I'm already crying just trying to come up with a title. My two sisters called to check up on me, and I couldn't talk because I start to cry. My best friend, the thing that I love the most in the world, comes to me for help but there's nothing I can do. He's lost sight in one eye and is losing sight in the eye he had cataract surgery on. He is practically deaf. He just sits, staring straight ahead but seeing very little. When I tell him how much I love him, shouting loudly, he obviously brightens but isn't sure where my voice came from; he takes a few steps to find me but is afraid to come to me because he can't see where he's going. My heart is breaking.

I've closed off the upper floor of the house because he would manage to go upstairs at bedtime to be near me; we slept together. I've made the dining room into a bedroom and now sleep on the floor to be near him. Sweet little guy; he gently licks my hand when he feels me close. I don't know how I'm going to get through this. People try to be understanding and practical: "Well, Rich, he's eleven years old", "Get another dog", and so on. It doesn't help. I love THIS dog. With all of my heart.

I don't know how I'm going to get through this.

Bless your heart, Rich. It's so awful and there's really not anything useful we can say except that we are thinking about you and your pal.
I too have endured the pain of losing more than one special animal.
He was a lucky dog indeed to be loved by you for so long.
May he rest in peace - both now and after he actually leaves this place, to go where he can be young and alive again.

I can't think of much to say, except I do know how you feel. He's not just a dog and don't be told otherwise. I'm bawling my eyes out just thinking about it.

I found this while I was looking for something else:

"A good dog never dies he always stays he walks besides you on crisp autumn days when frost is on the fields and winter's drawing near, his head is within our hand in his old way."
--Mary Carolyn Davies

Oh, reading this just fills me with the greatest sadness. Something that I can relate so well to. There's no words at such a time that can change anything, nothing that can lift the grief.

Caring for a pet that is suffering from the effects of old age can be very trying, though... They cannot do for themselves, and need so much understanding. If his health is otherwise okay, though, he could still have some time left. Not to second-guess any decisions you feel necessary to make, only you know your precise situation, and know the exact state of his health. Many people believe that euthanasia becomes the only option, but if you have the time, ability, and patience, you and he could have more months, and perhaps a year or more together. The pleasure that he gains from those moments he knows you are there are what makes his life worthwhile for him. Don't imagine yourself in him, that you would not wish to become cut off by blindness and deafness, for him it is the relationship with you that is his life.

No one can make the decisions but you, and no one here knows all the particulars... Whichever you decide to do, though... you've been blessed with a special relationship, and so has he. That will never change, even after the relationship ends in this world.

Just reading your message started to make me cry. I don't know what to write. I've never been able to find the right words to say. The loss of a loved one, be it an animal or a human, is always difficult to bear. I'm sure you're helping him on his way and he's grateful for all you're doing for him. You must find the strength within yourself to let him go, but the memories will always be with you and bring a smile to your face.
Please accept a virtual hug.

Rich, I am very sorry to hear this news.

Believe me, it is never easy to lose the love and companionship of a loyal, trustworthy friend.

I felt the same as you when I had to have my Junior, a Rottweiler, put down back in February 2002.

Junior was my friend, oh heck, he still is. Even though I do not have my baby with me any longer, I still think about him constantly. He was the love of my life, my best friend, and my sweet baby.

I know the words "it will get easier" can be difficult to hear, but I speak from experience, it does.

As Rodney Dangerfield once said "buying a pet is buying a ticket to heartbreak". While Dangerfield would be correct, we tend to go on and often times, we get another pet...why do we do this? Becuase of the unconditional love, loyality and never-ending friendship and compassion our four-legged babies give to us...that is what makes us love them always.

When I had Junior put down, when the hour was approaching, Junior was so active...running about and playing and licking my hand etc., I was starting to feel like a complete heel!

When he and I finally arrived at the vet's office, Junior's vet, Dr. McGuire, examined him and told me honestly, that Junior's blood pressure was almost non-existent, and that his heart rate dangerously low.

