Our elderly dog was PTS this morning

[katem98]

And I can't stop crying. He's been with us for 16 years. I can't shake the feeling of him laying cold in the vet fridges and it's breaking me 💔

Oh I'm so sorry. We lost our old boy on Saturday. Its so hard 💔💔

It's heartbreaking isn't it. I don't know what to do with myself. I feel drained 😓

That was the bit that broke me tbh x

@longdistanceclaraclara I'm sorry to hear about your boy 💙

I'm so sorry about your boy.

Try to think about the happy times you had, and the love you shared.

@ChardonnaysBeastlyCat Thank you. We've been doing this today. I'm hoping we'll feel better when we receive his ashes back but I'm not holding my breath 😪

It will get better. But grief comes with the territory I'm afraid.

Sorry! I know It's heartbreaking.

@ChardonnaysBeastlyCat No, you're absolutely right 😪

I’m so sorry for your loss. It is so hard losing a pet. I felt like this after DCat was PTS, really upset over the thought of what was happening to his body and like I should still be protecting him somehow. I spent a lot of time looking at photos to try and remember the lovely life he had. I cried lots when I got his ashes back, but did also feel much better to at least have ‘him’ home. I have an aging dog and know I will feel heartbroken when he goes.

I’m so sorry for the loss of your beloved dog, it’s awful when they’re gone. We’ve lost two the same way over the years. Sadly it’s the price we pay for love. The early days are so hard but it will get better.

I used to be a vet nurse and I can tell you op that every single animal from a goldfish to a large animal was treated with the utmost respect by everyone involved 💙

I'm very sorry for your loss OP. We lost our girl in early February and it was honestly the most heartbroken I've ever felt. The guilt, the grief was just more than I was prepared for. It's only now that I can think or talk about her without breaking down.

What helped for me was doing something with her ashes to remember her and to mean we can keep her with us forever.

@longdistanceclaraclara That is beyond reassuring. Thank you❤️

I'm so so sorry 💔💔💔 My old boy was PTS 3 weeks ago and the guilt I felt leaving him at the vets was overwhelming .... it still is sometimes. Last week the vet sent me a paw print and I just sobbed. It does get easier but I still cry thinking about him. Just be easy on yourself ... give yourself time to grieve and the dog shaped hole in your heart will begin to heal. Sending you the biggest hug xxx

So sorry - it's just utterly bloody awful, the most heart-rending pain I've ever experienced. Sending you a huge un-Mumsnetty hug.

Oh OP I’m so very sorry for your loss. He’s not there. He’s in your heart and in all your lovely memories of him.

Thank you all so much ❤️ I appreciate all of your kind words. I've struggled today just with how to move on and what to do with my feelings. My DS is beside himself and sobbed himself to sleep again tonight. It's all so awful 💔

Thinking of you, it's an awful loss. They are such a special part of the family and so very loved xx

@longdistanceclaraclara Hope you're doing ok?😪 Did you opt for a personal cremation? If you did, how long did it take for your boy to come back to you? Hope it's ok to ask x

I think the last love we owe them is to make the decision to let them go with dignity and peacefully when their quality of life is no more. We can only experience the grief of losing them because of the years of love they give usan we give them.

At the moment you are at the raw grief stage, try not to think where your dog is now physically, think of them still with the love in your heart. Hopefully you will get their ashes back, I have boxes of ashes stored of all my dogs in a pine trunk where the sun always shines in the house, and where rainbow colours come in through the window - everytime it happens it makes me smile and think of all the memories of them sharing our lives.

Just take things easy for as long as you need, it does get easier, it just doesn't feel like it at the moment. Cry as much as you want. They leave a giant hole when they go. ❤

We had to have our beautiful boy pts 3 weeks ago. The 1st week I felt suicidal - never known pain like it.
I rang the Pet Bereavement Service, a lovely charity - would it help to talk to someone like that ?
Loads of people told me it would get better. I absolutely did not believe them, but it has. Even in such a short time and knowing that it was the best thing for him - a final act of love from me, has helped my thinking and ultimately, grieving.
I still miss him. I always will, but it does get better. ❤

Love from me too. My dog died seven months ago, she was 13, a ‘good age’ for her breed and I fooled myself that I was at least partly prepared for the loss - but of course I wasn’t. I don’t think I’ve touched the bottom of my grief yet, I miss her so much.

It’s so hard. You’re not alone 😢

@katem98 no we didn't. For me and I realise this is very personal, he's gone now, having the ashes wouldn't help us.

We have his paw prints that we had turned into coasters a couple of years ago, that remind me of when he was healthy and happy and not the day we lost him. I'm considering getting a small tattoo of it.

I hope you're ok.

@katem98 how are you doing? I've been thinking about you ❤️

@Amdone123 Aw thank you - that's really kind of you to think of me. I'm going ok (as can be). We have his ashes back now, I'm surprised how heavy they feel. He's a family dog so our Dad has made a wooden urn for him. It feels slightly better now that he's back where he belongs. I have a picture in our living room and light a tea candle each night. Also have his hair clippings so may get some jewellery made with that. It's all still raw and we miss him very much. I hope you're doing slightly better? Sending love x