Oh how very sad - my sympathies - I cannot imagine what a horrible shock it be to get news like that from out of the blue. Even if you're more ready for it it can still be very hard when the time comes.

You will know when the time is right for a new dog to come into your life and hopefully people around you will understand - it wouldnt be fair to the new dog. Grief is something that happens in its own time - can take many months... our pets all unique, not like they can be easily replaced.

In the meantime take care of yourself and Basti - cherish the memories - the time you shared on earth with your wonderful dog and the love between you will never die. Some say we'll be with our pets again - yknow I kind of tend to believe that!

First, I am VERY sorry for your loss. I know what it's like to lose a pet. It's horrible, and takes a long time to get over. With this happening near Christmas makes it even worse. I am really very sorry this happened.

Was he 3.5 yrs old? That is very young. Was he in good health BEFORE you handed him over to the groomers?

Him dying suddenly while he was under groomer care seems very suspicious to me. I have heard groomers will sedate dogs to get them to calm down enough so they can work with them. I would suspect they overdosed him or he had an allergic reaction. If it is still possible, I would take him to the vet (not the vet at the groomers - a different unbiased vet) and see if they can find any traces of whatever sedatives they gave him. It is very doubtful the groomer will admit to anything. If you can prove they were negligent, I would be going after them.

In the meantime, do not let your other dog go there again. Learn how to groom your own dogs - it's not that hard. I have been grooming mine for years all because of a bad haircut. I now do their paws, trim their nails, bathe them and give them hair cuts. I have gotten pretty good at it now. It saves you a lot of money, it assures that nobody will mistreat them, and it builds a stronger bond between you and your pet.

I know its very sad, and you're going through a lot. Give all your love to your other pup and know that one day you will be reunited with Jigo.

I'm so very sorry. I would not use that groomer ever again.

I feel your pain and sadness. All who have lost a pet feel as you do and it will fade in time. Talking about your loss and writing to us will soothe. We are all here with you.

I'm so sorry about JIGO. What a special dog he must have been, it sounds like he had a very profound impact on your life- making you a better person.

There was a commercial that ran a few years back that stays with me, it said something to the effect of, "We have our pets only for a short time, but they stay with us forever." Isn't that the truth.

And I understand about how much you love BASTI, but that there was something special between you and JIGO. They are all special and important to us in their own ways, but some affect us more than others, especially when they make us better people or teach us something new, perhaps about our own character.

My deepest condolences and ((((HUGS)))).

Thanks for replying my email. I felt the sincerity in every words you all had written. I really appreciate your concerns. Every morning when I woke up, I still feel the deep pain that Jigo was no longer there; eager waiting for me to get up.

I'm so sorry to hear about Jigo. I just lost my cat suddenly on Sunday. Like you, I have other pets - 2 other cats and 2 dogs. But, my cat Raku, was probably my favorite even though I love them all.

I still have his sister Bindi and honestly, my bond with her has grown so much in the past few days. They had been with each other since before I adopted them (about 10 years) and she spent most of her time in search of him (now in search of me). I hope the same will happen for you and Basti. Just remember that Basti needs a lot of TLC right now too. For me spending time with Bindi knowing that we are both going through missing him has given me so much comfort.

Another note, when I have had animals pass in the past, I write a journal. The pages about what happened surrounding their death doesn't matter, it is just a release. But, the parts you write about stories of them and all their little quirks, you may cherish forever. I know I do. When Raku passed, I opened my pet journal. Morpheus, another cat, died a year and half ago. I started reading her stories and quirks and it was so comforting. I thought I would die when she passed. However, with time I am able to read the stories and about her and they make me smile so much. Bringing back such great memories. Some things you will never forget, but in the short time since I lost her, I had forgotten some stories, but vividly remembered them after reading my journal. Just something helpful for me that you may want to keep in mind.

Finally, I don't know if you question the groomer/vet and what happened as another poster mentioned it. I questioned my vet A LOT after it happened - why wasn't more done, why wasn't the mass treated, was it heart failure, on, and on, and on. Was almost driving myself crazy until I said enough is enough and went to my vet with all my questions. We talked for 20-30 minutes. I felt so much better. If you do have questions, my only suggestion is maybe try to ask the vet who witnessed it first. They probably will sit down and talk to you as it likely shocked them too and they may also have answers for you if you still have questions.

I am so sad by your story. I understand.
I lost my female boxer last year and less than one
year later my male boxer passed away. It has been almost
2 months since my male passed. I miss him so much.
And I miss her too.

You are not alone. Our dogs are the closest piece of
heaven we can have on Earth.

May Basti comfort you in the days ahead. There is no
doubt that Basti is suffering the loss of Jigo too.
I watched my male's heart break when he lost his female
partner. He was younger than she but left early our world
to be with her again.

Hug Basti tight and know you both miss her too.