Junior's vet told me "You are the reason Junior is hanging on, it is his love for you. That is what Dr. McGuire told me, and when I looked into Junior's eyes, I knew it was true, he was still hanging on because he knew I loved him...and I know that he loved me.

I trusted Junior's vet completely and he and I decided that this was the best course to take...to have my baby put to sleep (trust me, this was something I feared and dreaded most of all).

Rich, when it is time for your baby to leave you, he will be greeted by my Junior at Rainbows Bridge...where all loved pets go to wait until their owners can join them.

He will be restored to health and vigor and be completely the way you always knew him.

When it is your baby's time, believe me, Rich, he will let you know. There is just that certain look he will have, and you will know it is time.

Again, please know that my heart is with you during this time my friend.

My dear Rich, words are not enough but that is all I can offer, and to tell you I am thinking of you both.

Your dog has had your love, and you have had his love, he has known your kindness will have had a happy life.

Take care my friend.

I am sorry to hear it Rich and you cannot replace one dog with another in your heart. It is agonizing to see them suffer.
Many people, my mother included, have not been able to have a dog after losing one who had a great personality as they fear the loss. My mother contents herself to feeding the neighbor's dogs treats 'to keep them from barking all day', and striking conversations with other dogs, but, I don't think another dog would take her beloved Cairn's place. Like JuniortheJaws, she has her internet name from his name Grizzly and hers, as he looked like a bear cub.

He was with her physically for fourteen years but he's still with her every day and your companion will be too.

You have my most sincere wishes for strength to bear this,

Heather

When I was quite young, my grandmother had a female stray cat decide to have her kittens in the garden shed. I fell in love with one of the kittens, and took him home, to be greeted with vehement protests from my father.
As the years went by, my dad became very attached to "Tiger", he was the one that fed him in the mornings before going to work - and his was the lap on which Tiger sat in the evenings.
The one and only time I ever saw my father cry, was when at the ripe old age of 11 years, Tiger died .......
So vendome, you have my sympathy, I know how much a "pet" can become part of the family, and when they go, it's like losing a close relative .....

My dear Rich, words are not enough but that is all I can offer, and to tell you I am thinking of you both.

I echo Sue's sentiments and I hope you know we are here for you.
I wish I had the words to make it less hurtful but I am sure you know I am sendig you my prayers and support and a ear to listen when you want to talk about this again.

PF

Rich, how sad and helpless you sound (and, I suppose, you are basically both of those things a lot at once). I think the most gentle thing you said was that you've moved your 'bed' ... so as to be near him. So that he isn't alone, so that YOU'RE not alone, so that everything is as connected between you and your best pal now as it can be - and as close to times as they were when things were better as is possible. It is so hard to really "relate" to the personal losses/changes others experience. I think the best we can do is share our own losses, not as means of anything more than to let you know that we've walked similar paths. And cried similar tears as you are. Makes a person feel less "alone" as they face stuff.

I'll tell you about my Abdner - the most beautiful calico girl kitty that shared my life for 15+ years. She was lucky. She didn't seem to noticeably fail much at all with advanced age, but one day (it was early summer) she was having trouble making it to her litter box. She was fussy (prissy?) to a tee that way, so I knew something was wrong. She sat down, then laid down nearby me on the porch and just looked at me. I saw no evidence AT ALL of discomfort ... just a look of slight confusion and complete trust in her face. I had a word for it, what was happening to her, but she didn't. She just seemed to know that she needed to be near somebody as it happened. I remembered that day how, as a younger cat, she had known where my Dad's tumor was when he was dying and would come to his lap and lay on that cancerous mass in his lower belly. She'd purr and add warmth to it and he said it made it feel better (somehow). When I got my ribs cracked during an armed robbery and was laid up unable to move much (years ago) she'd get into bed and gently find the right ribs to lay on, keeping them warm and, I'm sure of it, helping them to heal. She knew things. She always did. And she knew that she needed me there that summer morning (10:19AM to be exact), when she laid down, with me on the floor just inches away, and passed away. How'd it feel? God, I can't really explain it. I cried like a baby girl - and I tend not to cry ever unless it just can't be sidestepped to do so. BUT, more than that, I felt the "balance sheet" between Miss Abdner and myself had finalized in an excellent and fair place. I had trusted her through so many things for such a long time and she trusted/honored me at that final moment when she knew she needed to in her life. And, when it was all said and done, there was nothing any better, or brighter, or truer, or more enriching than that trust was. And, let it be said, I could never bring myself to get another cat after her. I was advised to. But I could not.

