need advice....death of a beloved pet

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eris
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need advice....death of a beloved pet

Post by eris »

For those of you that have lost a beloved pet, I need your advice, please.

Over the weekend, our dear dog, Star, died at the vet's office. She was seemingly healthy on Tuesday; started coughing on Wed night; took her to the vet on Thurs with the diagnosis of inflammation of the trachea; took her back to the vet Friday morning b/c she started bleeding from her nose; she died sometime between 10 PM Friday and 8 AM Sat.

The vet performed an autopsy and gave me the results today; however, we are still waiting for various lab results.

My family is devastated & heart-broken. Should we get another dog? If so, should it be another black lab or look completely different? Would a different type of pet be in order? How soon should we get another pet...right away or wait until everyone is more calm?

Thank you for your time and advice.

shanth.phy
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Post by shanth.phy »

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Last edited by shanth.phy on Tue Dec 07, 2004 11:27 am, edited 1 time in total.

William
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Post by William »

Eris,

So sorry about your loss. I agree with Shanth about getting another pet–give it a little cushion of time. May I suggest a healthy dog from a shelter? There are so many animals who need a home. We always get our cats from a shelter and we have been very happy with them.

All the best to you and your family,
William

Timothy
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Post by Timothy »

Take the time to grieve.

In time, a few weeks perhaps, you will be in a better frame of mind to accept a new animal into your home. Just as it is important to mourn, it is also important to be open to this new and different pet.

regards,

- tim

Keesa
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Post by Keesa »

Our Sarah-cat died this spring; we'd had her for fifteen years at least (she was almost as old as my little sister!), so it was very hard to lose her.

We almost certainly will get another cat, but not right away. Just as people used to have periods of mourning for people they loved, we're in a period of mourning for Sarah.

I would suggest that you wait a while; how long depends on how long you had Star and how human she was to you. And if you don't feel that you want another dog...don't get one!

Emma_85
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Post by Emma_85 »

It's terrible when a pet dies :cry: , I'm so sorry to hear about Star's death.

Maybe it would be best to wait a bit, just wait until you feel like you and your family feel that you want one again. I don't think it matters which breed, which ever dog appears good-natured to you.

Keesa
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Post by Keesa »

Don't get a dog that looks like Star. You don't want to feel that the new dog is trying to take Star's place, because that's obviously impossible and (if you're at all like me!) you'll resent the new dog for that.

Anna Coluthon
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Post by Anna Coluthon »

Several years ago our beloved cat died and we, my husband in particular, were just devastated.

When we called our vet to ask where we could make a meaningful donation in her name, he sent us to the local emergency pet hospital where they had a kitten who had apparently been thrown from a car along the freeway and needed extensive orthopedic surgery which their surgeon was unwilling to provide gratis.

We ended up not only funding his surgery, but adopting the little guy and nursing him back to health--3 months that I rank as among the most challenging and rewarding I have ever spent. (keeping a kitten both amused and from jumping is a wonderful exercise in ingenuity :D )

While I agree in principle with the notion of pet-free time for grieving, in practise I believe strongly in power of being needed. There are so many animals in need of special care and attention, and for me and my husband devoting ourselves to the rescue of one of them proved the best possible memorial for our earlier cat--who had herself once been a foundling in poor health.

Our present cat now leaps and bounds with the best of them, despite 8 pins in his right foreleg. He also has the best disposition of any cat I have ever known --likely at least in part because of all the intensive interaction we've had with him. We couldn't be prouder of him or more grateful for the experience we've had with him.

Everybody's different, of course. But don't rule out getting another pet right away on the grounds that it would be disloyal or in some way unloving to your first pet. There are alot of animals out there who are hurting over terrible experiences with whom you can share your grief and constructively express your anguish over your loss. Even volunteering at an animal shelter to walk dogs or soothe traumatized animals can help you a great deal--not to mention benefit the animals!

Best of luck. I'm so sorry about your dog :cry:

eris
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Post by eris »

Many thanks for various advice, concerns, and experiences. It's nice to know that there are others who care. :)

My family has started to volunteer at the local animal shelter. We walk & play with the dogs and give them baths. We also cuddle with the cats and play with them as well. When everyone is ready, we'll adopt one (or more) of these animals to add to our family. It is difficult for me to see all these animals without homes.

Thanks again for your help & advice!

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