How did you feel

[Adolescent09]

when a close friend of yours died?

My dog suffered from heart failure for three weeks and died late last night. It's weird that the only picture I have of her is of her corpse. It's also sad because I'm going to be thinking about this image for most of the semester.

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/665/securedownloadry.jpg

Other than that, everything has been going pretty well :biggrin5:

[BienvenuJDC]

Growing up, we had horses and a miniature donkey. We didn't know it at the time, but in the breed of donkeys (who normally have a lifespan of about 100 years), there is a common genetic bleeding disorder. After months of trying to deal with the issue with our local vet, "Jack" started to become weak from blood loss due to multiple nose bleeds. The night before we were going to take him to the university vet hospital, he fell and ruptured the sac around his lungs. I stayed the night with him until about 3 AM comforting him until he took his last labored breath. It was tough, but for me it is different than most people. At the time of a tragedy, I just don't feel anything at all. I don't know why, but the emotions come later, in small increments. It allows me to keep a cool head about me to help everybody else cope, I guess.

[Adolescent09]

Great story, and I agree with the emotional impact. For some reason I didn't feel anything as I hauled her corpse into the car, went to the vet, and had her cremated. But about 2 hours later (now), I feel sort of empty inside and a bit disconsolate. Emotions are truly a bizarre phenomenon.

[ktm5124]

I am very sorry for your loss. It gets easier.

It's unfortunate that you do not have another picture of your dog. I think it will only make things harder if you continue to look at that one. Perhaps if you have a good hand at drawing, you can draw or paint a picture of your dog, set in one of your favorite memories of him or her. You could then frame it, and hang it on your wall, like a portrait of a family member.

Just an idea =)

[soundofmusic]

I'm sorry for your families loss. I think you are keeping this picture because you are trying to come to terms with death and where it fits in the scheme of things.
I am also not sure you are comfortable with the diagnosis. Did you take your dog to the vet before and did he tell you that he would pass?
In my case, I never find that the memory of my losses are easier; but I have dealt with the guilt and accepted that I did all that I was able to do at the time. I also find that it helps to give of yourself in another way. The more w give of ourselves; the less time we have to grieve.

[Mathor]

things did not make sense for probably about two years afterwards. She was one of my best friends. Now (over three years later) I can look back on it more positively for the positive effect she had on my life. It's certainly hard at first.

[Maryd.]

Oh, this is terribly sad... As you can see by my avatar, I have a beautiful girl... I would be heartbroken, should anything happen to her. My thoughts are with you in this time. The pic is reality. Warm sentiments to you dear.

[Helga]

I don't know what I would do if I lost Spock, he's 9 years old. but I really think you shouldn't be looking at this picture to much. think of him when he was at his best! and everything he did for you. I know I think about what my dog did for me when I needed him every day and I hope that will bring me comfort when his time comes.

I am so sorry for your loss.

[blazeofglory]

I really feel exhausted after a lot of work and so many assignments. So many duties to accomplish before calling it a day. The thought that I have to attend a party tonight has deadened me all the more. Yet the thought that I will go home and join in the family, even belatedly is stimulating me. Life goes on and on like this and now I am a bit worn-out

[Maryd.]

I really feel exhausted after a lot of work and so many assignments. So many duties to accomplish before calling it a day. The thought that I have to attend a party tonight has deadened me all the more. Yet the thought that I will go home and join in the family, even belatedly is stimulating me. Life goes on and on like this and now I am a bit worn-out

Aw, poor Blaze, a big cuddle to you. I hope it makes you feel better.:angel:

[OrphanPip]

I lost a dog last summer, it's a big struggle. She had a tumour that crushed her urethra, but my brother, me, and my parents all chipped in to do the surgery and have it removed. She had to have a tube put into her bladder so that you could remove the urine manually until the urethra was functional again.

Eventually, she was able to pee again, but she had gotten a severe bladder infection, this may have been caused by the tube or the urinary track infections that occurred because of the lack of urine flow.

To treat the infection she needed antibiotic injections 3 times a day, and the antibiotics were heavy on the kidneys so she also needed regular fluids. Now this meant something like 300 dollars a day at the vet for my parents. Luckily, I was able to get the antibiotics, fluids, and needles at work for cost. So, for a month and a half I did the fluids and injected the antibiotic. Anyway, eventually the infection moved to her kidneys, the antibiotic wasn't working, and she had to be put down after a fight that lasted 6 months all in all.