And (after all those silly words) I hope that maybe you can find some peace and maybe a parallel or two in there that comforts. Your post moved me very much. My thoughts are with the both of you over there.

Rich, I'm not that great with words either, but you have my sympathy. I've never felt that any of my dogs in my life were just pets; they are family and I know just how you feel. I so dread the day I lose my precious ClaraSue. It's wonderful that you can share your feelings with us. Know that we are here, too, anytime that you need a cyber shoulder. I truly believe that a home is not a home without a dog.

Awww Rich, so sorry.

I went through this a couple months ago with my Frankie, I know just how you're feeling.

Rich - my eyes are filling with tears, because I think so many of us have experienced loss of one kind or another - be it pet or person, or both, and so we understand and feel what you are going through. When it comes to love, it doesn't make a difference whether it was a dog or a human, it still hurts like crazy. But rest assured, you WILL be able to bear the loss of your pal - the human spirit has an incredible will to survive a loss like this. And I know it's a cliche`, but truly, that which does not kill us really does make us stronger. And though many of us are faceless and nameless to each other, we are still friends, and we're here to listen when you need us. God bless.

I'm so sorry. Only people who have lost a beloved pet understand the gaping hole that is left in your life when they are gone. Understanding and time are the only things that I can think of that help.

Grief is unpleasant; nevertheless it is a condition that must be endured during the the course of our journey. His journey is done, yours must continue.

I started crying just reading this and began thinking of my old dog. My dog also suffered from cataracts and then had cancer. She was only 8 and now a little more than a year later we got a new dog. They never really replace the old one and it never really gets easier, but you learn to cope with it. All you can really do now is give your dog all the love you have for him and I hope you feel better. Im praying for both of you. God Bless.

Rich, I am so sorry to hear about your dog. I've never had a pet, but I know how attached people become to their pets. I'm thinking about you

My heart goes out to you.

Vendome, my heart feels for you.

Pets give us humans the one thing we are seemingly unable to give each other - unconditional love. Love that knows no boundaries, happiness in the simplest of pleasures, and the pure joy of togetherness.

There is no comfort in loss. I hope that one day the darkness recedes for you.

Dear Rich, I am so sorry. I am unable to say much for the tears are flowing. You have brought back memories for many of us and it is moving to hear them. I hope all of our messages will give you some strength, knowing everyone feels for you and is trying to be with you to hold your hand while this is happening to you and your friend.

Also almost crying:( I really can totally understand and relate to your pain. The main thing now is the shared love for as long as it lasts, every moment of your presence is infinite comfort to your dear companion.

He probably actually wants to comfort *you* now because he senses your distress at his plight. I know how hard it is, having lost dogs of my own and still bear the sorrow of it,(and I really do understand how hard this must be, and I don't say it lightly) but try as much as you possibly can to spend the remaining time together as much as possible in some state of joy and even fun rather than sorrow, for both your sakes, since your distress, which he doesn't really understand, will deeply concern and perhaps upset him.

