The Rainbow Bridge

We rescued my sweet Gus 7 years ago. My vet clinic told me about a liver colored Boston Terrier that was needing a new home. He had been with two different families in the past, and we have a hard time understanding how this was possible. He was the sweetest boy and perfect for our family. He was so attached to us, and we loved him so, so much. He was very loved by our friends and families, too. He would come with us to visit our families and be present on holidays. He was the best boy.

Yesterday morning, we took him to the emergency vet for what we thought were tummy problems. He was a very food motivated boy, so it wasn’t uncommon for him to get into things. Usually his tummy issues would resolve after a day or two of a bland diet. His symptoms were mild, but when he began acting like he was in pain, we decided to see the emergency vet.

We were devastated to discover that he actually had what was likely a hemangiosarcoma of the liver. He was bleeding into his abdomen, and we couldn’t afford or bear to put our 11 year old boy through such a difficult surgery, followed by chemo. We had to make the choice to say goodbye.

I can’t express how hard it is to believe that your dog is mildly sick and will be coming home with you to then end up going home with just his collar. He died in our arms peacefully, but the pain of him being gone is so hard. Everything in my house reminds me of him. I keep telling myself that this isn’t fair and shouldn’t have happened. I didn’t want to let him go. I loved him so, so much. I need to be there emotionally for my other two dogs, but it’s so hard right now because I’m hurting so badly. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye.

My dog passed away from heart failure a few hours ago. She was old and it was her time, I loved her so much, she was such a sweet dog. This is the first pet I have ever lost. I feel like I am being crushed by a heavy weight, I can’t stop crying. I keep going through my mind all of the things I could have done differently. I can’t get the visual of the vet tech rushing her back into the room telling us she was actively passing with her body going limp while he held her. I was sitting on the ground expecting her to be able to get out on my lap and die in my arms. I wish she could have passed in my arms, but it didn’t work out that way, it was so sudden and jolting. How long does this sadness last? Does anyone have any tips on coping? I have another dog and I can’t stop thinking about how devastating this is going to be to go through all over again. I’m prone to anxiety and obsessive thoughts so I’m trying to not let these what ifs eat away at me. Pet loss sucks :(

A few months ago my 12 year old cat died. She was my best friend.

Less than a month before she passed we had brought home a new kitten. It had been going well but slow, and then my older cat stopped eating. I took her to the vet and it turned out she actually had late stage kidney disease and a fast growing cancer. There was nothing we could do, or could have done. We said goodbye less than a week later. We were devastated, and to this day letting Amelie go is the hardest thing we've ever done.

But, we had Murph. Our delightful, social, cuddly 14 week old kitten at home. It was hard but I really think she got us through. A good friend suggested that perhaps Amelie waited to show us her symptoms until she knew we'd be okay, that she waited until she knew we had another little friend to take care of us. Cats know things and I don't so I choose to believe it's true.

It's been a few months now and it becomes clear that Murph is lonely. We realise that we probably need to get her a friend, and the sooner the better. This is how we psuedo-accidentally bring home Frankie. They're instantly obsessed with eachother - playing footsies under the door for hours, meowing for eachother. We test visual contact and there's no aggression at all. We keep gently going through the steps but honestly can't keep them apart. They play fight for a bit but Murph is SO gentle with Frankie and keeps trying to share her toys.

Not long after I found them sat, two little bread loafs in a row. Since then they've started grooming each other and NOW they've started cuddling. It's been ONE WEEK. I am thrilled.

The lovely bittersweet thing is that Frankie is SO MUCH like Amelie. She purrs like a little motor, and pushes her face into your hand for an aggressive chin pat. Her meows are loud and she wants your attention but she's also so sweet and clearly a lap cat. She climbs and sits on my back like Ams did.

I didn't know how much I missed these things - and if Murph had done them I think it would have been too painful. But here is sweet Frankie and its okay. Wonderful even.

The loss of Amelie still hurts so much I can't breathe sometimes, but I still have love to share and honestly the little grump would want me to.

Anyway, thanks for reading my essay. I'm so sorry for your losses xx

My Roxy has passed. And I don't even know how to properly post her photo. She's been gone less than an hour and it feels like my life has stopped as well.

https://imgur.com/gallery/PNll1FH

EDIT: can someone help me post her photo here?

