Love your doggies while you have them

[Plutonic Panda]

I’m not looking for a pity party here. I am about to lose my baby. Her name is Amber. Golden lab. She had a great run. I haven’t balled like a baby for a long time: I just don’t want to say make sure you hug your doggies and love them with all you have. I don’t know what humans did to deserve to deserve dogs but they are the best. She was the best. Such a loving and sweet baby. I’ll find out tomorrow. I might book a flight if we have to put her down.

Again I don’t want a pity party. I just wanted to say to any dog owners here hold them close. <3

[SoonerDave]

We have a Basset Hound who developed a mass in his right rear leg. Our vet told us there's nothing he can do for him, and he's seen dogs with this condition go as little as a few months or as long as several years. There's no way to predict.

He's the only dog I've ever had, and he's a sweet, stubborn goofball. He's still ornery as ever, and constantly hungry, so we figure that's a good sign. He walks essentially on three legs now. We just try to spoil him a bit more than we used to, since we don't know how long we will have him.

[Tavia]

Losing our dog Jax, was one of the hardest things I have experienced. Sorry for your loss

[OkieBerto]

One of my closest friends lost her Mastiff Moose. It was out of nowhere and he had been doing just fine. She doesn’t have kids and her pups are her babies. It is still hard for her today even weeks after his loss.

My Sister’s family pup passed away suddenly as well. Jessy was the best kind of dog anyone could ask for. Playful, goofy, and always a sweetheart. She was a chocolate lab that the whole extended family saw as their own dog. I don’t have any dogs of my own currently, but I always try and watch my family and friend’s pups. I do believe we do not deserve dogs. They are too good to us.

[GaryOKC6]

Thanks for the reminder. We all get busy and sometimes take our furry friends for granted. I am sorry that you are going through this. My dogs are like family. One of them is 15 years old and I am dreading the day when he is no longer in the pack.

[CaptDave]

I understand 1000% PluPan. I lost my German Shepherd to cancer a little over two years ago and it is still tough some days even after moving from the house we had her. She was by far the best dog I've ever had and I'm still not sure I ever want another one. Remember the fun times - it helps even if you tear up a little.

[okatty]

We just lost our 13 year old mix last week. So I certainly sympathize with each of you. They found masses in our dog about 11 months ago. He did really well until early last week when he went down really quickly and there was no doubt it was his time. They are part of the family and the loss is very difficult to say the least.

Sooner Dave - one thing I would say to you is that we had a vet tell us to put our dog on a Chinese herbal medicine which we did - Yunnan Baiyao which is helpful for internal bleeding from things like masses. I can’t say for sure it helped him but when we started it he was having a lot of issues and he did recover and have some really good months with us. He also had some Gabapentin along the way. Best wishes.

[gjl]

We lost our last dog Lucy Feb 2020. She was a Papillon mix. We rescued her at age 2 and had her 10 1/2 years. It was hard because she was healthy every other way except she had arthritis so bad she got to where she could not walk at all and we had to put her down. We tried everything the Vet recommended and while it helped in her later years it eventually got so bad we had to let her go. We cried for a month afterwards and my wife and I still talk about her. It's one of the hardest decisions you will ever have to make but in the end you and your Vet have to decide what is best for them.

[Libbymin]

I'm sorry to everyone on here who's lost one of their furry friends. They really do become members of the family. We lost a couple of ours two summers ago in a short amount of time and it made for a rough few weeks for sure.

[Pete]

For anyone who loves animals, losing a beloved pet is one of the hardest experiences in life. Unfortunately, it's an important part of your responsibility to them: often having to make that horrible decision.

Our society isn't good about dealing with death and loss in general; nobody knows what to do or say. And with animals, it's even worse and a good number of people don't understand.

Many go through this experience and swear 'never again'. But it's the people who care so much who have the most to offer another animal that needs a loving home.


Best wishes to anyone going through this or has experienced it in the past. It's absolutely brutal and I feel your pain.

