Loss of a dog

[deleted647690]

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I was just preparing for the next two weeks; I have a bunch of exams and it will be very stressful. My dog is very old, and I have been thinking recently about what it would be like if she died. These are very distracting thoughts, and they take away from the efficacy of my studying. If your dog died while you were at school, right before exams, how would you deal with it? Or how did you deal with it? I'm not sure how I would function....I feel like I would fail everything. I love my dog and she's always been with me growing up. It would tear me apart if she died, especially if I couldn't get home to be with her. I think I would be extremely depressed for a very long time.

 

[GomersGoToGround]

I cried. A lot. It's amazing to realize how much more you love them than many people in your life.

It's going to hurt. A lot. I remember feeling like I couldn't breathe at times, not grasping the fact that he wasn't there anymore (we grew up together, and I wasn't the most social, so he was a huge part of my life). For me, crying and being able to talk about it (at length with friends/others who can relate) made it more natural to think about them and not cry, and within a few days I even tried remembering the most hilarious things he did, and went out of my way to joke about him. But you'll still cry, and I'm sorry.

Things like this happen in life, and everybody has different levels of grieving, as well as different coping tools. If you feel that you would fail everything, I strongly suggest that you talk to somebody (administration). Regardless of what others think ("it's just a pet"), you're feelings are still real, and must be dealt with accordingly. You'll learn to push through, because the alternative (screwing up academically) is not viable.

Also, I was there for his euthanizing. The vet was extremely compassionate, and I remember feeling this weird type of relief, an almost thankfulness that he was honest, trustworthy, compassionate, and patient; and if anything, I left there with a motivation to be the best physician I could be, because if I could make at least one family member/patient feel like I'm truly on their side when sh** hits the fan, I owe it to them to be that person.

And most importantly, look at my signature. That's probably the closest I've come to any sort of belief, because my dog was too good for it to not be true.

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

I was devastated when my cat passed away. After she was euthanized, I was literally on the verge of tears every moment of the day for at least 2 weeks. At the time, I was only taking one course and I arrived late to class a couple of times. Thankfully, the professor was understanding (the class had a strict attendance policy). But besides those two minor lapses, I remained productive.
After witnessing how she struggled to live for the last month of her life, I felt even more compelled to give each day my all.

For me, it helped to visit other cats at the Petco near my school after her death. It'll be a sad time when your dog's time comes, but I'm confident that you'll find the resources to persevere through the most difficult moments.

 

[Doctor Dream]

-

 

[GoPens]

My dog that I had for 12+ years died recently. I hadn't been able to make it home for 2 years, and he suddenly deteriorated less than a week before I was supposed to visit, resulting in my parents having to euthanize him. (I had ironically been worrying recently that that exact situation would happen) Luckily I wasn't taking any classes at the time that this happened, but I can certainly understand your worry. It was hard to focus at work for a while, and if I had been taking classes it would have been even worse. If your dog is very old, like mine was, you can at least take some comfort in the fact that they had a very long and enjoyable life in a good home. I rescued my dog at 1 year old so knowing my family gave him 12-13 years of a great life was very comforting. I bet your dog is very happy to be growing old in a good home (I fully believe that dogs can feel things like this).

I hope your dog is still around for a little while longer, OP. When his time does come, it really will be terrible, but you'll get through it.

 

[asw98]

My dog unexpectedly passed away during finals week last semester. He wasn't that old for his breed. He had a splenic tumor that ruptured while he was eating and passed away within an hour or so. I cried so much when I got the phone call. It was hard finishing everything up, but I just had to forget about it.

 

[Old&InTheWay]

We had to put our 8 year old bull terrier down during my first full-time post-bac semester. We think she swallowed dental floss and by the time we figured it out, her intestines were cut to shreds. We had a two year old child at the time and another baby on the way.

It was really hard.

But...having a kid actually made it easier because you don't have the luxury of sitting around feeling sorry for yourself when you have a child to care for. You have to keep going. So that's my advice: when lousy things happen, just keep doing life and power through the tough time. Three years later and I don't feel sad anymore when I think about her.

 

[the_fella]

Ugh. My dog died right before I took the MCAT originally. It was rather sudden. I became very depressed and starting experiencing suicidal ideation. I still blame myself for his death. At any rate, the passage of time helps. I gave another little guy a home. If I hadn't, he probably would've been put to sleep b/c he was very sick. Time is the only thing that helps, though that's no solace, I know...