My 21 year old Manx, Diamond, passed away a few days ago. I have since buried her in my backyard. I’m in tremendous pain. I started watching “Young Sheldon” a few weeks ago when I finally accepted that she was getting ready to pass away from kidney failure. I used to watch “Big Bang Theory” years ago. There’s a line in the opening song of “Young Sheldon” (yesterday I moved a mountain) and that resonates with me so much, so I get a bit emotional because watching Dimy die in front of me and then burying her is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. When my dad passed 5 years ago, my sis and I watched “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” on Netflix to help balance the grief. What are you guys doing to help cope with the loss of your loved ones?

He was a rescue we got 11 years 9 months ago and was nearly fully grown so he was 12. He was the best dog you could ever ask for and was a pillar of health until this week.

He was fine on Sunday, a bit wobbly on Monday and turned bad on Tuesday. He was assessed on Wednesday and it turns out he had an enlarged prostate, bronchitis, lung inflammation, and a lump in his throat. There were also shadows detected in his prostate, lungs and head which the vet possibly thinks were malignant.

We tried him with antibiotics which didn't really take as he lost the ability to walk and pee. On Friday we were debating to put him down, but I wanted to give him a chance, so we got his bladder drained and tried steroids, which seemed to work for a bit, and he peed Saturday morning, but quickly deteriorated again by 5PM. He wasn't walking, or peeing or pooping, but he was fully alert and would eat and drink water. He looked so tired, but was so happy to see us and he kept wagging his tail and trying to sit up.

He was my dad's constant companion, and when we decided to put him to sleep, and gave him all the food he wanted and all the love and kisses and hugs we could give him. He passed on at 7PM last night. It was so difficult, and I keep second guessing if it was the right decision. I think I just need some reassurance as this doesn't feel real at all and feels way too quick. I miss my best friend so much.

My dog (toxirn breed) of 19 years passed away at 11:15am on the 7th of this month. His death was very sudden and I was able to be there for him during his last moments and breaths, here at home. The night before he passed, he was refusing his food. He was weak and couldn't hold himself up. He drank water for a good 3 minutes. After attempting to feed him that night, I carried him back into the room to lay him down in his bed. He couldn't even hold his head up. I put the blanket on him and kissed his little head and put the bowl of water by him. The way he looked at me in that moment I will not forget. It was like he was telling me, "it's time." For some reason, I wasn't putting two and two together. I felt like his time was coming, but didn't expect it to happen literally the next day.

In the middle of the night, he started yelping here and there. Again, not thinking much of it, I figured he was dreaming. But it carried on into the day time. I noticed his eyes wouldn't blink. I couldn't tell if he was sleeping or not! I brought him up into the bed with me. His eyes seemed to be looking past me a lot of the time. I knew he was leaving me.

It was only a few hours that day that he was with me. I didn't leave his side. I kept telling him how sorry I was. Sorry that I didn't get to love him as much as he deserved. That he probably lived his last few years feeling lonely and uncared for because I got so caught up in kids and whatever craziness was going on in my life. Everything took precedent over him. He was always last. I hardly ever took him outside on hikes anymore. In fact, he didn't get to see or feel the sunshine or the breeze before his final day.

I called him an asshole for peeing on the floor. I will never be able to forgive myself for my lack that I provided to him in his older years.

While he was passing in his final minutes, I thanked him for being such a huge part of my life. He was literally there through everything. From the time I fell into darkness at the young age of 11 up until now having had my 3rd and final child only 19 months ago. He was there for it all. I told him how good of a dog he was. The best dog. He was such a good boy.

We didn't have the most amazing life. Life was hard for us. We both went through so much trauma together. But he was my guardian angel. And I did my best to protect him too.

There's so much I wish I could take back. There's so much I want to do over. If I could at least get his final year of life back and do it all over again, I would. So that he knows how much he is loved as he passes. Sometimes I question if he knew how much I truly loved him. Because I don't think I showed it enough.

I've been crying more tears than I ever have in my life time. My eyes are practically swollen shut. I hope I can be forgiven. And how badly I want to know he's okay and happy and free.

My little Hershey, I love you with all of my heart. With all that I am. I miss you more than anything and wish you were here with me again, snuggling with me and laying your little head on my chest. So I can smell your little paws again and wonder what you're dreaming about. I feel like you deserved so much more and so much better. And I hope you don't think that I abandoned you as we grew in age and so many things put space between us. I always loved you with all my heart and I always will. You are so much alive in my heart and mind. Thank you for being my angel. Thank you for teaching me so much. And I promise to love with all my heart every day even though you aren't physically here anymore. I still leave a space for you to lay down next to me any time you want. Please forgive me. You were my everything.

I am grateful to have been able to be here for him as he moved on from this life into the next. Though it was hard to watch his final breaths, I'm grateful his death was quick. He did not suffer long. And I knew he was free. A piece of my heart is gone. But I'm glad it's with him.

