Our beloved Springer died today

[Twrch62]

He usually comes to work with me, today,(yesterday) being so hot I left him at home and asked youngest son16 to walk him. He did, had a panicked phone call to say he had gone in a hedge and wouldn't come out.I was passing and got to him 15 mins later. Heartbeat, but otherwise lifeless, got him to the vet straightaway, Heatstroke with what appeared underlying problems we were unaware of. Organ failure, brain damage followed, had to let him go 2 hrs later, just going to youngest son now as can here him sobbing, middle son distraught, they were so close the dog was his best friend. Eldest got in from work 10-30 and shut down, I wish it was me who died.8-1/2 too young, he was the most laid back, loving, fit and healthy dog you could wish for, FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Condolences to you all, your beautiful dogs were lucky to have you all as wonderful owners. Please all be kind to yourselves, it is such a devastating time for the whole family

I know its been nearly 10 weeks, but I have been really struggling, I dream about him every night, he's the first thing I think about when I wake, and the last thing at night.
The "tell me about your dogs thread", in chat, has really gotten to me today, lovely thread and don't want to spoil it, so resurrected this one.
I feel really guilty that I still feel so bad, I have friends that have lost children ffs and I'm still upset about a dog!!!!!!!
Someone hand me a grip.
I have to say re-reading this thread has helped, thanks everyone who posted.

Oh, Twrch62 I'm sorry you are still struggling. Dogs are such an important part of our lives and it's so hard when we lose them. It really is like losing a member of the family. You are no doubt trying to stay strong for the rest of the family. It's OK to grieve for your lovely Max.

Our 12 year old springer was at the vets yesterday. We discovered she has a heart murmur so on the vet's advice has now been retired from her favourite occupation of going out rough shooting with DH & DS1. She can't have too much exercise any more and needs to be on medication to keep her going. We all dread losing her, so an easy life is what she will have from now on.

No grips are necessary. Allow me to offer you a most unmumsnetty virtual , because I think you need one.

No I won't hand you a grip, because you loved him and you are allowed to feel shitty about his passing, even now. I have the most beautiful funny very dear cat and honestly? If she passed? I don't think would
ever get over it. And I am being serious . Take your time

Thank you Drama & Crazy,
Just think he should still be with us

Of course he should
All our loved ones go too soon

Oh Twrch62 have a hug.

I'm Ilovemydogandmydoglovesme, I had a name change.

Sorry you're going through such a hard time. All I can say is it does get better with time but I know that's not much use right now.

Have you got any other dogs? Or would you consider in time getting another one? It would keep you busy and give you something else to think about. Again I know that's might not seem like an option right now but sometimes it helps.

So sorry.

I can't see us having another dog, he was special, and my wife had already said she wouldn't want another dog after Max.
He was there all through my kids going from primary school to young adults, I am sure he thought he was one of them. He was with me all day everyday from 5 months old,
Suddenly I have 3 hours a day spare, no-one to eat leftovers,or dish up a spare sunday lunch for, or to tease us with dirty socks taken out of the washing machine.
Every day we drive past places where he would have been walked, or had a swim.
I have had dogs for 49 of my 52 years, it has always been their time to go through old age b4,

just don't feel it was his time,

I will be ok, but at the moment feel half a person without my dog.

He sounded a great guy
Love the dirty socks story

Aww. I couldn't not have a dog in the house. My old boy is eleven now and still going strong, although he's definitely hearing a little more selectively than he used to. And his back legs aren't as agile as they were. He's still handsome though.

Give it time. It's still raw. You're still grieving.

You don't need a grip, you need a hug. And possibly a good cry too.

I have RTFT and have just relived the loss of my beloved dog last year - he was my first baby and bastard cancer took him away. Funnily enough we also went on holiday the next week, kids were OK and I just about held it together in the daytime...

I still think of him every day but it is not as painful now, and I am able to smile at thoughts of him as well.

We had two other dogs when he died and we still have them. I don't feel the same about them as I did/do about him though. About 2 months after he died someone called the humane society where I volunteer wanting to surrender a 12 year old mastiff cross. I said I would take him instead. He was exactly what I needed - a gentle old soul that needed to be looked after. I see so much of my old boy in him.