It makes me feel especially defeated when pets die after putting so much effort into treating them. I've done the same thing with my rats, when I used to keep rescued ones from the shelter, I once spent something like 600 dollars on treating pneumonia for a rat with an immune disorder, only to have to put her down when she stopped eating.

I'm sticking to only cats now, they live longer.

[Helga]

That is so sad orphanpip, but at least you know you did everything you could!

I am curious do you have the option to get health insurance for your animals? I have one for my younger dog but the older one is to old and nobody wants to get such an old dog insurance... I pay a small amount every year and if the dog needs x-rays or gets really sick or hit by a car the insurance will pay for it.

[OrphanPip]

Ya you can buy pet insurance, it's worth it in the long run if you have the foresight.

[kiki1982]

Oh, what a shame. My thoughts are with you.

My grandparents were heartbroken after their cat died of sheer old age. She went through her legs one day, poor thing. Still, she was above twenty and her fight was only like an hour. She didn't suffer. They burried her in the garden and put a rose bush on her grave.

If my two cats were to pass on to the eternal heaven with flying birds and running mice (:)), I think I will bring them to the wood nearby and burry them. So that, if we move, we can still access their grave and we can be sure that no-one will dig them up and throw them in the bin or so. And then they are in a place where they liked to be.

For the rest, my parents still have a tortoise that is like 50 years old now. But she will not die soon, there having been ones that became 120 to 200 years old. She (sorry) HE could still live after me. Still, I hope, if my parents die, that I will get it safely to Germany, because the animal was bought in the days that tortoises were allowed. They are now not permitted anymore, but if I get caught with it they might not believe me that it is actually more than 50 years old and might want to confiscate it. I guess in a closed box whisk it off to Germany then?

Magritte (the painter of 'This is not a(n) pipe/apple') had his dogs stuffed, but somehow I don't see me doing that. he was also going to have his wife stuffed, but I don't think he did.

[BienvenuJDC]

And on the lighter side...



If my two cats were to pass on to the eternal heaven with flying birds and running mice (:)),

Is cat heaven and bird/mice hell the same place? :eek2:

[Revolte]

My dog died a couple years ago and I've yet to feel any better about it. I still forget that she isn't laying next to me curled up in a little ball. The dreams havent stopped either. It's just one of those things, you can never forget a loved one. I really am sorry for your loss.

[Helga]

this saddens me so to hear of all these losses. I have lost birds and 2 rats, that rats where very hard to see go they had so much character. but my older dog has literally saved my life and he is my best friend when I need him. I don't know how I would get over loosing him, I'd rather not think about it. hopefully it won't happen anytime soon

[Delta40]

It isn't until my pet dies that I really feel the loss. I suppose in some ways I take them more for granted than anything else. I am very fond of them but I just don't realise how much till they are gone...

[Maximilianus]

When I was a kid there was Diana. She was a good dog girl always protecting me from myself and my boyish recklessness. Wherever I was, she was beside me, like a bodyguard. She died of cancer, as I seem to remember (it was so long ago). And somehow I recall her body, or its silhouette, laying in the backyard.

A few years back I had a rabbit. I named him Seraph. He was a real angel and the friendliest creature I had ever met. I could never manage to picture him. We were so poor that we could hardly make ends meet, let alone buy a camera. I saw him slowly dying, and I still remember his final face. I couldn't even afford a decent burial, in a good decent place for good decent rabbits, so I won't say what we had to do. However, the feeling that I didn't try hard enough still haunts me.

I never told them how much I loved them. I figure somehow they knew, but that's just not enough. Love must be told while it can be spoken and listened to. Otherwise it's too late.

[Jesterhead]

you dog died and the first thing you did was to take a picture and post it on the internet?

[blazeofglory]

I felt thrilled all day and went home to face the fury of my wife for she had an exasperating day as she had to deal with rowdy boys. She is a college teacher and of course had to deal with wayward boys and satisfy the college administration too and coping with the situation as tough as that was taxing her and it was natural she was feeling bad. She was sulking and sulking getting me on my nerves. I felt hot and bothered and had to deal with her callously but that did not help me but things went well after a while and we again got entwined in love