I made the decision to have my sweet soul dog euthanized last week, and I have been feeling so much regret. He had been dealing with Degenerative Myelopathy for about a year and a half, and I can't stop thinking about the what ifs. What if I had done more to support his mobility once his legs started to show signs of weakness? What if I had gotten him more preventative care growing up?

For context, he was an almost 12 year old German Shepherd named Gunner. Here is a list of all the reasons that led me to my decision: Inability to walk up/down stairs without assistance

Unable to rise from seated/lying position without assistance

Both rear paws turn over when walking

Constant wobbling and often falling over, including while trying to poop

Both urinary and fecal incontinence, even while sleeping, nearly daily

Excessive thirst and extreme weight loss despite no major changes to diet/exercise

Increased separation anxiety

In general, he just seemed incredibly uncomfortable. Even when lying down it seemed like he could never find a comfortable position.

The one event that led me to make the call, is when he had gone outside and peed, and it seemed as if he did not have to poop yet. But about 20 minutes or so after coming back inside, I had gone upstairs and came back down to him having pooped on the floor, lying in it and completely unable to get up.

I could not stand to see him struggle with such basic tasks. When I took him into the vet a couple months ago, I explained how much worse things had gotten and how his pain meds didn't seem to be doing much anymore, and she assured me that if I chose to euthanize it would be the right thing to do. And even then, I waited another month and a half before I finally got it done. I'm not sure why the vet telling me I did the right thing isn't enough for me, and I can't stop thinking about having a couple of extra months with my boy. I know the disease can take over fast, and eventually would have progressed to his front end causing severe breathing issues, and I wanted to let him go before he even had a single day of suffering, and I feel like he was getting close to that point. Has anyone ever dealt with something similar?

I thought I was prepared for this. I knew our cat Mutzel was already 15 years old and her time was coming. Still, today hit me like a goddamn truck.

This morning we woke up to her bleeding a lot from her back. We immediately called animal emergency services. Hours of anxiety-filled waiting later, they had space for us, and we rushed her over there immediately.

They did a full blood analysis and we left her in their care and went home with a little bit of hope in our heart she'd still have some time left. Turns out that blood came from a tumor.

They also had a look at her liver and the vet said to us on the phone, that it was one of the worst livers she's ever seen and that she was very weak. We didn't want her to keep suffering, so we decided to let her go.

2 years ago, when her brother passed, she was super weak and sad and we thought she'd leave us soon as well. A few months after Rufus' passing, we adopted a pair of kittens, and Mutzel accepted them immediately. Suddenly she was super energic, she played and cuddled with them.

Maybe I'm just coping, but I choose to believe the kittens have given her energy to press on further. Now they are running around the house looking for her and it breaks my heart.

I do not believe in an afterlife, but if there is one, I hope Mutzel is now back together with her dear brother Rufus. She was the gentlest and kindest cat I've ever known, and the thought of her soul being gone forever is crushing.

I dont know what to do now. I have no drive to draw, or even play a game. Every smile and laugh feels like I'm belittling her death. I don't know how I'm supposed to function at university next week.

About a month ago my baby bearded dragon was killed by my cat. I left her cage unlocked when I went to bed and my cat was able to pry the doors open. I found her dead body outside of my door when I woke up.

It was horrible , the worst thing I’ve experienced. I wasnt able to sleep in or barely go in my room for about the first week an a half. I’ve never felt this kind of grief before. I think a big part of it was how she died and that it was completely my fault.

I could never get a new baby but I’ve seen a few full grown ones in my area who are looking to be rehomed/adopted. I’m considering adopting one. I feel like I need to do something to make up for what I did. I feel that Loving and caring for a new one would help me heal. I don’t want to commit if there’s a chance it will make me feel worse. Has anyone experienced anything like this? Or does anyone have an opinion they’d like to share about what you think I should do.

