My 2.5 year old chocolate Lab died suddenly and unexpectedly 3 weeks ago. My family is totally heartbroken and have no answers. I just don't get it and we couldn't bring ourselves to do an autopsy as the situation was traumatizing enough. He was playing and having a good time in the snow with my daughter the day before, all was good. The next morning was unbearable. I woke up for work like always let him out to do his business, but when he came in, he went to his bed and before I knew it his legs were kicking in the air and he was gone! He was much more than just a pet, he was our baby, our child. It's so incredibly hard to go on. Has anyone ever experienced this or have a clue what this could have been? Please help!
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My pets are my children too and having recently dealth with (actually are still grieving) the death of our lab/Great Dane mix I know the sorrow you are experiencing. It sounds like your dog had some type of seizure. However, I'm not sure anyone can specifically determine the cause of death in a situation such as yours without a necropsy (autopsy). I'm sincerely sorry your dog died. It may ease your grief to find a special way to honor him. When the time is right, open your heart and home to another dog that needs a loving home.
Thank you for your support. It's definitely hard and never easy to lose them especially when they are so young. I honor him everyday!
This is so sad but you are not alone in how you feel about the death of a beloved pet. Most of us have gone through moments like this and the experience is different on each occasion but the death of a young pet has to be one of the worst kinds. Not understanding the mystery has to add to the already devastating grief.
ThriftyFun receives messages like this frequently and you can tell from enormous response that you are not alone with this type of grief. You can read some of the responses but there are so many that you may just want to pick a few to read. I would suggest that you read Pghgirl's responses as her answers may help you deal with what you're going through right now.
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This can be very serious and many people need help recovering from a pet's death. I have been fortunate that University of Florida is near and they are smart enough to have a grief counselor on duty or call as needed.
I would suggest that you contact your local humane society or the ASPCA and tell them what happened and maybe they could help you with this loss.
You can tell how wide spread this emotion reaches by the number of 'help' sites that are available. I have listed several as not all will be appropriate for you and your family but maybe you can choose at least one site that sounds like it could be appropriate for this present situation.
theconversation.com/
www.rainbowsbridge.com/
pawswhiskersandwags.com/
resources.bestfriends.org/
www.thecut.com/
www.rainbowsbridge.com/
Thank you I will definitely check these out as I am suffering! Your support means the world
Some people scoff at these suggestions but I can tell you from personal experience that if provided properly, counseling can help. Your situational is extreme because it is so difficult to understand why they died when nothing appeared to be wrong. That is why pet grief counselors are different from 'people' counselors as they have been trained and can maybe help you through this terrible time.
Thank you so much I will look into getting some help. And yes I have a 12 year old daughter, it was quite hard on her too but we are taking the measures in helping her understand!
So sorry for your loss. Here is a poem that might give you some comfort:
I Walk With You
I stood by your bed last night, I came to have a peep.
I whined to you softly as you brushed away a tear,
Its me, I havent left you, Im well, Im fine, Im here.
I was close to you at breakfast, I watched you pour the tea,
You were thinking of the many times, your hands reached down to me.
I was with you at the shops today, Your arms were getting sore.
I longed to take your parcels, I wish I could do more.
I was with you at my grave today, You tend it with such care.
I want to reassure you, that Im not lying there.
I walked with you towards the house, as you fumbled for your key.
I gently put my paw on you, I smiled and said its me.
You looked so very tired, and sank into a chair.
I tried so hard to let you know, that I was standing there.
Its possible for me, to be so near you everyday.
To say to you with certainty, I never went away.
You sat there very quietly, then smiled, I think you knew
in the stillness of that evening, I was very close to you.
The day is over and I smile and watch you yawning
and say goodnight, God bless, Ill see you in the morning.
And when the time is right for you to cross the brief divide,
Ill rush across to greet you and well stand, side by side.
I have so many things to show you, there is so much for you to see.
Be patient, live your journey out . then come home to be with me.
Author Unknown
I love this. Thank you! I found it very comforting
This was such a small thing I could do, and I hope it truly helped give some comfort.
***To everyone who has ever lost a pet, just like our humans we have lost, we WILL all be reunited someday.
I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. I lost my girl, Honey in February and I miss her so much still. But she was 13 and had grown up with my children. It would have been so hard to lose her when she was young.
I don't know if you will ever know what happened. It sounds like maybe he got into something poisonous but it could have just been a stroke or heart attack. There is just no way to know, I guess it was just his time. :(
Unfortunately! Thank you for your kind word.
So sorry for your loss. Without an autopsy it will never be possible to be sure. It could have been something poisonous he ate, or some undiagnosed illness or physical problem
Thank you for your kind words
We are all guessing , heart attack, stroke, seizure. Only a professional can tell for sure. I understand that you did not want a autopsy . What ever this was it was quick and didn't linger , to last days or months of suffering. Surround yourself and have conversations about for fur baby with other pet owners. This will take time and there is help out there with other grieving pet owners (support groups)on- AKC Pet Loss Support Group on Facebook - and maybe this one- www.akc.org/
I'm thinking heart attack too I have sent a request to join the akc site on facebook. Thank you, waiting on approval
Im so sorry for your loss. I had a necropsy done on my beloved dog 15 years ago to try and find out what she died of and it didnt give any answers. Just be thankful you dont have to bear the guilt that I did of waiting too late to take her to the vet. That just about broke me.. when you're ready consider adopting another dog that needs you. That helped me..
I'm so sorry! Yes that's what I've heard sometimes when you get them done they are inconclusive, it's so hard to go on without answers. How old was your sweet pup?
My 10 yr old great dane/pitt Brody just died yesterday. I am torn to pieces!! He was fine, eating, going outside running and barking. I woke up, went to the kitchen and he was waiting for his morning snack like each morning. I went to work and around 11am my husband calls me that our Brody died!! He said Brody threw up a lot in the hallway, he let Brody out, he was kinda disoriented, my husband threw some towels over the vomit, went to check on Brody, he found him laying on the patio dead. It is extremely devastating!!! I have been googling what could have happened and the close I got was that it could have been a Heart Attack or GVD (Gastric Dilatation and Volvulus). He died within minutes. We are so heart broken!!!
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