Lost My Dog Tonight

[Commodore]

Hey everyone, just posting this because I need somewhere to vent and let this out. Tonight, my dog died. We were over at my parents house visiting my aunt who had come in from Florida and left our dog at home since my brother brought his dogs over and they don't get along well with dogs they don't know. We were there for two or three hours before we decided to go home. When we walked in the door our dog was collapsed and laying in her own vomit, and convulsing. By the time my wife got to her (since she was the first one in the door and noticed it) it was too late and she stopped breathing and moving at all. As far as we can tell, she may have had a seizure which made her vomit and she then choked on the vomit.

My wife and daughter are devastated, and spent the next few hours trying to calm them and find a place to take our dog's body. My brother's wife works the night shift at a 24-hour animal hospital so I took her there. My wife said she wants the dog cremated so that's what they are going to do.

Anyway, even though that dog was definitely more my wife's than mine, I had grown pretty close to her. My wife adopted her while I was in Afghanistan from a woman who just couldn't afford to take care of her. She was just a puppy then. When I got home, her and I got off to a rough start. She didn't like a new person being in the house and I was never really keen on the idea of having a dog. Over the next three years though we grew closer and would play and have lots of fun together. Of course I have been trying to be strong for my wife since she is so devastated by our dog's death so I haven't been able to really let out how I feel.

I think the thing making this the hardest to deal with is what my daughter said. I took her outside for a bit so she didn't see the dog laying in her own vomit, and she asked me if our dog was dead. I told her yes and she just looked at me and said "But Gidget never dies." Our daughter has had a few goldfish die on her before, but she always thought Gidget would be there forever. I also can't help but think maybe if we didn't go to my parent's house and stayed home, we may have been able to save her.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Please extend my condolences to your wife and daughter, Commodore. It's never easy to lose a pet, and this will be a difficult time.

I don't know if your daughter has asked if Gidget has gone to heaven, or expressed any other thoughts about whether or not pets have an afterlife. If she has, she might find comfort in the Rainbow Bridge poem (author unknown).

The Rainbow Bridge Poem​

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.
There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.
There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.
The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together.... ​

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Sorry for your loss.

Know that you aren't alone.

 

[Snerk]

My condolences. Losing a beloved pet is really tough. Now I don't know your wife Commodore, but I suspect she would want you to talk to her about your own feelings of loss over your four-legged friend, over keeping up appearances. Might even be sort of therapeutic for her.

 

[warpus]

That is pretty horrible. Sorry you guys had to go through that..

 

[shadowplay]

Pets are the greatest things... I'm so sorry for your loss.

 

[Berzerker]

we gotta make room for others

 

[Antilogic]

Can't say much that hasn't already been said. It's an emotionally tough experience to lose a pet that was really close with your family, especially since this is often a kid's first experience with that kind of loss.

 

[Cutlass]

I'm sorry for your loss.

 

[MjM]

I have lost a dog before too. His name was Lucky.

Lucky was 5 months old in a local pound, and it was his last day before he was sent to be euthanized. My mother and grandmother happened to be looking for a dog to rescue for me and my siblings that same day. They wanted a male black lab, preferably under a year old. They told a lady at the pound that, and she began to cry. She said that there was a beautiful young black lab about to be loaded onto to the truck to be euthanized. My mom and grandmother instantly fell in love. I was six years old at the time, this was in 1997.

Lucky was not only a great dog and well-behaved, but he protected my family and I more than once, for we lived in a bad neighborhood for most of my childhood. He was a fantastic dog, and he was my best friend. The years went by, and he lost some of his spunk, but for the most part he was always full of life.

By 12, he began to develop bad hip dysplasia, but still displayed a vigor for life, and we always tried to make getting around the house easy for him. A couple of years later, he refused to eat. This was the first time ever; Lucky loved to eat. His health had been declining and we knew it was time. We took him to the vet, who sadly agreed with our assessment; it was time.

I will never forget that moment they injected the drugs that put dogs 'to sleep'. A wave of relief washed over him and he looked at me and my mother, his eyes displaying thanks. He slipped away quickly and painlessly. I will never forget Lucky and I will always love him. I don't think I had ever cried that much in my entire life as I did that day.

I know exactly how you feel and I am truly sorry.

 

[Commodore]

Thanks everyone for your kind words and sympathy, it means a lot to me.

My condolences. Losing a beloved pet is really tough. Now I don't know your wife Commodore, but I suspect she would want you to talk to her about your own feelings of loss over your four-legged friend, over keeping up appearances. Might even be sort of therapeutic for her.

Yeah, that happened today when my wife was a little more calm and over the initial shock of what happened. I just couldn't do that when it happened, because my wife was borderline hysterical for a few hours, and then crying most of the time after that. At that point I felt it would be more appropriate to be her rock and shoulder to cry on. My wife really loved Gidget. I mean, we all did, but my wife definitely had a much stronger bond with her than anyone else.

 

[CavLancer]

I've lost some great dogs in my life. Wouldn't it me nice to see them again, even just for a day. Its a loss that is deep, but what great friends and companions they are.

Who knows? Might see that friend again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbEG73Rh7Q0

 

[Light Cleric]

My condolences

I also can't help but think maybe if we didn't go to my parent's house and stayed home, we may have been able to save her.

Try not to think this way.

When I was younger, my mother felt guilty for so long because she felt like she waited too long to take our first dog to the vet in the morning after she'd been panting all night long, was being lethargic and didn't go to sleep much at all. I felt guilty, too, because I woke up at about 4 AM that morning after falling asleep on the couch and saw the dog sitting in the hallway, staring at me and panting. It still makes me tear up when I think of those little eyes staring at me, and it took me a long time to accept that it wasn't my fault for not being able to tell she needed help. I took her downstairs to give her a piece of ice that she loved(every normal night she would follow my dad upstairs and then come stare at me to go get her a piece) and I sat with her. Something didn't seem quite right so I hugged her as tight as I could and brought her to my parents' bed, watched her curl up and went to sleep myself when she seemed okay. She was an old dog and she panted a lot anyway so I hoped it wasn't serious. About 8:30 I woke up and she was still panting so my mom took her to the vet and she didn't last much longer.

The thing to remember is, the vet told her that even if she had brought her in earlier, it might have been a situation where she would have lived but it would have been miserable for the dog and perhaps not even worth it from the perspective of the dog's quality of life.

I know that doesn't really apply to your situation, but it's kind of the same end result of feeling guilt you shouldn't. Just focus on the good memories.

 

[Hygro]

Sorry to hear, man.