It’s been about 7 months since my dog passed, it’s still rare that I don’t sob at least once a day about it. He was only 6 and I miss him so so so much, he was all I truly had and he was so unique and special, I’ve never felt so connected to someone/something and loved him with my whole heart. Lately I keep feeling guilt and ruminating over the times I got upset, especially when he was sick and I had no idea how bad and incurable it was. I acted out of character twice when he had an accident on my bed and in my house after long overstimulating work days, and it wasn’t directed at him, but I still yelled out loud and moved frantically and made him nervous and I still feel horrible. I felt guilty right after and went to comfort and hug him once I calmed down and cleaned up and every time after that I was gentle and comforting but I still hate myself so much for making that experience worse for him in those moments. I was either unemployed or working part time the majority of the last two years I had him, so he was very used to having me home 24/7, then started working full time around the time he was slowing down. I kept my hours as short as I could but I can’t help but worry that him being alone longer than he was used to made it worse. I did a certification program a year ago specifically to get a work from home job to be with him all the time but I never got any of the positions I applied to and had to take a job in person 5 days a week. Everyone tells me I had to do what I could to survive but I just feel like I failed and on one hand I feel like I could’ve saved him somehow, but on another I fear that he was in pain for longer than he should’ve been and it went unnoticed. He was in and out of the emergency vet for the month of May with no diagnosis and deteriorating seemingly more after each visit, I spent all of my money and got money from others to save him and it still wasn’t enough. He wasn’t treated well at the vet and after his final visit he came home with an unexplainable wound and covered in his own feces. I had to bathe him every day and he hated baths. What if I just traumatized him more by selfishly trying to save him? I was taking him to the vet at least once a month for on and off diarrhea for about a year and they couldn’t figure out what was causing it, gave me meds and treatments that only worked temporarily, and i also took him frequently for his epilepsy his entire life. Since he was so used to going to the vet he enjoyed going for the treats and liked the people taking care of him, at some points he thought it was fun and didn’t want to leave. But I still just feel so terrible. I took him on as many walks and adventures as I could nearly daily and found as many areas as I could to let him run off leash and play my little version of tag with him, which he loved, but what if it wasn’t enough and he was depressed? As much as I logically try to remind myself that I did my best given my circumstances I keep feeling like I didn’t and that I let him down, which he didn’t deserve at all given how much love he gave me. I knew what I had and treasured him every moment and was so fearful of losing him his entire life, I knew how much it would hurt when he would go, but it hurts even more than I thought it would and I’m at the point where I can’t help but blame myself

It's been 10 days. The grief comes in waves.

We lost Juno suddenly on the 30th of October at around 12:45 PM. She was almost 10 years old.

She was my one-of-a-kind border-collie x husky rescue, and words can't describe the bond we shared.

This wasn’t like losing any other pet I’ve ever had before. She was my dog, a once-in-a-lifetime friend who seemed to understand me on a level that even I didn’t understand. She brought so much energy, intelligence, and pure love into my and others' lives. I don’t think I’ll ever find another soul like hers - she was pure love.

She passed so quickly and suddenly. Out of nowhere, she collapsed from what we later found out was hemangiosarcoma of the heart - an aggressive tumor that had suddenly ruptured. I got the heartbreaking call and we raced back to the vet - knowing she could go at any time.

Thankfully, she hung on until we were there to say goodbye. With her last breath, she gave me her last "rooo...rooo."

It’s so hard to believe she’s gone. There was no warning, no time, and her absence in our home is heavy and devastating. One moment she was there, and then—just like that... gone.

She had such a vibrant spirit. Whether it was a collie-eyed look, a tail swoosh, or a "Rooo rooo", she had a way of lifting my spirits and making life feel less heavy. We called her my "blood pressure monitor," because she would paw me when I swore or sighed at my computer to remind me to take it easy.

I miss her so much, and it hurts so much. The house feels empty without the "tick tick" of her nails behind me. She was my shadow. I couldn't even go to the bathroom without her nosing her way in. I’m left with a hole in my life where she used to be.

I hope, wherever she is, she knows how much she is loved and what an irreplaceable part of my life she’ll always be.

Run free, my best girl. My little ray of sunshine ❤️

My best friend lost her 15.5 year old dog on Friday. He'd started going downhill after taking a nap Wednesday afternoon. At around 10pm on Wednesday we took him to the emergency vet where he was diagnosed with a bladder infection that had gone septic despite the fact this dog was still urinating and drinking (as he had suspected Cushing's). He stayed overnight at the vet and was then transferred to a second vet, which is where they informed us that the emergency vet had also discovered a large mass on his spleen and liver that had ruptured, and there was fluid in his belly.

The only sign he had of a UTI, was that his pee smelled a bit off. That's it. I'd just seen this dog days prior and other than being arthritic, he was literally fine otherwise.

My friend is also a pet sitter of 30 years and blames herself for not catching the infection earlier, like she would have in a clients dog.I don't think it's her fault at all, because the dog was in fact still peeing, and didn't show any signs of being so sick, plus he was so stoic, that I believe he simply just didn't let on how bad off he truly was. It's my belief that the Cushing's had actually been a misdiagnosed hemangiosarcoma, and also may have caused his immune system to not be as good, leading to the sudden severe infection. I think honestly, had he not gotten the infection, the tumor rupturing would've caused him to just keel over and she would've come home from work to a dead dog and not even been able to say goodbye.