[aDark]

For anyone who loves animals, losing a beloved pet is one of the hardest experiences in life. Unfortunately, it's an important part of your responsibility to them: often having to make that horrible decision.

Our society isn't good about dealing with death and loss in general; nobody knows what to do or say. And with animals, it's even worse and a good number of people don't understand.

Many go through this experience and swear 'never again'. But it's the people who care so much who have the most to offer another animal that needs a loving home.


Best wishes to anyone going through this or has experienced it in the past. It's absolutely brutal and I feel your pain.

Thank you. I needed to hear this. We lost our dog of (almost) 14 years at Christmas. It was gut-wrenching.

The kids want another dog and I don't think my emotions can take it. Maybe I need to reconsider.

[gjl]

Lucy was our 3rd dog in my lifetime. After our 2nd dog I said no more dogs. then after about 10 years went by we got Lucy. Now at our age (late 60s) we don't think we can commit to another one for another 10-12 years or longer.

[T. Jamison]

My wife showed me an Instagram reel parroting a quote I appreciated. Especially considering our 11 year old dog is starting to showing signs of her age.

“It came to me that every time I lose a dog they take a piece of my heart with them. And every new dog who comes into my life, gifts me with a piece of their heart. If I live long enough, all the components of my heart will be dog, and I will become as generous and loving as they are.”

[Pete]

Thank you. I needed to hear this. We lost our dog of (almost) 14 years at Christmas. It was gut-wrenching.

The kids want another dog and I don't think my emotions can take it. Maybe I need to reconsider.

Another dog doesn't replace the one you lost, but it does bring tremendous joy and helps you to once again look forward.

I had 3 gorgeous Labradors; we went hiking every day and all three slept on my bed at night. I lost one at age 16 and then the other two in quick succession a year later. I was devastated and for a long time couldn't even step into my backyard due to the memories.

But then. A friend in the Labrador community mentioned a Lab that might be put down due to an aggressive incident. We talked at length and I realized that dog had been in a bad situation with a pack of Corgis and I strongly believed she just needed attention and love. Unfortuately, this dog was in Northern Idaho and it was winter. There was literally no way to get her to me.

Once things thawed, we agreed to meet halfway, which happened to be in Wyoming. I drove non-stop, got the handoff at a hotel, and immediately fell in love.

Her name is Aurora and she is laying on my feet as I write this. A year after I got her I found another dog in the creek behind my house, and then couldn't find the owner. Turns out he's an Australian Kelpie. I didn't think Aurora could be with other dogs but the two of them were best friends from the jump. I named him River.

So now, I have two absolutely wonderful dogs that I couldn't love more. They are very different than my other three but I love them every bit as much.

Give yourself time to grieve, then get another dog. They are the best things this world has to offer and so many need someone to love them.

[Plutonic Panda]

Pete you have some wonderful doggies and so does everyone else here. It is sad to read about these sad moments. I do agree after some time another dog passes another can help but with me I have to give it some time.

[Bellaboo]

We lost our Ridgeback in October of 2018. It hurt so bad we will not have another dog for awhile.

Hang in there Plupan, all dogs cross the rainbow bridge.

Dogs are so great that a lot of people don't really deserve them.

Our dog never spent the night outside after we got her at 8 weeks old.

[OKCbyTRANSFER]

Cat person here! Same situation, got a cat when I moved here, had her the the whole time, but at 16-17, I had to let her go. I was embarrassed because of how devastating it was, so empty. Took about 6 months before I was ready for another cat. Another rescue I gave a good home to. Total opposite of my former cat, but I'm glad I have her. It brings me joy and love. They really are a part of us.

[Pete]

Cat person here! Same situation, got a cat when I moved here, had her the the whole time, but at 16-17, I had to let her go. I was embarrassed because of how devastating it was, so empty. Took about 6 months before I was ready for another cat. Another rescue I gave a good home to. Total opposite of my former cat, but I'm glad I have her. It brings me joy and love. They really are a part of us.

