Losing my dog and I'm a mess

Kelsey Lonaberger

Earning My Ears
Joined
Sep 6, 2016
Losing my dog to lymphoma and I am having a tough time handling it. I lost my brother 2 years ago and I thought it could get any worse but letting go of the most loyal companion in my life feels just as worse.

Trying to keep it all together but this pain in my heart hurts. :sad1:
 
I'm sorry. It is SO painful to lose a pet. My dog is 16 years old and I'm lucky I've had her this long and I'm thankful. The worst for me was when I lost my little 12 y/o mutt to bladder cancer. I ended up having to put her down because she kept having to pee every 2 minutes and only a drip would come out. It was hard because she seemed so happy and normal in other regards but the urination thing was constant for her and I knew it was going to get worse. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do.
 
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I'm so sorry... I have a dog with Addison's Disease and epilepsy. He takes 17 pills a day and a shot every 25 days, and I am constantly faced with the possibility that at any moment, he could go into grand mal cluster seizures. (This usually tends to happen on weekends when the regular vet isn't open, of course, and so I have to take him to the ER.) It's terrifying, every single time. So I've had to face the possibility numerous times that we might not get him to the vet in time, or that this might be the time that the valium to bring him out of it doesn't work.

I sobbed and sobbed when my cat died, and I am WAY more attached to my dog, so I can't begin to imagine how I will feel when it's his time. Dogs are so very much like children who never grow up.

You are doing the right thing, though, in not letting him suffer. Just remember, dogs have no concept of longevity. Your puppy doesn't think he's dying too soon, because he doesn't know even understand that life is finite. For him, it'll just be like laying down to sleep. But he will sense your distress, so the best thing you can do for him is try to make the time he has left as much of a party as possible, and to let him know you love him, and are proud of him as he goes.

Will keep you in my thoughts...
 
I'm so sorry... I have a dog with Addison's Disease and epilepsy. He takes 17 pills a day and a shot every 25 days, and I am constantly faced with the possibility that at any moment, he could go into grand mal cluster seizures. (This usually tends to happen on weekends when the regular vet isn't open, of course, and so I have to take him to the ER.) It's terrifying, every single time. So I've had to face the possibility numerous times that we might not get him to the vet in time, or that this might be the time that the valium to bring him out of it doesn't work.

I sobbed and sobbed when my cat died, and I am WAY more attached to my dog, so I can't begin to imagine how I will feel when it's his time. Dogs are so very much like children who never grow up.

You are doing the right thing, though, in not letting him suffer. Just remember, dogs have no concept of longevity. Your puppy doesn't think he's dying too soon, because he doesn't know even understand that life is finite. For him, it'll just be like laying down to sleep. But he will sense your distress, so the best thing you can do for him is try to make the time he has left as much of a party as possible, and to let him know you love him, and are proud of him as he goes.

Will keep you in my thoughts...


So much for your kind words it means a lot and it's comforting to know that someone is going through the same thing I'm going through it's a very tough situation for me because I am very attached to my dog just as you are to your dog thank you again for taking your time in answering my post I will keep you in my prayers and thoughts to know that someone is going through the same thing I'm going through it's a very tough situation for me because I am very attached to my dog just as you are to your dog thank you again for taking your time in answering my post I will keep you in my prayers and thoughts as well ❤️
 


I'm sorry. It is SO painful to lose a pet. My dog is 16 years old and I'm lucky I've had her this long and I'm thankful. The worst for me was when I lost my little 12 y/o mutt to bladder cancer. I ended up having to put her down because she kept having to pee every 2 minutes and only a drip would come out. It was hard because she seemed so happy and normal in other regards but the urination thing was constant for her and I knew it wasn't going to get worse. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do.


Thank you for take a minute and my post I am sorry to hear about your puppy I am dreading the day I had to put Max down it scares the **** out of me
 
This is a tough time. We let our tightly bonded pair of ailing dogs go together just over a year ago. One was the brains and the other was the body and they both were failing. We set a date and I took two days off work to spoil them rotten. Laying in the grass with them, giving them nothin but treat after treat. As horrible as it was letting them go I know we gave them a safe journey together with their dignity intact. They were not in crisis yet, and I am sure they are loving being free and healthy together again.
Be gentle to yourself, I will be thinking of you.
 