She also feels guilty for not riding in the back of my van with him between the emergency vet and the second vet he went to for supportive care where he was euthanized.

I don't know how to make her feel better. I had my own dog go a similar way last year, when her own hemangiosarcoma had come back with a vengeance.

What can I do to help my traumatized friend other than repeating "it's not your fault" like a broken record.

Our 1yo female cat who was very dear to us died very suddenly. Vet wasn’t able to determine the cause of death but we’re getting an necropsy done. The results, however, will take at least 3 months. In the meantime I would like to find some peace. Did we do something very wrong? What could have caused this? Has anyone else experienced something similar? How to deal with the doubts and what ifs?

I came home after work and found our beloved cat dead under the bed. She had thrown up once earlier and peed herself after death. She hadn’t eaten anything suspicious, no diet changes. The morning of, she was her normal self: came to purr in both of our laps, used the litterbox and asked for pets. 6 hours later, she was already dead ❤️‍🩹

There are a few things I suspect. First, she was always breathing very fast, over 40 times per minute. We took her to get a heart & stomach ultrasound at the vet and nothing suspicious was found. The vet concluded that she has narrow nostrils possibly but is perfectly healthy. This was in August. I decided to stop panicking about this but the condition didn’t improve. She also got the ”healthy” stamp from a blood test in May. She was never super physically strong, couldn't jump high at all but didn't seem in pain. Asked at least two vets about this and they said she's healthy.

Secondly, the amount of pee she was producing decreased over the last month or two. Her average pee was maybe the size of a golfball and her feces was quite dry. I thought maybe she’s not drinking enough and added some water to her food. Now I’m thinking maybe it was urinary blockage and I was so stupid for not paying more attention. She used the litterbox 3-5 times per day always, never elsewhere. Didn’t meow while peeing, didn’t seem to be hurting. She was energetic and happy. She was eating normally. Always walked around the house with her tail up.

Thirdly, she started play biting us occasionally maybe a two months ago. I assumed it was stress since we moved places + wanting to play more. Maybe this was also a red flag that we ignored and she was actually in pain despite playing and purring and being social.

Anyway, do you think we were simply bad cat parents or was this inevitable?

Hi all,

My dad recently adopted a new dog and I don’t know how i feel about it. He has been telling me that he would eventually adopt another one and I agreed as my dad is quite lonely and I don’t live with him. However I didn’t expect it to be this fast. We loss our previous dog in June and I am still grieving. He was my best friend and I consider him my first dog. I’m not going to lie but I actually feel a bit uncomfortable coming home and seeing a new dog taking over the house. It’s a somewhat small dog and of course very different to our previous dog. Our previous dog was so calm, friendly, loved everyone and was soooo goofy. But now this one is yappy, over protective and not as friendly. My dad has had him for a week and hasn’t been training him yet.

I feel I may be a bit mean but I don’t know if I could get along with his new dog. I tried playing with him but I couldn’t feel any spark between us. I honestly cried secretly yesterday - I think it’s because it’s strange to see another dog at home than my best friend.

Is it ok if I don’t get along with this dog? Kinda like, I know he exist but I don’t want to be associated with the dog? I did tell my dad that whatever dog he adopts will be HIS dog. With our previous dog it was OUR dog as we both were there when we adopted him 🤍

Thoughts and advice would be much appreciated 🙏

I had to make the decision last Tuesday -hardest thing I've ever done. and she was put to sleep Thursday afternoon . Since then I haven't left my apartment I'm so exhausted and sad. I think I'm doing better and then I'll just collapse on the floor crying. She was the best sweetest girl and was with me 24/7. I keep asking myself " what do I do now?" I just want to stay in bed because as someone else said it's becomes too real when I get out of bed.

I’m devastated. Our 3.5yo kitty, Strax (or “Tiny Sir”) left us abruptly yesterday. He was sleeping on the dining room table while I was in the kitchen. I heard a thump that sounded off (cat owners will understand- it wasn’t a “landing” thump sound, if that makes sense).

Trigger warning: description of him passing * * * He was on the floor on his right side, and his right paw, his claws, were stuck in his cheek. I thought maybe he was just “caught up” in his claw so I quickly removed the claw, but then I noticed he has lost control of his bladder. His tongue was curled and I could see white foam under his tongue. He cried out softly but it sounded distorted. I used my pinky to swipe his throat thinking he might be choking, but it was clear. His little body was vibrating a bit but he wasn’t stiff; he gave out one last loud howl-cry, and stopped breathing. I started CPR over his mouth and nose and trying to do some kind of chest compressions, but nothing. After 3 minutes he was gone-gone.