I also had two cats I loved dearly and recently took in two little kittens from a feral cat colony near where I live. We are also working to trap-fix-release all of them so they stop procreating and have been making sure they are fed.

Cats are highly underrated.

[OKCRealtor]

I had to put my 13 year old down in February and it was one of the worst experiences of my life. The entire month she was basically in hospice & I was a mess. Loved her so much. This week we very unexpectedly had to put down our 12 year old right behind her. She had a really bad seizure Monday right as we were getting home & that's been horrible as well but I wasn't quite as attached as the first. It is very strange coming home to an empty house for the first time in basically forever. I was already looking into another dog since it's been a few months since my first one passed & I'm sure we will get another once we've had a little more time to process what happened this week.

[Isaac C. Parker]

Saying goodbye (or see you later, as I prefer it) to a pet is one of the most difficult experiences I've been through.

I don't think you can ever replace them, but you can always add new family, and I would encourage anyone who is ready to adopt a pet to check out the available animals who need new homes at the City of OKC shelter:

https://www.okc.gov/departments/anim...e-for-adoption

[Mississippi Blues]

We had to put down our 15 year old Bernese Mountain two weeks ago tomorrow. I found her in the middle of the night laying on her side in the hall whimpering and started to pet her to comfort her, then decided I would try to help her back up as I hoped if I helped guide her body up, she might stand back up and everything would be alright. She was somewhat agitated to my touch and would jerk her body when I touched her, so I knew it wasn’t good. I tried helping her up but she just couldn’t stand. Her bed was nearby so I figured if these were going to be her final hours, she should at least be comfortable, so I picked her up and carried her over to her bed. She laid there and I sat with her most of the time until my step-sister was able to come over as she has a friend that is a vet. My step-sister took her in and they were able to determine she had had a stroke, so my parents (it was their dog but I grew up with her, so she was my dog too) decided there just wasn’t any quality of life left for her at that age. They were actually out of town, which is why I had her, so they tried to make it back to the city from Woodward in time to say goodbye to her but she was too bad off, so about 30 minutes out they said it was okay to put her down, she had already suffered enough.

I’m sorry for what you’re going through. I wish there was more I could say or do but I hope you are able to come out of it for the better, somehow. Today is also the 12-year anniversary of my dad’s death, which has shaped much of my sorrows and strengths as an adult. So as someone that’s also in a painful time of memories and reminiscing, my empathy does go out to you.

[Bill Robertson]

As long as I can remember I've had dogs or cats. I become closer to them than all but maybe a couple people. It's extremely hard when I have to lose one. I'm a mess for days. Or weeks. But not having at least one around is unthinkable. The cat we have now is a very special personality. I hope we don't have to worry about him going anywhere for many years.

[Plutonic Panda]

I just wanted to say thank you for all of your messages and sharing your stories. By a miracle she pulled through. Her red blood count is rising And will know more about whether it’s cancer or not after they complete the surgery. I’m not exactly sure why that is. But it is scheduled for this upcoming week.

Again, I can’t thank you all enough for the kind and sincere messages and the stories you shared about your loved ones. I find it so fascinating how us as humans Have bonded with the creatures that live around us and ultimately in our own homes. It just shows how much of a connection we have with this planet and we need to treat it better.

I even had a little squirrel who used to show up on my balcony and sometimes would eat walnuts out of my hand. I never petted him or anything, But I stopped seeing him about a month ago. It kind of made me sad. And it’s funny I really didn’t even know him.

I know this may sound crazy, but the scene from the Shawshank redemption always makes me tear up, thinking about connections that we develop with the animals we share our planet with. There’s also the scene in I am legend That Will Smith did a phenomenal job acting wise. If you seen it, you know what I’m talking about about.



PS, I know that’s not the main message of this scene, But it makes me think of it.