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Original poster

My dog just died

44 replies

LovestheChaos · 14/11/2009 19:45

I feel gutted. I can't believe how bad I feel.

She was a springer spaniel, 11 years old. We had her since she was a several weeks old. Just had to have her put down today. The other option was a major operation with little chance of survival and a poor prognosis anyway.

All this dog ever did was love us and I feel like I led her to her death down at the dreaded vets.

I am being a big pathetic baby about it and need a bit of mumsnet sympathy.

OP posts:

AvelineBoswell · 14/11/2009 21:56

sorry you lost your lovely dog

mine is 14 this year and he is getting less and less able,

i dread the day...

wildfig · 14/11/2009 22:12

So sorry for you - but you did the kindest thing for her, even if it was the hardest thing for you.

EccentricaGallumbits · 14/11/2009 22:17

ouch. so so hard. and i'm so sorry.
you gave her so many years of love. (())

piratecat · 14/11/2009 22:19

So sorry you had to go thru this today. Give yourself time.

I had lots of support on here, i had had to have my darling cat put down very suddnly 4 weeks ago, she was only a yr old.

We are still a bit shocked by it, and it's hurt alot.

Your dog was special to you.

take care

nicm · 14/11/2009 22:19

sorry to hear about your dog. xx

EdgarAllenPoo · 14/11/2009 22:23

my sympathy. i would totally be a big pathetic slobbering baby.

hot cup of tea and

Wanderingsheep · 14/11/2009 22:31

Aww, I'm sorry.

You are not pathetic, a dog is a part of your family so you will be grieving just as you would if anyone else died.

Hope you feel better soon.

bibbitybobbityhat · 14/11/2009 22:40

Ah she sounds lovely. You will miss her very much I'm sure. What will you keep to remember her by?

brimfull · 14/11/2009 23:11

so sorry
it's horrid
we lost our dog last feb
I still cry when I see a beardie

springers are so lovely
you gave her a loving home and a dignified death please don't feel guilty

Vallhala · 14/11/2009 23:13

My heart goes out to you. I know how hard it is to do as you have had to today. I also know how much I beat myself up over it until a friend reminded me that of all the kindnesses you can do for your dog, to give them a peaceful and painless goodbye when there is no other realistic option is the ultimate in selflessness and love.

I know its a huge price to pay for loving your little girl but I also know that it takes a brave and caring person to make that decision.

Thinking of you.

Vallhala xx

tibni · 14/11/2009 23:19

So sorry to hear of the death of your dog

take care xx

moosemama · 15/11/2009 00:12

So sorry. Words seem to be failing me, but I wanted to come and say how truly sorry I am and how I understand how you are feeling. She was a much loved member of your family and you need to give yourself the permission and space to grieve for her loss.

We are going to go through a similar thing with one of our dogs in the very near future and I am dreading it. As Valhalla said, its one of the hardest, yet kindest things you can do for your dog, I only hope I can be as brave as you when the time comes for my old girl.

Take care of yourself.

Taramuddle · 15/11/2009 00:30

I'm sorry you had to say goodbye to your dog today. We had a similar experience with our old black lab. We were gutted & felt really tormented for a while for just the same reasons as you said. I missed my boy so much I couldn't bring myself to hoover the dog hair from the stair carpet for more than a month! (Prior to this I had bemoaned the dog hair with a vengeance).
Eventually we were able to just remember all the great times we'd had with our dog & how we had loved him & he us.
You are not a baby just a caring person who had a great dog.

t875 · 16/11/2009 13:39

We went through this exact tragic situation. Our dog was 14 and my god i was grief stricken and cried for a long time after on and off.

I still have the odd day here and there where I get upset and got choked up when we went to the pet shop and saw dog toys.

Please dont feel guilty, you did all you could for your dog and he knows it and dont know whether you are a believer in this, but your dog is with you and will never leave you.

it is hard and keep talking and cry it will help, but know you done the very best for your dog.

Take care x

Original poster

LovestheChaos · 16/11/2009 15:40

Thanks again everyone. We are keeping her collar and lead and the dc are writing poems for her funeral. We will be scattering her ashes at her favourite park.

Taramuddle I have spent the last ten years complaining about the dog hair and now I don't want to see it disappear LOL.

I keep having an urge to run out and adopt another dog and then I feel like that would be the worst thing I could do because it wouldn't be the same.

I guess it just takes time.

OP posts:

harrysharon · 16/11/2009 22:33

god i'm so glad i have found this site. i am at my wits end. i too had to put my 15 year old dog down and i feel gutted, guilty, and down right cruel for doing so!! for the first time since sat, 14th nov, when he met his death, i smiled a little when reading what someone had said about moaning abouth dog hair for 10 years and now not wanting to hoover it up. that's exactly how i felt. had to get my husband to do it in the end. i kept a bit of hair though just so i could have it, sounds stupid i know. please email me back
sharon xx

overthehill · 16/11/2009 23:03

I know exactly how you feel, and I think it's impossible not to feel guilty whichever way you go. We couldn't bring ourselves to have either our dog or our cat put to sleep and convinced ourselves that they still had some quality of life, but both deteriorated while we were on successive holidays (in 2007 and 2008) and our poor neighbour had to take them to the vet's to have them put down.

We found out about our dog when we'd just arrived at our holiday destination and the cat when we were on the way home. We were devastated and felt we'd let them both down and not said goodbye properly.

I'll always feel bad about how they died and no animals could ever replace them but they left such a big hole that we couldn't remain "pet-less". We waited three months before getting another dog (from the RSPCA) and a similar time before we chose another cat. They are both very good-natured and well loved animals and we also have the satisfaction of having given a loving home to pets that had suffered cruel treatment before.

It's so hard when they die but I'm certain that the joy they give always outweighs the sadness of losing them. Hold on to that and you'll get through it. xxx

Blondeshavemorefun · 17/11/2009 11:15

awww ((HUGS))

you did the right thing xx

hope you are feeling a bit better today

silver73 · 17/11/2009 21:54

Please be kind to yourself you put your lovely dog first which is the sort of love that dogs deserve.

When my dog died I had to have counselling as I was inconsolable and love this poem as it sums it all up....

kipling.thefreelibrary.com/Power-of-the-Dog

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