There were zero signs that he was sick. His appetite was fine, his activity was his normal talkative stuff, he allowed us to love him on his own terms like normal.

It was horrible to witness, I felt so helpless. I don’t if there was anything I missed leading up to this, or if I had continued CPR longer could he still be with us.

What could have caused this??

and I don’t know how to cope. I can’t stop crying, the tears just don’t stop. My brain is going a million miles a minute. He was my 8 year old Tuxedo boy. One minute he was snuggling with me, and then he zoomed out of the room to play with a toy. I heard a big thud and found him collapsed on the floor, ran over to him and tried to get him to stand in a panic, and he just melted down into a puddle and lost all consciousness. It happened over the course of a minute and it felt so fast and like time stopped at the same time. We took him to a 24 hour vet, where they confirmed he likely had a heart attack and didn’t suffer. I can’t stop replaying finding him or the feeling of he weightless body in my arms as I carried him out. This house is so empty. There’s a big presence missing and I just don’t know how to handle myself right now. I feel so lost and so empty

It’s been a little over 5 months since I lost my dog unexpectedly. He would’ve turned 12 about a month ago now. Over the past few days, I’ve started debating about what to do with his ashes. They currently sit in a box on a bookshelf in my room. I thought about burying them in the backyard but not sure if that’s the greatest move considering if/when my family moves from there. I’ve also thought about scattering them somewhere but at the same time I’m not sure where would be a good place to do so. If my grandparents hadn’t moved I would probably have scattered them at their place considering it’s a really nice place along a river it’s also a place that he loved to be at, and it’s where my mom’s childhood cat is buried. I did debate scattering them in the Scottish Highlands on a trip I made overseas recently but decided not to. Any suggestions on what to do? It’s been hard for me to decide on a meaningful place to scatter his ashes.

We lost our sweet boy this week, and I am beyond heartbroken. He would have been 4 this December. We adopted him as a 12 week old puppy, and three days later I found out I was pregnant. He was by my side comforting me my whole pregnancy, and was the best big brother once the baby came. He was so smart, goofy, loving, and a total lap dog even though he was 70 lbs. Everyone who met him always said what a sweet soul he was.

After showing some signs of lethargy and not wanting to eat over the summer, I brought him to the vet because his belly started to look swollen. After two scary days at the emergency vet, he was diagnosed with a severe heart defect and very enlarged heart. I couldn’t believe it since he had always seemed so healthy and done great at vet check ups. He was put on 4 different medications, and immediately started doing great. Got his appetite back, was playful and happy. We had three amazing months with him, until he suddenly wasn’t doing well again. What I thought would be a visit to get his belly drained and adjust his meds turned into two more nights at the ER, and by the end they told us he would not recover. His heart rate got so high during the procedure and never stabilized after that. We opted to bring him home for the weekend to say our goodbyes, and then had to bring him in to be put to sleep. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and I have not stopped crying.

My heart goes out to anyone who has struggled with this kind of loss. I feel like I failed him, like if I could have done more or brought him in sooner he would still be here. The vets told me because he was so young exhibiting the symptoms he had the prognosis was never good, but I still feel so horrible. I miss him so much. Till we meet again my sweet boy, I will forever have you with me in my heart, I’m forever changed.

My sister, I never really saw her as a dog, she died today, a very abrupt death. She was almost 14 and she was fine till Friday when she just randomly started puking, and even after getting meds she puked up blood and then died soon after. We buried her and did her last rites and I feel like I'm not sad enough. I cried and I cried and I cried when she passed away in my arms and as we buried her but now, I feel nothing, I feel no emotions, I want to go back to normal, do what I normally do. I feel like I should be grieving, but I don't think I am, is that normal? I feel a little like an unfeeling psychopath.

Tl;dr: Got a dog less than 2 years ago from a family who wanted to keep her, kept in some contact, don't know how to tell them she has cancer and is going to pass.

About a year and a half ago, I got a 7 year old dog (Goober) from a family who very much wanted to keep her but weren't able to. In January, she was diagnosed with lymphoma and we're in "keep an eye out for the time to call it" territory now. I didn't know the family before hand, but I've stayed in contact with the teenage daughter, sending Halloween pictures and the like. The previous owner's various family members have Goober's parents and siblings, and we'd talked about playdates but never followed through.