So, as a gift of love to him, try, to work out some kind of light fun and affectionate play within his limits. You know him, I'm sure you can think of some simple games with his toys, (dogs sensing the world via nose and mouth as much as with hearing and sight, in some ways more) and joyful play will uplift you both. I pray you will have the strength to do him this last kindness and that you will not be offended at this advice in any way, and perhaps you're already doing this in which case I just wish you both well:)

Rich,

I know how you feel. In September of this year, I was given the bad news that Dakota, my 13 and a half year old Collie had cancer of the spleen. I immediately wanted to have his vet, Dr. Hart, remove his spleen, but she told me that, because of his age, he wouldn't survive the surgery. She gave Dakota a week to six months to live. I asked her what she would do if Dakota was her's, and she told me that she would wait until he was in crisis and then have him put to sleep. Basically, what she was saying was to let Dakota tell me when it was his time.

Well, Dakota finally decided that October 22, 2007, was his time. He went into shock and had to be brought to the vet. There, I was told that his spleen hadn't ruptured, like it was supposed to, but rather it bled into itself, causing him to go into shock, as blood wasn't getting to his other organs. After some intravenous medicines, they brought Dakota around, but I was told that he was a very, very sick baby. I couldn't make the decision without looking into his beautiful amber eyes. That night, his eyes, always so full of love and contentment, just looked tired. The sparkle was gone from them and I knew it was his time.

I told the vet that it was his time and they wheeled him into the room where I was at. As sick as he was, he actually tried to get up and he kept looking off into a corner of the room. My sister was there with me and she told me that I said that Dakota sees Junior (her Rottweiler) and that he wants to go.

When Dakota left me, he took my heart. But one thing makes me get through each day. It is a poem. This poem is my mantra. Whenever I feel that I didn't make the right decision, I say this to myself:

"If it should be that I grow weak
and pain should keep me from my sleep.
Then you must do what must be done,
for this last battle cannot be won.

You will be sad, I understand.
Don't let your grief then stay your hand.
For this day, more than all the rest,
your love for me must stand the test.

We've had so many happy years,
what is to come can hold no fears.
You'd not want me to suffer so,
the time has come, please let me go.

Take me where my needs they'll tend,
and please stay with me until the end.
Hold me close and speak to me,
until my eyes no longer see.

I know in time that you will see,
the kindness that you gave to me.

Do not grieve, it must be you
who had this painful thing to do.
We've been so close, we two, these years,
don't let your heart hold back it's tears.

Although my tail, it's last has waved,
from pain and suffering I've been saved."

So sorry to hear what you're going thrugh vendome, and I hope some of the wise words of others have helped. {Hugs to you and your poor boy}

I have loved and said goodbye to many "best friends" throughout my life. It is so true, they are the essence of unconditional love. This was given to many many years ago by a "human" friend in a frame that hangs on my wall. I am crying quite hard right now as I think back on all the others and realize how much my dog Jordan I have now means to my life. This is the only thing I could think of that might give you some comfort, as it did me. Jordan is 10 and healthy, but I fear what you are going through may come for me in the not too distant future. My thoughts and heart go out to you. Sandy



"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion." - Unknown


From time to time, people tell me, "lighten up, it's just a dog,"
or, "that's a lot of money for just a dog."

They don't understand the distance traveled, the time spent, or the costs involved for "just a dog."

Some of my proudest moments have come about with "just a dog."

Many hours have passed and my only company was "just a dog,"
but I did not once feel slighted.

Some of my saddest moments have been brought about by "just a dog,"
and in those days of darkness, the gentle touch of "just a dog" gave me comfort and reason to overcome the day.

If you, too, think it's "just a dog," then you will probably understand
phrases like "just a friend," "just a sunrise," or "just a promise."

"Just a dog" brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust,
and pure unb ridled joy.

"Just a dog" brings out the compassion and patience that make me a better person.

Because of "just a dog", I will rise early, take long walks and look longingly to the future.

So for me and folks like me, it's not "just a dog" but an embodiment of all the hopes and dreams of the future,
the fond memories of the past, and the pure joy of the moment.

"Just a dog" brings out what's good in me and diverts my thoughts away
from myself and the worries of the day.

I hope that someday they can understand that it's not "just a dog",
but the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being
"just a man or woman."

So the next time you hear the phrase "just a dog"
just smile...
because they "just don't understand."