My dog died yesterday.

[ladybyron]

He died yesterday, nearly 15 years old. He had been battling epilepsy and on the medication developed really wobbly legs. I'm devastated and keep thinking I didn't do enough to help him. In the end he kept seeking out tiny places to hide. I had to rescue him from bushes in the garden and he got trapped behind the pipes in the bathroom and under the stairs. Did he know he was dying? I just wished I'd actually held him in my arms at that actual moment of death, but I just didn't know.
My son keeps saying, remember the happy times, but i just feel I let him down.

Oh bless you. I know how you are feeling having lost two very special dogs myself, the emotional pain and grief is terrible.

Please don't blame yourself you gave your doggie a wonderful life for 15 years and I've no doubt you always did the best for him. My personal feeling is that dogs have the wonderful ability to live in the moment so I'm sure he had no idea he was dying but I'm sure he knew how much you loved him.

It will get a little easier to cope with as time passes but you will always miss him. Maybe one day another little furry friend might help to ease the pain.

Look after you. xxx

Sending hugs. You have lost a friend and of course you will feel devastated. I think it is quite normal to feel some guilt, I know I did when I lost my beloved dog. But just think of all the wonderful things you did for him and the happy life you gave him. He was very lucky to be so loved x

So sorry for your loss it is very common to feel like this. But you loved your boy snd he will have known this.

So sorry. :( You loved him and I'm sure he knew that.

Thank you everyone. He was such a loyal, feisty, intelligent dog, a Jack Russell. Running free, somewhere, I hope, free of pain.

I am so sorry for your loss, you must be distraught but I think it's a natural thing that they try and find somewhere to hide and die - that's the way he wanted it and that's how it happened so you mustnt beat yourself up. You didnt let him down, you loved him and gave him a long and happy life

So sorry that you have lost your boy. Please take comfort from his long life, well lived and well loved, and that he is now at peace x

So sorry. I agree with everyone else - he had a happy 15 years with you. I think we ALWAYS feel bad when a beloved dog dies - what else could we have done? Even when we know there's nothing else. The pain will heal in time, though you will think of him forever. Write down all the little habits he had and one off things that made you laugh. It'll be a good list to look at in years to come. x

Sorry to hear about the loss of your dog. You were clearly doing everything you could for him. As others have said, we always find ways to berate ourselves when a pet dies, and you have given him a lovely life to a grand old age, which in time will be your focus when you remember him, instead of the current focus on the difficulties of his last few days.

I was the same when my old spinone died. I wished I'd done more to keep him at the centre of family life and the centre of my attention, and speak kindly to him, instead of leaving him quiet and alone in the kitchen (I didn't know his condition was so close to killing him). I think my last words to him were sparse and businesslike, because I was a bit stressed by his incontinence.

My current dog is a parson russell, nearly the same as a jack russell, and whenever he feels even slightly under the weather or in pain he retreats or hides and looks a bit overwhelmed by any attention, including affection. Your dog felt a need to be alone because his illness made him feel vulnerable. It may well be that rather than feeling lonely and afraid he felt safer and calmer all alone than he might have been in your arms. Perhaps you suffered more than he did from not being with him at the very end. He was a very lucky dog to be with someone so loving and kind.

So sorry :(

Thank you all for your comforting thoughts. It really helps. People have been so caring. A neighbour has just popped in with flowers. A pet's death touches everyone, I think.

for you OP

15 years is a wonderful age for a dog, I'm sure he knew you loved him very much. It gets better, and the happy memories will make you smile again soon.

I'm sorry for your loss :(
I know its not much comfort when people say X is such a good age because you just want them back, no 14/15/20 years is not enough!
Your little dude was clearly loved and very well cared for, who knows, maybe he hid to spare you the pain of losing him. I was right there with my darling when she died two weeks ago and the past year or so we did/gave her whatever she wanted, lavished adoration on her and never left her alone. But I still feel guilty. Guilt is a normal part of the grieving process.
((Hugs))

Very sorry to read this. I understand just how you are feeling. What a wonderful 15 years you gave him, and all that joy you had is worth the heartache when it is time to say goodbye. You will never stop loving him and he will always love you for the life you gave him xx

No you didn't let him down, you loved him all his life. He didn't necessarily want to be held, and dogs don't know they are dying. They live in the moment. He'd have not understood that it was any different to falling asleep like he did every other day.

You gave him a wonderful life. It's very sad that they don't live long enough.

Again, thank you every-one for your kind thoughts. Felt more cheerful yesterday and went through photos of happy times together with the children etc. Today, just feel very flat and low, exhausted really. To be expected, I guess.

So sorry for your loss.

He had a long life, was loved and happy and you didn't let him down. I think that is a normal feeling after a pet dies.

There will come a time, when you're not feeling so raw, when you will be able to remember the good times with a smile.

Meanwhile, take care.

So sorry for you. Sending lots of love to you