I had to put my dog to sleep.

@bjbailey (114)
United States
June 5, 2008 12:50pm CST
I am so sad. Jr was 12 1/2 years old and he had seizures and arthritis and bad teeth. Well the last few days he has been nipping at us when we go to touch him and then this morning he snapped at my 1 1/2 year old granddaughter. I had to have my husband take him to do it because I couldnt stand the thought of him going. He said he was tearing up as he was leaving him there to have it done. My two granddaughters that we are raising is going to be heart broken when they come home from school. I didnt want to do it while they were here. I am starting to feel a little guilty because I didnt but it probably is the best thing. They are only 4 and 5 years old. My 4 year old was here when it all happened and she started to cry and asked me please no. I felt so low. But she wants to get another puppy but I am going to wait for a while before we do. I have had this dog since he was 5 weeks old and he has only known this home and us as his family. It is going to be so empty around here for a long time. How do you handle the death of a family pet?
8 people like this
18 responses
• United States
5 Jun 08
I am so sorry for your loss.Just reading this is making me tear up.Putting a animal down is the hardest thing to do.I had to do it to my dog years a go.Pepper had a tumor and she was suffering.so I made the decision to put her to sleep.I stayed in the room with her.Holding her and the doctor gave her a shot and she closed her eyes.It took me a while to get over it.I had to deal with the whole grieving process and then 1 year later I was ready for another dog.
1 person likes this
• United States
6 Jun 08
If you ever need to talk your friends will be here for you.To help you deal with your grief.
1 person likes this
@bjbailey (114)
• United States
6 Jun 08
Thank you and everyone for your support. It is so hard because you still expect them to be there.
1 person likes this
@bjbailey (114)
• United States
5 Jun 08
I have been crying all day. I think one of the harder things is when you keep waiting for them to come up and nudge you to get petted and he never comes.
2 people like this
• United States
5 Jun 08
I'm so, so sorry. I know how you feel. I had to put a 10 year old cat down a few years ago, he had a tumor in his mouth. He was born in my bedroom. I still have his mommy, she's 16 years old. I have many photos of him. We've always taken pictures of our pets through the years. I did get another cat 2 years ago with almost the same look. I love him, but I miss my Bubba yet to this day.
1 person likes this
@bjbailey (114)
• United States
5 Jun 08
It isnt easy know matter what kind of pet you have. My husband and I had to put his fantashia dog down due to a tumor. I held her after they gave her the shot. It is the hardest sight to watch.
1 person likes this
• United States
6 Jun 08
Bless you, I couldn't be near my Bubba when they gave him the shot. I just crumbled when the vet came out and told me it was over. I'm crying right now while I'm posting. he is still in my heart and will always be there.
1 person likes this
@bjbailey (114)
• United States
6 Jun 08
I can feel your pain literally. I miss him laying on my side of the bed before I get in it. He would lay there even with me nudging him and we would play like that for a few minutes until he has had enough and moves. He was a silly dog even when he was in pain. I loved it when he would come up and lay his head under my chin like to give me a hug. I'm sorry but I need to stop. Thank you for sharing your story.
1 person likes this
@selby70 (283)
5 Jun 08
We lost our little dog Abby in Feb I could not handle it I was heartbroken, she was really my daughters dog but when she had the children and moved out Abby stayed with us. Everyday when I came home and she was not there I was so lonely, one week I thought I should get another dog and the next week I thought I wont, but we have got another dog a 7 year old papillon, he was a bit badly treated he is like one of the family now and we all love him to bits and I am so glad I got him now, but I was so unsure at the time if I was doing the right thing or not. I am so very sorry for your loss.
1 person likes this
@bjbailey (114)
• United States
5 Jun 08
That was the same with Jr. He was supposed to be my sons dog but he became mine almost immediatly. I still have Chewy, my pug, and he keeps going around the house looking for him. I get teary eyed just watching him.
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
6 Jun 08
I remember when myh childhood dog was so old andill and had to be put to sleep. it was just awful as I loved her, had her for twenty years and she was in a lot of pain. they said it would be cruel to let her suffer but I had had her since she was a puppy. I had another dog later but it was never quite the same.I loved Swap too but missed my childhood buddy.
1 person likes this
@bjbailey (114)
• United States
6 Jun 08
We had a black lab named Bonnie that lived until she was 21 years. I was really surprised that she lived that long. She was one of those dogs that thought she was everybodies momma, human or animal. It was hard to see her go after being raised with her.
1 person likes this
@ZephyrSun (7381)
• United States
5 Jun 08
I don't know it just takes time. I had to put my cat down almost five years ago, same situation only she was about four years older than your dog. My boys still talk about this cat. I had her way before they were born and for sometime after as well. I tried "replacing" her after since they missed her so much but it wasn't the same. We just went some time without an animal then we got a dog. I took my baby in myself and stay with her until the vet said she was gone. I still think about her and have lots of pictures of her, but the comfort came from knowing she wasn't in any more pain. I'm very sorry to hear about your dog and it will be lonely without him but it will get a little better each day. Best of luck to you!
1 person likes this
@bjbailey (114)
• United States
5 Jun 08
Thank you so much. It is a little easier knowing he isnt in any more pain.
1 person likes this
@Abby123 (261)
5 Jun 08
Oh so sorry that you have such pain at the moment ,I hope that you will feel better soon.It must have been a blow to lose your dog they are like best friends .I love my dog and he is old as well,and im not too sure whether we would get another one either.
1 person likes this
• United States
6 Jun 08
we had to put down my first cat due to bad health and her being the age of 18 yo. she was not great at all at the end. couldnt walk, couldnt see, couldnt stand, and was losing fur, not being able to eat, or even be steady on her feet at the end. it hurt for me to let her go, but she is in a better place now. no more pain for her, no more suffering. she would have wanted it that way.