I know your boys are hurting but what wonderful boys to be so upset over the loss of a beloved pet, that says a lot about their character.

Years before my old boy was even sick I used to dread the day coming when I knew he would go, every birthday I was grateful that he had made it to another one. I didn't think that I would be able to cope but in the end I did because of course there is no choice. I did the best I could for him and when there was nothing else that could be done I let him go.

In some ways I coped better at the time than I did a couple of months later. At the time I was just dealing with practicalities, he had been diagnosed a month previous, I was trying to feed him a special diet, he was getting a separate walk from the other dogs, he had hemangiosarcoma so I was constantly expecting a ruptured tumour and a collapsed dog - on every walk, every time I left the house. When he was pts I was sad but more than that I was relieved that I didn't have to worry about him any more and I didn't have to worry about not knowing when the time was right, or him suffering because I didn't see the signs. A couple of months later the relief was gone and grief hit me for real. I'm sure it is the same for you, you had a massive shock and now it is really starting to sink in.

Unfortunately the only thing that will help is time, and it doesn't take the grief away but you do get used to it.

I am so sorry for your loss.

How are you bearing up, Twrch62?

Momnipotent,
Thank you, It did feel tougher on Friday than it had done for the last few weeks, now the boys aren't as upset, and life is starting to settle into a new routine, His lost just seemed to hit me again.
crazynanna,
Thanks for asking, I'm ok, must say I feel a bit daft now for posting again on Friday. So many people are going through so much worse, I do feel a bit guilty for the self pity.

Not daft at all. It's not self pity...it's grief. "Going through stuff" is all relative in life, so there you are.
I am comforted to know you are tiny steps forward. A cliche I know.. but time does help.
If you need to talk/vent/cry, we are here

Hi I really feel for you, it is hard when it is sudden, I lost 2 of my dogs since May. one sudden and one expected, she was a american cocker cross, looked much like your boy though, but brown/white, I think you have to know that you have done everything for them, and they do know how much you have loved them, so sorry xxxx

It's been 10 months since we had our first dog PTS. He was nearly 14 years old and had been in heart failure with worsening arthritis for two years so it certainly wasn't a shock but it still keeps hitting me that he's gone.

I was rummaging in the under stairs cupboard the other day and found the fleece dog onesie we bought him when he started really feeling the cold. He loved his 'super suit'. Even though it had been washed it still smelled like him and I had a good cry over it. I should really donate it to a rescue or something as we won't have another dog that it'd fit but I can't bear to let it go yet.

We've got four other dogs, I can't imagine how hard it must be to lose an only dog

I am sorry to hear you are in such pain. Your reaction is completely normal so don't beat yourself up about it, please! We lost one of ours last christmas. It was very very quick and unbearably sad. We looked and looked at other dogs and decided that we were really all still grieving too much, then one day I decided that there was too much of a dog-sized hole in the family and we started looking in earnest. So we are back to a 3 dog household. We still miss the dog we lost. He was the middle one too. But we have a new life in the household which is somehow reassuring.

Ok,
1 year anniversary ,feel shit today, but, having said I'd never get another dog, probably thinking we will in the near future.
Dream about him most nights, where he is alive and well, then wake up.{sad} thinking of you all who have lost loved pets, I don't post much, but do think of all of you that have lost loved pets {wine}

Hi, I remember this thread. I've commented further up and put a picture of my old boy. He died very unexpectedly in December. I've had a few threads going since then.

I dream about him sometimes. It's only natural. If you feel at some point like you might have another, just remember that it's testament to how much you loved him that you need that in your life again. A lovely MNer told me that and it really resonated.

Hope you're ok.

Thanks Ms,
yeah ok, if a bit too much to drink tonight.
sorry for your loss too
I do feel half a person with out a dog, were looking to move home soon, so a new house , new pup?

Hi Twrch I remember too. Has it really been a year?

I posted upthread about losing our old springer. Since then, we've lost our other old girl and so have gone from three dogs to one in under a year. It's been difficult, but we are getting there. We are on the lookout for a pup, but DH is fussy & says it has to be the right one - a good springer from a working background.

A new house, new pup sounds like a lovely idea