 

[ThisCouldBeYou]

Ugh! My dear cat died just last October. I've been in mourning ever since. I feel so very guilty that somehow I could have prevented it. (We are responsible for every detail of their short life!) I ended up creating a hard cover book of photos through MixBook. It was a lot of fun, albeit time-consuming. But now I have a collection of special photos and phrases I said to her that I can always refer to when I get sad.

 

[30hellishdays]

This hits really close to home because I also have an old dog who's had some recent health complications. I grew up with him from the time he was a little pup, and he really became my best friend over the years. I've tried to stop myself from thinking about it but honestly it's going to be really difficult having to let go. Life can be cruel 🙁 but we move on...

 

[FindMeOnTheLinks]

This thread makes me sad 🙁
My dog is getting old too and I try not to think about the day when we will have to put her to sleep

 

[coffeemergency]

It's devastating. A pet is a member of your family and you grieve. I did. Remember, everyone grieves differently and for different periods of time, but you'll always remember him/her and one day it'll hurt less and less and you'll be able to smile and find joy in the memories. And when the right day comes, maybe you can give a loving home to a new pet. Loss is a part of life, and losing a pet is something we must accept when we take on the responsibility of having a pet, for ideally, we are responsible for them for their whole lives. They're our chosen family members. Love them while they're here, respect them when it's time for them to go, and freely grieve and always remember them. It'll be okay. <3

 

[deleted647690]

Well, it's now about a year later. I think it's crazy that I made this post a while ago, thinking my dog was going to die, but then she went on to live a year later. I woke up this morning to a phone call from my dad telling me that my dog is very sick and vomiting a lot. He made an appointment with the vet for tonight, and I'm not sure what's going to happen (doesn't sound good though). Unfortunately, there has been a huge snow storm, and I won't even get to see my dog again if she dies tonight.

 

[deleted647690]

Thanks for the stories though. It's nice to hear them from others.

 

[TBV]

Well, it's now about a year later. I think it's crazy that I made this post a while ago, thinking my dog was going to die, but then she went on to live a year later. I woke up this morning to a phone call from my dad telling me that my dog is very sick and vomiting a lot. He made an appointment with the vet for tonight, and I'm not sure what's going to happen (doesn't sound good though). Unfortunately, there has been a huge snow storm, and I won't even get to see my dog again if she dies tonight.

I wasn't able to be there when my dog had to be put down. He wasn't alone or anything so that's good on his end and I didn't have to see him deteriorated or in pain. Bittersweet but a couple years out I can now only remember him as a happy go lucky pup.

 

[DokterMom]

Didn't see this was a necrobump, but perhaps that makes this all the more relevant --

First of all, don't go borrowing trouble. This means don't let yourself get sad thinking about bad things that will or may happen in the future. If/when they happen, you'll have plenty of time to grieve then. But why grieve in advance? Why indulge in thoughts that make yourself unhappy when there's nothing you can do to avert the situation? (If there is something you can do, of course, then do it.)

Second, when the time does come, give yourself permission to grieve, and alternate that with periods where you consciously reframe your thoughts from the negative to the positive -- from how sad you are at the loss of your pet to how much you enjoyed your time with him and what a fabulous dog he was.

Third, practice compartmentalizing. We can't choose the timing of adverse events, but when they happen at inopportune times, we CAN choose how much time in our thoughts we give them right this instant. You can (and need to) "worry about that on Thursday". There are times when there's too much going on to indulge in non-productive thoughts. You CAN schedule your pity-party for another day.

All that said, I hope your dog gets well soon...

 

[that redhead]

I woke up this morning to a phone call from my dad telling me that my dog is very sick and vomiting a lot. He made an appointment with the vet for tonight, and I'm not sure what's going to happen (doesn't sound good though). Unfortunately, there has been a huge snow storm, and I won't even get to see my dog again if she dies tonight.

Your dog knows you love her, even if you aren't there to say goodbye and it sounds like she's had a great long life. Eventually you can look back on happier memories and not feel quite so sad, but it's still hard.

My dog's collar hangs from my rear-view mirror; most vet hospitals now offer a clay paw print, where make an impression of your pet's paw into some clay and bake the clay, making a keepsake of sorts. You might have your dad ask about that if it's decided that euthanasia is the best option for her. And remember: euthanasia derives from the Greek and means "good death" - it's really a gift to be able to give them a peaceful, humane end and prevent any suffering.

