens to one of them.

I uploaded a pic of our two. maxlucy.jpg

Max, full name Maximus, is 6.5 lbs. The other one is 9 lbs, Lucy. We love ours an awful lot. They grow on you. Hope that things start looking up for you. We've grown attached to ours, so I can only imagine if something happened to one of them. The way your dog looks reminds me of Lucy in the face.

Maybe eventually consider a new pup? I have pictures from when they were little. Max was so tiny you could hold him in one hand and his furry little head would be all that stuck out.

Sorry for you loss.

Edit, sorry the pic is so big, first time uploading one on here.
 
I know what you're going through, and you have my sympathies. We've been through it three times and it doesn't get any easier. I think dogs are the greatest. They're like kids or grandkids at their very best, just wanting to please. When the time comes, it's your last act of kindness, ending its pain and misery. But it rips your heart out. It's not fair that they only live to 13 or so.
 
I also feel your pain. I lost my Katie the day after Christmas. We knew it was coming for about a month. I found her at the door of my shop about 10 years ago. Took her home and she has been a loving companion to both me and my 25yr old son. My son called me a little after I closed my shop crying and said come home now (knew what happened) He let her out in our back yard to do her business and a little later found her by the tree. Came home found him with her lifeless body in his lap. We buried her in the yard as well. Sleeping has not been the same with out her cuddled up with me at night.
 
I do know what you are going through Steve.
I really do.
We had a black standard poodle (Max aka 'Maximus') that we had to put down about 10 years ago.
Check your pm Steve.
 
Growing up we got our first dog when I was just a little boy, a poodle mix that we called magic. I loved that dog to death, had it for a few years and then our landlords made us get rid of it. I was probably only around 5 years old, and was heartbroken that we had to get rid of it.

Fast forward till I was about 13 or so, and our neighbors got this peikeneges dog. A blond little thing, that was cuter then holy heck and my mother had to have one. So after talking to our neighbors for a month or so, we wound up going to the same breeder and got a pup from the same parents but the next litter. A mostly black peik with a white chest and white tips on her paws. We had her for a year or two and then we decided to offer to buy the blonde peik from the neighbors because they really weren't taking care of the poor thing. We would find it tied up outside in the middle of the winter, with it's face and paws frozen to the ground. So we rescued him and then from that point those two pups were like brothers and sisters in our family.

We loved them so much, they were basically treated like children. My father had a huge attachement to the female black pup and everyone just loved both dogs so much.

Just over 3 years ago now we had to put down the female, she had an auto immune disorder and her immune system crashed. We tried something to help her recover, but it didn't work and gave us just one more precious month with her. She was around 12 years old, the male is just about 15 or so. He is however rapidly declining. He has a lot of back and joint issues, has a very tough time getting around, seems to be losing his hearing and doesn't really move around all that much. We give him supplements that help with his joint and back health, but I fear soon we may be putting him down.

It can be so hard, it was so hard to put our dog down. But I guess the best thing to do is just remember all of the good times and how great things were when you two were together. You may not ever want another dog, it may be hard to even think about it or even feel the same way. That happens, but you never know.
 
I do know what you are going through Steve.
I really do.
We had a black standard poodle (Max aka 'Maximus') that we had to put down about 10 years ago.
Check your pm Steve.

WOW!!! My last dog was the same, black standard poodle, Max was short for Maximillian. He was just shy of 14 when I put him to sleep 4 years ago. Had one when I was growing up as well. Lately I've been looking around for another one.
 
WOW!!! My last dog was the same, black standard poodle, Max was short for Maximillian. He was just shy of 14 when I put him to sleep 4 years ago. Had one when I was growing up as well. Lately I've been looking around for another one.
How Max the Poodle was named:
We went to a breeder (on a farm - not a puppy mill) and met his parents before he was born.
Between then and the time we picked him up, we went to a trade show and one of the manufacturers was 'Maxtor' (hard drives).
So, I asked my girlfriend ... "How about naming the new puppy 'Max'."
Before that date we had no idea how to name him but his name was chosen at the trade show.
It was as simple as that.
 
Sorry for your little friend. Loosing a companion is like losing a child. We had to make the painful decision with our husky last year, two days before a scheduled vacation. Needles to say that was not much of a vacation. We started taking care of stray cats shortly after, feeding, catch and releasing to control the population. 3 were lucky enough to become our new indoor companions. Some of them had become very friendly outdoor cats that we allow to stay in our detached garage when the weather is bad. Naturally we became attached. Last October one of them contracted feline distemper and it spread through several of them. We were able to save 2 which was absolutely an awful illness but unfortunately we had to euthanize 3. Two wandered off on their own. We still have several that do not come around except to eat but continue to catch and release them. We're fortunate to have a local rescue that does the spay/neuter and shots on the cheap.
 
I really do feel for you here Steve.

As others have said, dogs are not just pets, they become your family.

I lost Ben (Cavalier King Charles) on Xmas Eve some 10 years ago. (He cuddled up in my arms, and went to sleep, and didn't wake up again :'(.

I still have my 2 dogs, Harry Heinz57 (my obedience dog), whose 12 going on 13.

Molly Border Collie ( My agility dog), who has just turned 5.

And Claire has Kooky - we think shes a Springer x Bearded Collie (who we rescued this time last year. Today is her gotcha day.) She is around 21 mnths old, and is starting her agility career tomorrow, at her proper first show.

If anything happens to any of mine, I would be completely devastated. You will know when the time is right my friend. Just simply think of all the wonderful fantastic memories you have all had together.

Thinking of you all mate :)
 

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Firstly, I'll admit I'm not the biggest fan of dogs.
Cats however....

We had a couple of cats a few years ago. Both were typical mad cats. I used to come home with fish & chips for my dinner. Both went mental until I gave them some of my fish.

They would both fall asleep on a big beanbag, on their backs, with all their paws stuck in the air, and snore. So untidy.

The "presents" they would bring in.
Like a mouses head. Or an actual live bird we had to catch and release back outside.

Waking up in the dead of night, with a cats face an inch away, staring at you.

They would lie in front of the fire asleep, and you could physically move their front paws back and forth, cross and uncross them, and they still wouldn't wake up.

Both fell pray to traffic outside our house, at different times.

We live elsewhere now. The boss wants another cat.

I'm reluctant as the loss of Tasha & Houdini just gutted us.

As we didn't have kids (reasons), they were family. And that doesn't get recognised enough.
 
@stevenamills beautiful looking dog. Although I dont know what its like to lose a dog. When I lost my iguana due to kidney failure I was deeply saddened. Took it alot harder than I thought I would. Was with me for 6 years and was an amazing pet.
 
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