Pets of the Past, How to deal with pets passing Options

[Zen Clarke]

Okay, so, I've been debating on making this topic for a while now. I...don't think my dog is going to be around for much longer, and that's really hard on me because I've had her since I was five. Almost 12 years. Anyway, I was just wondering if I'm weird for crying because of this? Have any of you guys lost your dog or cat, or hey, even your goldfish and been pretty upset about it? Our pets can be a huge part of our lives. They comfort us when we're sick or sad, loyal, and you can say the stupidest thing to them and they'll just tilt their head and look as if they're saying, "You know, I never thought of it that way! You're brilliant!!"

My dog, Sugar...I love her so much. But she recently got what we think is Cushing's Disease. It's where they drink a lot of water, and have little bladder control (which for a Cocker Spaniel is, like, really bad, because they already have issues with their bladders. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lalaexdee.gif) They pee when they get really excited). Then, a few days ago, my dog did something and bit her lip somehow, so that she's bleeding almost constantly, and there's nothing we can do to stop the bleeding, and she can't eat because it hurts her, and when she does it, she pukes it back up because she's been swallowing blood. She won't even drink much water! And when we take her out, we have to carry her back up the stairs. She's so thin. I pet her and can feel her bones...it's really weird because a few weeks ago, she was the fatest dog alive. I'm really sad, and scared. I know she's not going to last much longer. Any words of advice?

[Crystal Talian]

You might want to insist on vet visit, Zen. They might at least be able to make your dog more comfortable, even if they can't extend her life.

I've actually been in this spot twice before, almost three times. My first time was with Rocky, my cat. He was eight years old and . . . his liver just failed. I didn't cry beforehand, even though I'd been warned he probably wouldn't make it. But once it got to the point where he was almost completely gone and we had to take him in to be put down, I was a wreck. They wouldn't let me be with him when they put him down either. I actually cried almost constantly for three days straight.

More recently, last April, my other cat died. Max was thirteen and had intestenal tumors. He had problems eating and using his litter. I actually spent some extra time with him in his last month or so. Lots of cuddles, he was thrilled. We actually had an appointment scheduled on what turned out his last day. We took him in for a progress report and he'd just gotten really bad. So the vet said we could give him maybe two more weeks - hopitalized and on IV fluids. I decided would just be cruel, to keep him alive like that, so we had him put down that day. They let me stay with Max, though, and I think that may have helped a little. I still cried for a week afterward, and I still can't look at the card the vet sent me without crying.

I do have one other cat who got sick. The vet gave her a fifty percent chance of making it through. Well, with a lot of love and care (and probably because she was so young), she made it.

There's really nothing you can do to make the process easier. Just spend time with your dog while you still can, and make her comfortable. Don't worry about crying either. Just cry, it's actually really good for you in cases like this. Also, go about things as normally as you can - that helps a lot too. Remembering happy memories or special quirks about your dog can help, too.