I so feel what you are going through. We lost our 13 year old Aussie in March. She was having liver problems last fall and a supplement helped; but in March, she stopped eating and then could not keep anything (including water) down. I felt so bad for her and did not want to watch her starve to death, so we put her down. I sat right in front of her face and held her, talking to her the entire time. I do miss her and think about her often. I have a mini Aussie, so that helped some, but it is not Mia. She was my daughter's dog but she lived with us from the time my daughter got her as a junior in high school. Naturally, she did not go to college with my daughter, so she was as much our dog as our daughter's dog! Take care of yourself and grieve as needed. Just remember, there are many others who have crossed the rainbow bridge. They are waiting to play and take care of your dog! Keep us updated on the status of your furry baby!
 


I'm sorry to hear this. I work as a veterinary nurse (I think you call them vet techs) so being involved with owners who are having to say goodbye to their best friends is a big part of my job. If you make the decision to put your dog to sleep It's the hardest decision you'll ever have to make but one of the things that makes it easier for me to deal with at work is that they are able to leave this world with a bit of dignity and that you are able to make a decision to stop any suffering, which I'm sure your dog would thank you for. Stay strong, and continue to show your dog just how much you love them while they are still with you x
 
I am so sorry. Losing our pets is like losing our best friends. Wrapping you in giant hugs now. I hope you have good friends and family.
 
So sorry for your loss. I had to put my dog down a little over a year ago. It was the hardest decision of my life, but she was a super star agility dog and loved to run and play and at the end of her life her legs were giving out and she couldn't walk anymore and it just wasn't a good life for her anymore. It is incredibly hard losing a pet. I felt like I lost a piece of my heart when I lost her. She was with me through the hardest darkest part of my life and she was really my rock, so I definitely feel your pain. The worst part was my oldest son was so heartbroken by the whole thing that he was just angry at everyone. It does get easier though...I know right now you feel like you can't breathe and your heart has been shattered, but I am a firm believer that when 1 door closes another door opens. A few days after my dog passed I was on Facebook and I saw a rescue group had just rescued a a few cocker spaniel pups and there was something about this 1 pup that was calling to me...they were like 2 hours away too, but like I said there was something about this 1 pup. So we went to this rescue and adopted her. I swear my old dog's soul is in my new pup, bc she does so many things that my old dog use to do. They are so simalar its just so bizarre. I think my old dog new how hard it was on our family for her passing and she sent us that pup. I hope it gets a little easier for you each day :(
 
Lost my soulmate in June..I understand. Do not get another until u are ready..I had to go to a pet therapist for 3 visits to handle his loss. Best thing I could have done. Would you believe someone talked me into seeing a psychic and the first thing she said was a little tiny dog was following me..I had a yorkie..hug and prayers..
 
This is a short summary of our journey with lymphoma so far, and what has worked for us. Our dog Tucker, a 9 year old yellow lab, was diagnosed in early December 2016. We got the typical diagnosis of 1 month to live if untreated, 3-6 months with prednisone, and 6 months-1year with chemo. We decided to wait to see the chemo specialist before putting him on prednisone, however they could not see us for two weeks (busy schedule) and Tucker went downhill quickly. His breathing became very laboured, and he lost his appetite completely. His nodes were about the size of golfballs. We were sure he would die in the next week if we didn’t do something, so we decided to forego the chemo and go straight to prednisone. It took effect fairly quickly, and within 2-3 days he seemed like his old self again. We monitored his lymph nodes and would “up" his dosage whenever they seemed noticeably enlarged. He has had a great last 5 months, coming up on 6, and we are convinced that the prednisone as well as our extra care for him has gone a long way in prolonging his life…


We put Tucker immediately on a high protein diet, with ground beef, and beef liver mixed with a high quality dog food. We also give him at each meal a mixture of supplements including: Omega 3 fish oil capsules (his coat has never looked so shiny and felt softer, and the omega 3 is very beneficial for the body overall), Turmeric capsules (great for anti-inflammation), and Milk Thistle (helps regulate the liver, as the steroids are quite hard on the liver). We mix it into his food, and he gobbles them all up with every meal. The prednisone seems to give him a constant appetite, so we have never had any issue with him eating his pills. I’ve also been cracking a few eggs into his food a few times a week for extra protein. The cancer cells feed off carbs, and don’t like protein, so a low carb, high protein diet is key. This, along with the supplements has done wonders for our special boy, and we hope it will continue to carry him through for a significant period of time to come. Hopefully some of this information from our experience can help with any of you who are wondering what to do with your precious pup :)
 

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