I want to tell them before she passes so they can come see her (and even be there when she does, if they want). Goober loves people and that includes the vet! which is only two blocks away so I plan to take her in when the time comes. Right now, she's still having more good days than bad, but she's got a tumor on her stomach that's been bleeding more and more the past few days (which is a little grotesque, but doesn't seem to bother her).

I only have contact info for the teenager (17-19 yrs old at a guess) and her aunt who facilitated the adoption. Any advice on what to say? Should I cold call them or text and say we need to talk? How do I phrase it? How do I brace myself? Goober loves car rides, so I'm happy to take her to them if they can't make it here. When the time comes, how big of a window should I give them to be able to come? They live about 2 hours away, but from my understanding this won't be a super sudden death.

I know sooner is better than later. And I know if I was that teenager and I didn't have the chance to say goodbye to my childhood dog (who passed in 2021, Goober's my first adoption since), I would never forgive the person who kept me from her.

I've been putting this off since January and can't live with myself if I don't say something while she's still cheery and excited. I just...don't know how.

Bonus: do I tell them I renamed their dog? Should I tell the vet to call her by her old name if they come with for her to go to sleep?

Thank you all

I met Mouse yesterday.

You landed on my hand, a wild finch fledgling, separated from mama and the family due to a heavy thunderstorm.

Mouse - you came to me, trusting I would shelter you in a storm, literally.

I did the best I could. I gave you a warm and safe place to rest your weary body. Sadly you were meant for the heavens.

Rest in peace 🙏🏻 Soar high, little guy 🕊️🕊️🕊️

*Mouse was not technically my pet, but he was my animal child. All sentient beings are treated equally in my eyes and soul 💝

My dog passed away about half a year ago. Life has been extremely hard without her, I still cry daily and miss her so much. Even though she was more than welcome on the furniture she always preferred to spread out on her own XL memory foam bed at night, right next to my bed. Since she passed away, I haven't moved her bed and still keep it set up the way she liked with all her blankies and stuffed animals. I know some owners do better when they remove all their beloved companions things from sight, but I've been the complete opposite. The first couple of months after she passed it was honestly my go to crying spot because of how close she almost feels there. It is now part of my nighttime routine to lie on it when I'm winding down before I move to my own bed- it makes me feel comforted both emotionally and it is also just really comfy itself.

My family has been trying to convince me to store her bed away though. They think it takes up too much space that I could use for something else, and have expressed concerns that it's unhealthy for me to keep it around. I don't think it is doing harm, I feel like it brings me a lot of comfort to feel near her still, but do they have a point? The thought of storing it away hadn't even crossed my mind prior to this, her bed feels like such a core part of our room, and I think removing it would just make her already painful absence even more prominent.

He was 14 years old. He was born in my house, on my birthday. He was with me for half my entire life. He was there for me in my lowest of times when I felt I had no one else. As I got older, I treated him as if he were my child. Despite his old age, he always ran and jumped around, so full of life. Every time he saw me, he would always be so happy. It is so difficult to process considering everything we’ve been through for many years. We lost a family member.

He was hit by a truck in front of my house. My dad let him out without a leash, so we’re liable and I can’t do anything about it. I’m not mad at my dad, he didn’t mean for it to happen. We buried him in my front yard, near a tree we recently planted. I believe he will continue to grow with this tree, and he will still live on in beautiful way.

Not sure if anyone would read this, I appreciate it if you made it this far, I just wanted to get this off my chest. Goodbye Moyo, thank you for everything and the unconditional love we shared. We’ll meet again someday.

I've had pets PTS but this is different. I go to bed in empty despair, wake up in anguish, it's less pronounced than a month ago but I feel a profound disquiet and dis-ease. Is this my fate for taking my cat's life away prematurely?

She had a rare fungal disease, and possibly cancer (we didn't do a biopsy of her nose). The fungal lesions on her body and in her nose cleared up on medication, but then her nose and eyes and mouth started ulcerating again, a few months later. She had surgery in April to remove an abscessed lesion that wouldn't heal. Her entire abdomen on the side was full of lesions which the vet removed. After that, she was on highest antifungal dose the vet could prescribe. She lost weight, 1 kg, but she was still eating with a slight decrease in appetite.
The vet said it was progressing and she recommended euthanasia.

The reason I chose this for her? Because it was affecting her airway, the fungal growths (and/or cancerous) were blocking her airway. They'd cemented inside her nose, deviating her septum and contorting her appearance. The inflammation was getting worse and she would gasp for air with her mouth open. Cats don't generally breathe through their mouth, and definitely can't be comfortable sleeping that way. She was still trying to breathe through a pin-prick opening in her left nostril - she'd make a snoring sound. At night, she'd clasp onto my neck or hands to keep her mouth open. It broke my heart.