 

[JessebenBenjamin]

I go back and forth between being "accepting" of death... and being incredibly afraid of it.
Not really for myself though, but for my loved ones.

 

[Petrichor1]

the loss of a pet is real tough. They know when you need them unlike a lot of people and even though you haven't met them for a long while, right when you want them, they appear. I befriended a dog that could sense me from unseen corners and several flights of stairs away. When I moved away, I cry every once in a while knowing that there is someone out there that believes in me silently and loves me unconditionally. I use it as encouragement though when I am down on luck and I just need to let out all my emotions. Then I feel much better knowing that most animals that meet me love me just the same.'
"Let
Nature deal with matter, which is her own, as she pleases; let us be cheerful and brave in the face of everything, reflecting that it is nothing of our own that perishes."
Your love for your pet will never perish and its love will not either vice versa.

 

[Goro]

You cry and life goes on. I had to deal with this when I was ~20, taking Physics, and my beloved cat died suddenly of a heart problem.

IF your grief is so overwhelming that if will affect your academic performance, you get get counseling stat, and if needed, withdraw from classes.

Nobody lives forever. Make good choices.

I was just preparing for the next two weeks; I have a bunch of exams and it will be very stressful. My dog is very old, and I have been thinking recently about what it would be like if she died. These are very distracting thoughts, and they take away from the efficacy of my studying. If your dog died while you were at school, right before exams, how would you deal with it? Or how did you deal with it? I'm not sure how I would function....I feel like I would fail everything. I love my dog and she's always been with me growing up. It would tear me apart if she died, especially if I couldn't get home to be with her. I think I would be extremely depressed for a very long time.

 

[DrHart]

My black lab of 12 years died the week before I had midterms. She went out and laid down in our back yard (in the middle of winter) and wouldn't stop coughing. Took her to the vet and they said she had fluid around her heart. Everyone had their hands on her petting her as we put her down. Very sad. Made it pretty hard to study for a while. I think things like that are inevitable and really just a part of life. I've head of people losing parents while in residency. Can't imagine the stress.
Take everything one day at a time and be thankful for the time you do get to spend with the humans and animals you love 🙄

 

[FindMeOnTheLinks]

This thread makes me sad 🙁
My dog is getting old too and I try not to think about the day when we will have to put her to sleep

Well, we put her to sleep the day after this past Christmas. She had deteriorated to the point where she couldn't walk more than 4-5 steps before collapsing and couldn't support herself enough to go potty alone. Blind and deaf too. But man, she was still happy and loved life. But was in a lot of pain. We decided in the morning that it was her day to go, so we spent the whole day with her trying to make her happy. That might have been the longest day of my life. At the vet they had a really nice room with a fireplace and all the peanut butter and treats a dog could ever want. The vet injected her with the stuff as she was licking a plate full of peanut butter - probably about as happy as a dog could be. We were all petting her and giving her love. She fell asleep with her head on my step-dad's feet, which was perfect because she loved him the most. It's an eerie feeling to see your dog laying there motionless, not even a heart beat or a breath. It was very sad, but underneath it all was the joy she had brought to us her entire life. We'll miss her, but at least we'll always have the memories.

To anybody else going through the loss of a dog, its okay to be sad, but try to honor their memory by thinking of all the happy times you had together. Dog's are probably the happiest animals out there, almost nothing can get them down - so make sure to remember them that way. Truly man's best friend.

 

[deleted647690]

My dad just took my dog to the vet, and they ran blood tests/diagnostics/took an x ray but didn't find any sign of organ failure. Seems like she is succumbing to her arthritis; they gave her meds for the pain. My dad made an appointment to have her put down this Saturday, so looks like I can make it back to be there with her.

 

[deleted647690]

Well, we put her to sleep the day after this past Christmas. She had deteriorated to the point where she couldn't walk more than 4-5 steps before collapsing and couldn't support herself enough to go potty alone. Blind and deaf too. But man, she was still happy and loved life. But was in a lot of pain. We decided in the morning that it was her day to go, so we spent the whole day with her trying to make her happy. That might have been the longest day of my life. At the vet they had a really nice room with a fireplace and all the peanut butter and treats a dog could ever want. The vet injected her with the stuff as she was licking a plate full of peanut butter - probably about as happy as a dog could be. We were all petting her and giving her love. She fell asleep with her head on my step-dad's feet, which was perfect because she loved him the most. It's an eerie feeling to see your dog laying there motionless, not even a heart beat or a breath. It was very sad, but underneath it all was the joy she had brought to us her entire life. We'll miss her, but at least we'll always have the memories.

