I’m struggling 4 days after having to have our Labrador put to sleep

[TOWGA]

We had to have our lovely Labrador put to sleep on Christmas Eve! I’m really struggling to not cry a lot, I have cried every day so far. It was unexpected and I’m autistic so I struggle with my emotions and cry easily anyway. Does anyone have any advice?

Just be kind to yourself. I cried for weeks when my last dog was PTS. It’s natural to grieve a member of your family. Sending love

So sorry to hear this. Our son’s dog was put to sleep in the summer. We used to have him regularly for weekends or holidays and really felt the loss. Our GS’s were heartbroken as were all the extended family. He was the most gorgeous staffy. They scattered his ashes together and made a lovely photo album and framed photo for the wall. Got a new pup just before Xmas, which has been great fun.
We were all in tears remembering Fionn on Xmas day. It’s so hard. Sending you a big hug and lots of love. There isn’t an easy way to get over the loss. Fionn was 13 so we all agreed he had a good long life. Hope yours did too. ❤️xx

Grief for a loved pet is the same as grief for anything else. Your dog was part of your family and you need to allow yourself to feel as sad as you are feeling. Its heartbreaking when we lose our pets, you are allowed to cry as much as you need to. Four days isn't long, give yourself time. Im sorry for your loss xx

I'm so sorry 😔

It's understandable that you'll be struggling. It's still early days, you need time to mourn him.
I'm autistic too. When we lost our previous dog, suddenly and traumatically at 7, I cried for weeks. He was my emotional support. The loss was just devastating. It was a long time before I could look at his photo.

The only advice I can give is to be gentle with yourself. Sudden losses are the hardest to come to terms with.
My heart goes out to you right now xxx

Sympathies OP - I was bereft when my beautiful lab had to be PTS. I too worried if I would actually recover or ever stop crying. I cried for 3 days (uncontrollably. ND too but alarmed by extremity of my emotions). I felt horrific guilt too as the decision & circumstances were not how I’d ever planned his end to be (is it ever?) It did ease. Over time. Just be kind to yourself & comfort yourself (if possible) that what you had to do was an act of love. & to stop any (further or future) suffering. And that as an animal owner that is both the hardest & kindest ironically, thing you’ll ever have to do. And it really hurts. Their time had however (sadly) come. But they always knew how much they were & still are loved & cherished. And will be in your heart forever x

4 days is nothing really given that you have lost a much loved family member. It doesn’t seem helpful (to me) to try to set a time limit on your grief, it’s very early days. But it won’t disappear completely. I still cry sometimes for my previous dogs even though our latest rescue is presently lying on my feet, snoring and eating in his sleep.
You have my sympathy, it’s awful.

Oh OP....

I am so, so very sorry. I know only too well the agony of losing a much loved dog and my heart goes out to you.

Please, please let yourself cry as much as you need to. And for as long as you need to. There is no time limit on grief.

The first few days and weeks will be extremely raw, so don't be surprised or frightened by this. During this time it might help to talk to your dog, or to write down your feelings. You might find that your dogs toys and bed are too painful to look at so you could donate them to a pet charity. On the other hand they might be a source of comfort for you so in that case keep them safe.

There is no quick way out of this grief, it is the price we pay for loving them. But in time I promise you, you will see the price is worth it. The wonderful memories and the way your dog has changed your life will eclipse the pain of their loss. And I truly believe this life is not the end and there is every chance our souls will meet up again with those we have loved some day, both human and animal.

Take good care of yourself OP and do feel free to DM me if you need to x

Sympathy from me as well @TOWGA , we lost our lovely dog on Nov 3 rd 2024 and I was an utter mess for months and still miss him all the time .

So sorry lovely 🥲
Time helps
I had actually physical pain in my heart when I had to do the same for a week.
It hurts so much
I cried daily for a while
Still cry 4 years later regularly when I see her photo or a memory pops up on FB
Be gentle on yourself.
You loved her
Thinking of you and your lovely dog who is peaceful now x

We lost our boy last month, he was coming up 15. I never felt this amount of grieve in my life. He was the only thing that makes me smile when I was down. I believe he is still around, just not in the same space as me. I dreamt of hugging and smelling him, this is enough for me to feel ok. Christmas day was hard without him. We went out for a walk at places that we used to walk, I tried not to cry because I know it will bring tears to everyone.

Please be gentle to yourself, take one day at a time. Sending hugs to you.

Thank you all, he was 10 years old, went in for a cough ended up not coming back as it turned out he had internal bleeding (he had a cancer op at 8 years old) but we had no warning it was back and basically it had ruptured his spleen! It was totally the right decision, but im struggling with suddenness and the shock of thinking it’s just a cough! I’m struggling with the house being quiet (even though we have 2 young children)

What a terrible shock for you.

Such a shock, I'm so sorry you had to part this way.
Similar happened to our 9 year old, we had to let him go while under anaesthetic to look for a cause.
You'll keep reliving it all for weeks, but bit by bit you'll start to accept it. Because there's nothing else we can do.

Thank you everyone

Sending hugs and empathy. When my dog passed I grieved them more than relatives when they passed. I think other than my children there's no one I've loved as much as I did my DDog. Yes that includes partners too.

I am autistic too. A dog is a huge part of our daily lives. The noises and smells and comforts of our home. For me any time I moved my dog did too, and it killed me for months that when I stood up, or shifted in my chair I didn't hear her move too.

Be kind to yourself OP. It's normal to grieve your dogs loss. Take it a day at a time.

Very sorry for your loss. It's agony. By far my worst bereavement, and I've lost both parents.
Ours also went too young, and unexpectedly, although looking back...
Blue Cross offer grief counselling, which helped a bit (and helped DCs much more).
Writing down memories helped me, and I'm glad I did. I printed out photos too, and made a little album, it's more than a year now, but still hard to look at it.
Be very kind to yourself. It really, really hurts. Not everyone understands, and you don't have to compare or explain.