• United States
1 Feb 09
When you keep in mind that if the animal is suffering it is the best move and aim your thoughts at the fact that there are so many healthy young unwanted pets to adopt it is much easier to deal with. You will still have your special memories but you have the opportunity to make more special memories with a new best friend.
@ronaldinu (12422)
• Malta
1 Feb 09
It is always sad to depart from your family pet. Pets become family members. We get to love them as if they were our children. They become our adopted children. Unfortuantely their life is short compared to that of a human being. I have passed from this experience on three different occasions. It was not easy but I had to face it. I still miss my first dog whom I had a special place in my heart.
@fec139 (810)
• United States
1 Aug 08
It is good to sit with them after the vet gives the injection. Three years ago, I put my beloved bunny-rabbit Penny to sleep. The vet injected her while I held her, and then she sat in my lap until we were sure she had passed. It was special to hold her and be able to say goodbye.
@bjbailey (114)
• United States
1 Aug 08
Yes I think it is more loving when you can be the last person that they have with them that loves them the most. Jr was the best and I will miss him forever. It is so hard when you have to say good bye to someone you have loved for a long time. Sorry for your loss too.
@snowxue (72)
• China
18 Jun 08
It is good to have a pet, always. But pets dont live as long as human beings do, so it reall hurts when they pass away, I know exactly how it feels, but I just cant help loving them and always want to have a pet or pets with me if I could. Really sorry for your dog.
@snowy22315 (168368)
• United States
5 Jun 08
You poor thing. I dread the day when i have to have my pets put to sleep. They are my best friends. Maybe you can start looking at some pets soon even if you dont get one right away. It's going to be sad around there for awhile.
1 person likes this
@gemini_rose (16264)
5 Jun 08
So sorry for your loss, but you know that it is a good age for a dog. I lost my baby when she was 11 years and it was heartbreaking, seeing her grow up, grow old and then have to finally say goodbye to her. It was the worst thing that I ever had to do but she was suffering and I had to let her go, but I was with her until the end. I know that I made the right decision for her but I too felt guilty for a long time. I have never replaced her, I just could not face having another dog and going through all that again.
1 person likes this
@metschica25 (5399)
• United States
5 Jun 08
I am sorry about your dog . I have always lost many pets over the years and understand what is like. I lost my beloved black cat a few years back and just stayed in bed the first day crying , he was like my baby . He got sick out of the blue and we took him to vets , and he had to have surgery because he had a clog in his bladder . The sugery went well and we were happy . The night we werre going to pick him up they called and said he reptured his bladder when going to the bathroom , and all the posion was swimming around making him sick . There was nothing they could really do , but another surgery and there was only a small chance he would make it. So , we had to put him to sleep . For the longest time I couldnt get over how he was okay one min and then very sick the next. We were gonna get another kitten right away , but we waited , and I am glad we did . We adopted 2 cats one boy and one girl. Later on the mated and now we have 4 kittens , and 2 of them were black that made me very happy . The guilt feeling bjbailey will last a few days, but you did the right thing . If he was snapping from being touched he must of been in pain.I know the kids will take it harder . You will have to have a few talks with them . Talk about the good memories and let them know sometimes things like this happen. When the time is right maybe you guys can all go and adopted another one. Again sorry for your loss .
@heleni0 (322)
5 Jun 08
I'm so sorry for your loss, bjbailey. It's horrible when you lose a pet and the void is felt so strongly. I just hope it gets better for you soon. He lived to be a good age, and ultimately you did the best thing for him. *hugs*
1 person likes this
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
7 Jun 08
That is so sad. I am sorry for you. It is never easy to deal with a pet dying. I had to put my dog to sleep just before Christmas and I still miss her. She was 13 but at least she had a good life and I knew it would happen at some point. She was ill and had bad teeth but I did not want her to suffer. Think of your dog as not suffering any more. 12 is a good age for a dog. Try to think of the happy times you had together. It is one of the things we have to deal with that we will live longer than our dogs. At least for us we had another dog who was younger and we still had him so the house was not empty. It is always hard coming home to an empty house. It is always harder when they die young. My brother lost his dog to illness when she was only 7 and he never really got over it. He never got another dog and now lives alone. I always go out and get a new puppy because I do not like to live in an empty house without a waggy tail to greet me. It is always best to wait a few months before getting a new puppy to give yourself time to grieve but when you do get one you will be so busy caring for a new puppy that you will be able to remember your lost one with love and the grief will subside. I like to think that all my little ones are waiting for me and when I die they will be there to welcome me.
@comfort55 (1574)
• India
6 Jun 08
So sorry to know about such a harsh decision you had to take, but I think it was the right thing you did to relieve poor creature from suffering. I can understand your feelings because my husband also did the same thing to our pet who was 12 years old. He was ill and stopped eating anything, got paralytic. We couldnt see him suffering. Both of us wept so badly before taking him to give the injection. He was my son's pet(now he is working in another place). Till date we didn't tell him about this and I don't think in future also we'll have the guts to tell him.
@wiser2 (237)
• United States
6 Jun 08
So sorry you had to do that.I had a cat that i had to do that to and all i did was cry and my husband had to be the one to bring her.I could not do it.So i know what you are feeling.Sorry
@towfay1 (43)
6 Jun 08
Sorry about the loss of your family member (I know you said dog). The only way to handle the loss of a beloved pet is mourn it. I had to have my big old (18yrs)boy put to sleep. He just kept having seizure after seizure, the doctor said it was a tumor in his head. I hurt so bad, but I had to do what was best for my baby, I could not stand by a watch him hurt like that. Do be sad forever, remember all the good about your family pup.