To anybody else going through the loss of a dog, its okay to be sad, but try to honor their memory by thinking of all the happy times you had together. Dog's are probably the happiest animals out there, almost nothing can get them down - so make sure to remember them that way. Truly man's best friend.

I'm sorry dude. I guess that makes two of us to revisit this thread with sad news.

 

[TallPreMed]

December 2012 we had to put my beloved lab M down after 12 amazing years. 3 years later and I'm still tearing up talking about him. That very same day my grandfather fell and hit his head, causing a life threatening injury. I tried to go to work that night and ended up having a panic attack and was sent home. I missed that Thursday and Friday of school as I was an absolute wreck.

The fact that I still cry like a baby when I think about him tells me what an amazing dog he was. I've had my prized show horse die of equine protozoal myelencephalitis (an awful, quickly degenerating disease. He went from walking to groaning and laying on his stalk unable to move in four days), my two cats that I got in first grade both passed away this past year, as well as my childhood pony and dog die of old age as well, and I don't have near the emotional reaction that I do when I talk about my dog M.

nothing rips apart your heart more than a good dog.

 

[Optimus-Prime]

Raised him from 5 weeks, now at 1.3 years @ 90lbs

Don't know what I'm gonna do... enjoy them while you got em!

 

[Lannister]

My 19 year old cat died last summer. As she got older I started to dread her death, so I can totally relate to how you're feeling. But honestly, by the time she actually died, we had known she was on her way out for a while, and it was more of a relief than anything. Don't let anyone tell you "it's just a pet", OP. Animals are like family members to some people!

 

[Lannister]

I didn't have to see him deteriorated or in pain.

Exactly this. I thought about making the trip home to see my cat one last time, but in the end decided that I'd rather remember her as a healthy, happy cat. Your dog won't be alone. Maybe you can skype with him, and say goodbye?

 

[TallPreMed]

Exactly this. I thought about making the trip home to see my cat one last time, but in the end decided that I'd rather remember her as a healthy, happy cat. Your dog won't be alone. Maybe you can skype with him, and say goodbye?

We knew we were going to have to put my dog down once it got cold (awful hips) and so about a month before while he was still in good shape I went home to see him and my friend snagged a couple photos of me with him. They're probably my most cherished photographs I have, apart from the ones with me and my grandpa.

 

[Lannister]

We knew we were going to have to put my dog down once it got cold (awful hips) and so about a month before while he was still in good shape I went home to see him and my friend snagged a couple photos of me with him. They're probably my most cherished photographs I have, apart from the ones with me and my grandpa.

Aww 🙂 I guess it depends on the situation. In her last few weeks of life, my cat was a sack of bones and was unable to clean herself. She could hardly walk. But I have plentyyyy of pictures with her from the months before that.

 

[Efflorescence]

@acetylmandarin

I'm so sorry about your dog. I had to say good-bye to my sweet dog yesterday because my parents are putting her to sleep on Friday. Leaving her with the knowledge that I will never see her again was (and is) incredibly painful, but I'm glad I got to see her one last time. As difficult it was to see her limping around (she has cancer), it helped me come to terms with the fact that it's time for her to go. She's had a good, long life and has brought so much joy to my family. For me, this feels like the official end of my childhood. We got her when I was in elementary school and now I'm months away from starting medical school. My parents treat her like an only child and I know this will absolutely crush them. I wish there was something I could do to ease their pain right now, but I know they -- and the rest of us -- will just need time.

I don't know if that was helpful at all OP, but please just know that someone else is going through a similar situation.

 

[deleted647690]

Thanks guys, I appreciate your posts

 

[bananafish94]

My dog died the weekend before I had two interviews. Then I got laryngitis the next day. That was a fun week. I don't know how old she was, because we adopted her once she was already an adult. She had a very mysterious background and was able to do all these bizarre tricks, like stand on her front legs and walk down the stairs, without being taught. We had her for about 12 years, so she lived a long life. A few days later, I got an interview invite from one of my top choice schools while her "song" was playing on the radio. Perhaps she was communicating with me from beyond...

I'm sorry to hear about your dog OP 🙁