Loving and Losing A Dog

14 years ago

I don't want this to be a sad post. I guess I'm posting this for all of us who have lost a dog and think we are nuts for grieving over our dogs as much as we are.

Never expected Hubby, Daisy (our female Saint Bernard and McDuff's princess)and me to be as heartbroken as we are. We received 8 cards from family and friends. He lost his fight with bone cancer on 11/4.

This is the same as losing a family member. I keep seeing him, remembering his beautiful, big head, his knowing eyes, his funny antics, and how he loved getting comfortable in our big bed, next to us (all 180lbs. of him).

I don't want to lose that image. My heart actually aches for him. There IS such a thing as heartache. We will pick us his ashes tomorrow.

A new thing is that they do a paw print, too.

What keeps me being a reasonable, sane person during this time, is my belief that everything happens for a reason.

Maybe we don't know why he was taken from us a 6 years old, but I do know that we will know why in the future.

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Comments (14)

sylviatexas1
14 years ago
I'm so sorry, trisha.

I don't always think that everything happens for a reason, but sometimes I do...

& I think you're right; this is one of those instances.

That dog was supposed to be there for you & with you, & you really were fortunate to have had him.

As the Queen said (paraphrase because I'm very bad at quotes) "Grief is the price we pay for love."

You are forever different, forever wiser & happier & deeper, because of MacDuff.
petaloid
14 years ago
(((Trisha)))
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todancewithwolves
14 years ago
I am so sorry for your loss.

Trisha, I posted to one of your posts a while back. I don't know if you read it. I also tried emailing you. I also lost a Bernard at age 6 to a rare cancer. His was abdominal. I didn't think I would ever be able to breathe again. Bernard's do that to you. They are forever silly giant puppies. I also have Fazer's ashes. His ashes will be spread with mine someday.

Hugs

Edna
Ninapearl
14 years ago
((((((((trisha))))))))
newhomeseeker
14 years ago
I'm so sorry about your precious boy. I think some people grieve more over losing our pets than losing our fellow humans. And there is nothing wrong with that. My parents lost two of their dogs this year. One in April the other in August. To this day my dad is still grieving. One of their dogs had cancer, the other had liver problems and went downhill very quickly. The had two other young dogs at the time but that didn't help the pain. My dad recently adopted two puppies, one of which is almost a spitting image of one of the dog that died of cancer. When I was there for thanksgiving, seeing this dog reminded me so much of Petey the one they lost) that I cried and its been since April that he passed away. My dad orginally called the new puppy Little Pete and my mom made him change his name because it was too similiar to the dog they lost.

I know this doesn't help much now, but you have all those wonderful memories with your boy and think of what a great life you gave him. He was a very lucky dog and I'm sure he knew how much he was loved.
cat_mom
14 years ago
(((HUGS)))
yborgal
14 years ago
First of all, you didn't just lose a dog; you lost your furbaby. McDuff was an integral part of your family. You gave him your heart while he was here, so it's only natural that you feel as though he took part of your heart with him when he died, because he did just that.

I can tell you that losing my furry soulmate taught me that a heart can experience the pain of loss. My heart actually ached for a long time after she died. I cried more tears than I thought it was possible to shed.

We all know we will likely outlive our furbabies. We all know we will experience great sadness. Yet, there isn't one of us that would trade our wonderful moments with our babies away,in order to avoid the pain when they die.

I wish you comfort, peace and love as you deal with McDuff's passing. What a wonderful tribute to him that you loved him so much. How wonderful that he had you in his life.

Mona
gilmoregal
14 years ago
trisha -
I am new to this board - usually spend my time on the Home Decorating or Kitchens boards - but was researching dog foods and saw your post.
Please know that others can relate to your grief and are keeping you in their thoughts/prayers. We lost our wonderful Sheltie Tucker two weeks ago to lymphoma. He was only 6 years old and had seemed perfectly healthy until just 3 weeks before he passed. The lymphoma was concentrated in his abdomen, and he went downhill rapidly. Our hearts are broken, and although we have another Sheltie and a Golden, Tucker's loss leaves a void in our family. When you are a dog lover (or any animal lover, really), you know that each one is unique and irreplaceable. Grief is grief, regardless of what you are grieving for.
I hope it comforts you to know that you gave McDuff a wonderful life during his time on earth. That is the most that any dog could ask for.
michael_so_fl
14 years ago
I lost my chinabear after 16 yrs, thats like a piece of you missing. What I did was send out e-mails to all the chow chow breeders within 200 miles asking them to notify me when they had a black female. 2 months later just 40 miles away I went and looked at Maggie Mae and fell in love all over again.She is so much like chinabear that I mistakenly call her chinabear. It made it a lot easier.Chinabear is buried in the backyard with a statue of St Francis standing over her
cindyandmocha
14 years ago
What keeps me being a reasonable, sane person during this time, is my belief that everything happens for a reason.

Maybe we don't know why he was taken from us a 6 years old, but I do know that we will know why in the future.

I may sound crazy, but remember, I also use to be a euthanasia tech. I found that the people who had the very worst problems with it had no faith in any sort of after life. Frankly, I like to think that any pet I had moved on to do bigger and better things than comfort me. Perhaps my beloved "Teddy" is comforting some ill child somewhere right now.

Maybe they only live such a short lifespan because they can only tolerate so much time with us imperfect humans. Then they get their reward and move on to do bigger and better things. They can only teach us so much, and then hope that we do the best with what they taught us that we can. I hope this made you smile. It gives me comfort also.
pamghatten
14 years ago
They are a family member ... that's why losing them is so hard.

I haven't been able to read these posts, this one and Nina's .. since i mostly read at work during lunch and knew I would cry.

but today I worked from home because I had to take my old dog (13) Dakota, and old cat (12) Ronni to the vet. Dakota is doing good, Ronni is not. her liver is shot, and now I just need to keep her comfortable until I decide she's had enough.

So I needed a good cry, for me, and for you and Nina who lost pets recently.
cal_dreamer
14 years ago
Oh, this is so hard - I cry too each time I read these threads. But it's a good cry :), even after two months.

The support in this forum is wonderful though, and it helps to know we are not alone.
gigi7
14 years ago
Trisha, I'm so very sorry...bless your heart...our furkids keep us grounded...don't know what I would do without mine and all those here are such a support...I read here, but don't post often. I lost my Mom and Dad recently...5 days apart. Mom took care of every stray animal she could...I guess it's in my genes...please know that so many of us are right there with you...
kathy
Ninapearl
14 years ago
oh, kathy! i'm so sorry for your losses, i can't even imagine the pain you are in. (((((((hugs)))))) to you in your sorrow.

much like it was in the days immediately after my husband's death, i am finding a tiny measure of peace knowing that simon is romping on all four legs (well, gary romps on just 2 legs) and is free from the awful disease that took him from me way too soon. his great dane sisters seem to have adapted to life without him. oh to be a dog and be able to "live in the moment"!

Loving and Losing A Dog

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