After you put your dog to sleep....

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Archie07

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....how do you cope?

I had my beautiful 12yr old Shih Tzu pts yesterday and I'm devastated. It was expected, I rescued her when she was 9 at which point we discovered she had a dodgy heart and very poor kidneys, the vets gave a 6-12 month estimation on her life. However, defying that she'd been bounding round like a puppy for the past 3.5yrs and only in the last month really felt her age and her kidneys worsened. She owed me nothing and yesterday was the right time to pts.

But I am dreading being without her. She has been my shadow and came with me everywhere. It may sound a little sad but I only have my job which allows me a lot of working from home so I could be with her, I rent my flat near to work and with a garden for her, I've come home this morning and it is so so empty. No more routine, no walks, I'm dreading the evenings. I'm only 29 and have a pretty full life, it's just she was such a good girl she used to join in most of it.

Any advice?
 
So sorry for your loss. Its the hardest thing to do for a lovely friend. Allow yourself to grieve and in time you will feel ready for another doggy friend. In the mean time do you have any neighbours you could dog walk for? It does get better.
 
It's really hard as you've lost your best mate.I have found that time does help but not to leave things long before getting another dog.You won't replace the dog you've lost but you clearly are an ideal dog person...I didn't try to replicate my heart dog(died in December) with the same breed ,but chose a different breed and am now enjoying her in her own right.
In the meantime I found it helped me to get a big photo framed of my old girl and she's in pride of place in my home.
 
Archie07 said:
....how do you cope?

I had my beautiful 12yr old Shih Tzu pts yesterday and I'm devastated. It was expected, I rescued her when she was 9 at which point we discovered she had a dodgy heart and very poor kidneys, the vets gave a 6-12 month estimation on her life. However, defying that she'd been bounding round like a puppy for the past 3.5yrs and only in the last month really felt her age and her kidneys worsened. She owed me nothing and yesterday was the right time to pts.

But I am dreading being without her. She has been my shadow and came with me everywhere. It may sound a little sad but I only have my job which allows me a lot of working from home so I could be with her, I rent my flat near to work and with a garden for her, I've come home this morning and it is so so empty. No more routine, no walks, I'm dreading the evenings. I'm only 29 and have a pretty full life, it's just she was such a good girl she used to join in most of it.

Any advice?
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You have five options which most of us have when loosing a loved one (pet)



1. you give yourself time to grieve - then after you feel in a better place you can go search for a new pet to fill the gap
2. you don't want another pet as you don't want to be hurt again
3. you go straight out and get another poor wee soul to fill the gap and help you get through this time
4. you visit family regularly or have someone move in to fill the void.
5. if you have a nother bet spend time with it to help you


Only you know what is best for you
 
Sorry to hear about your loss.
When I lost my previous dog who was 12 I said never again, as I couldn't cope with the loss, this was 5 dogs down the line.
However, after a month with an empty house went to a dog rescue and got my beloved present dog. Best thing I ever did, if you live alone they are such great company. Only you can decide how you feel, don't rush into something, the right moment will present itself.
 
Penny Less said:
Sorry to hear about your loss.
When I lost my previous dog who was 12 I said never again, as I couldn't cope with the loss, this was 5 dogs down the line.
However, after a month with an empty house went to a dog rescue and got my beloved present dog. Best thing I ever did, if you live alone they are such great company. Only you can decide how you feel, don't rush into something, the right moment will present itself.
Click to expand...

That's exactly how I felt after one of my JRTs was put to sleep (she had kidney failure). I said this to someone who answered 'but look at all those years of pleasure you had with her' - which is a nicer way to look at it. (And an empty house without a dog in it is horrible...)
 
You just have to keep going .
I lost my old boy in August last year , I have to do honest I still feel tearful sometimes when I think about him .
Having other dogs helps so you're not left dog less .
I have a dog puppy now and having him has brought back the feelings of loss again ,but I have another wonderful loyal friend in the making .
The truth is I never get over losing the dogs for some reason I am less attached to the bitches .
 
I kept the walking routine, it gave me space to grieve, so many tears were and still are shed on my solitary walks, I am ready for a new dog but my lifestyle is changing so I need to be patient for now, it has taken a few months for me to feel ready.
have hug it is not a pleasant time
 
I'm so sorry, it's really hard (you sound as though you live on your own??) but really the best thing to fill the gap is....to fill the gap. If you really don't feel up to making a decision for the next 10 years or so, why not offer to foster for a rescue charity? At worst you could be helping dogs in need, at best you might find you next companion for many years. And from one who knows - more than one dog in the house means there is a reason to keep going when one is no longer there, so if you can, have at least two :)
 
Honestly, I think only time helps. It's such a difficult thing to do and then we put ourselves through it again. Plain stupid!

Lots of hugs for you, OP, this is a horrible time.
 
cinnamontoast said:
Honestly, I think only time helps. It's such a difficult thing to do and then we put ourselves through it again. Plain stupid!

Lots of hugs for you, OP, this is a horrible time.
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I agree with CT - you just have to give it time. I have 4 dogs who are 12, 9, 9 and 8 so I know I will be losing them in fairly quick succession in a few years time and I am dreading it, a lot of people think that when you have a number of dogs you won't notice one less but loosing one leaves such a massive hole in your life :( :( :(
 
I'm another who was going to have a dog free period after our old lurcher was PTS. He was 15 so had been part of our family for so long. When he was gone I felt our home was just a house - it felt so empty without him. We lost him a few weeks before Christmas. The first week of January we collected our Vizsla pup.
The way I look at it is that is a tribute to the old dog that he/she gave you so much pleasure and was so much part of your family that they make you feel life is just not quite complete without a dog companion.
They give you so much pleasure throughout their lives that it justifies the pain you suffer when they go.
You have to do what suits you personally, however collecting our new pup so soon was definitely right for us.
 
I lost my best friend 3 years ago. He died suddenly at aged 10. I had to buy a new puppy within a week of loosing him as my remaining dog was chewing her leg due to stress. It took me a long time if ever to get over him. Just keep remembering all the good times spent together and that they are now at peace. Hugs to you.
 
Thank you all. I feel in a limbo state right now, I live alone and my flat just feels so empty, I keep expecting her to pop up or I hear a noise she used to make. She was so loving and fun, I've had a lot of human company over the past few days to support me but it's not the same as a dog companion. I know time really is the only thing, it just sucks right. I'm sure there will be another patter of paws in time, apart from her bed I can't bear to throw anything else away.
 
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