All that said, she would still be here, eating and sitting in her sun spots. Looking out of the window at the sky. Playing a bit with her toys. It's the inconclusiveness of the situation, and the fact she'd still be here, albeit in an uncomfortable state (at the very least - but we can't absolutely know). What troubled me was not knowing how much she was suffering, was it bearable?

I pursued treatments with her for 1.5 years, including homeopathy, all the while her breathing was massively impacted. After a biopsy of her skin/cutaneous lesions, last October, the vet put her on fluconazole and her nose improved drastically - it felt like a miracle - in less than a month!

But, it didn't last, in March (5 months later) she developed a massive ulcer on her abdomen and more skin lesions, and then her nose started to regress - plus it was now in her eyes, and mouth.
When the vet said she wouldn't recover, with the fungus (and/or cancer) spreading into her mouth and eyes, I felt panicked and trapped. The vet was going to put her down, at that re-check appointment, but I took her home.

The vet said I could "take a few days" to process it. I still can't believe I put her down a week later.

I feel like a murderer. In this case, I really do. She was my baby and trusted me and I took her life away when she might be perfectly fine living that way. Who am I to make a choice like that? I'm not god.

I took her life without her consent and she was not actively dying.

My other pets - were both in renal failure, not eating. It felt merciful. It was also not pre-planned; they were both put down on the day I took them to the vet in crisis mode.

This felt so unreal, premeditated and cold blooded. I can't live with myself, I honestly feel like it's fractured my mind and there's no recovery from this. I did the worst thing I could ever do, against my raw emotions (that screamed no!!), betrayed her irreversibly, thinking I was acting for her benefit. How does it get more f'd up and self traumatizing than that?

It's the ultimate rupture of my heart, but she paid worse - she's gone forever now.

How can I ever trust myself after witnessing myself consenting to murder (she was not actively dying) my most precious, sweet, trusting cat?

My dog/son Max passed on 9/9 from mast cell cancer at 11 years and 9 months old. My grieving process so far has periodically included me ruminating over every detail and decision made during his cancer treatment and how I could have done things differently. “Why didn’t I do this? Why did I do that?” I know a lot of people experience this as well and I wanted to know how you all calm these thoughts. It is not helping my healing to beat myself up. This was my first time dealing with cancer in a dog and it was huge learning experience. But I still can’t help but wonder what I could have done differently so that he was here today…

My wife and I just had to let go of our French bulldog who was about to turn five years old. He was perfectly fine (seemingly) up until Wednesday when my wife noticed he was sluggish during a short walk. Then Thursday he lost all function in his back legs. Basic imaging at the vet showed something wrong with his spine, and an MRI at the animal hospital revealed multiple issues with it, including two discs that had ruptured. The surgeon said that with surgery, he had a 75% chance of walking again. But that the risk of re-injury would be high; then we saw the quote for the total cost of surgery, meds, the MRI, etc and it was well beyond what we could stomach given the risk of more problems even if the surgery were successful. Making matters worse, we had JUST signed up for pet insurance through my wife's work but it doesn't start until January. My wife felt we would be right back in this situation again considering that our little Soto has a very energetic nature to him and it's hard to get him to stay still. So we made the heart-wrenching decision to have him put to sleep.

Needless to say we are both wrecked. The void of his absence is deafening. The routine we're used to is so different now. We have an 8 year old Frenchie, and he's figured out what happened, and seeing him sad is only making the grief worse. And I keep struggling with whether we made the right decision. Should we have had the surgery and just kept trying to make it work, with physical therapy and taking the risk of further injury? I miss his sweet face and his snuggles. It feels like there's no end to this saddness.

Gus was the best cat. he was a mummies boy, he luved his food.. maybe he luved his food a little too much. he started to get unwell in february, the month of luv but for me it was the month of pain. you left february 2nd alone in the vets, mum was too busy bawling her eyes out. i wish i was there just so you actually knew we were alone but i knew it was impossible, you were in surgery for your kidney stones. you stopped peeing and eating, it was the worst night of my life. hearing that you made one last meow and breath before leaving, you didn’t even make it past the sleeping drugs before you left. oh, how i wish i could’ve been in the room with you my boy, maybe you would’ve fought a little harder for me but i know it’s for the better, your not suffering anymore. i know you are looking over me and your brother, we miss you a lot Gus, please i want you to come home, i need you.