My pet died suddenly. How do I cope with the grief and guilt?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Peque. I am so sorry to hear of your sudden and tragic loss of her. The loss of a pet can cause a profound grief that many people do not understand. The veterinary school at Colorado State University has a department focused on pet loss support. This may be a helpful resource for you. I hope you find some peace. http://csu-cvmbs.colostate.edu/vth/diagnostic-and-support/argus/Pages/default.aspx

I am terribly sorry to hear about your loss, I can only imagine how heartbroken you are. I advise to neuter pets all the time, and it is the right decision to take because it saves them a lot of suffering as they get older. Don't blame it on yourself, you just chose the best for him and he knows it. Dogs are very very special and they sense everything, he knows he was very loved and that's why you all miss him so much. The pain will not go away, will change over the course of time. In my case spending time outside, walking, embracing my family helped me gradually feel better, which felt impossible in the beginning. I know it feels impossible now, but give yourself time. Sending you love from the other side of the world.

Hi, sorry to hear about your loss. I totally understand how lost you feel, I have been through the same a few times and recently I have lost my mum who was extremely precious to me.. I stayed by her side 21 days and when I left for one night she died in hospital on her own. I wonder if she was scared and frightened and I wasn’t there.. I would have never left her alone So imagine all this occurred 6 months ago and I still suffer a lot. I also feel bad for trying to make her move, as they advised me to do, because she was in pain and since she passed away probably didn’t need the extra aggravation. Remember we are only human, we do the best that we can, we live, love and die. Please visit https://www.theralphsite.com a fantastic pet bereavement support web-site set up by a great, sensible vet in the name of his cat Ralph. Hope this helps

You are very welcome. Please accept my deepest sympathies for your loss. Losing a beloved pet is extremely difficult, especially when they pass suddenly, and I hope that as time passes, your grief will ease. It sounds like you have given him a lovely burial spot, and you can consider making a headstone for his resting place as a memorial to him. You are in the my thoughts.

I am so sorry to hear about the loss of Mattie. Losing a pet can be one of the hardest things to go through. There are a few things that may be able to help. Many veterinary clinics (and some local animal shelters) do offer grief counseling for the loss of a pet, as well as support and craft groups that allow owners to share their stories, and even create memorials for their pets. If that is not available, speaking with a counselor or therapist in your area may also help so that you do not have to go through this on your own. There are also resources online such at The Rainbow Bridge, where you can chat with and share stories with other owners which may help you to remember the good times you had with Mattie, instead of the sorrow over her loss. It sounds like Mattie was very loved and well cared for during her time with you, and she likely loved you just as much.

Here at Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach we are very sorry for your loss. We are glad to hear that we were able to help you with him. Please let us know if you ever need anything else from us. We will be thinking of you as you go through this difficult time.

I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of your dog! I know how hard it is to have a pet pass away suddenly like this, without any warning. From what you're describing here, I would be suspicious of a sudden cardiac arrhythmia, or a tumor in his heart or abdomen that may have ruptured suddenly - both of these are relatively common causes of sudden death in middle-aged or older large-breed dogs. With either of these problems, there is usually nothing anyone can do - even if it happened in the lobby of your vet's office and they were able to start working on him immediately, it's unlikely that this would have made any difference at all. So try not to feel guilty. It sounds like you did the best you could, and I don't believe it would have changed the outcome even if you had left immediately for the vet's office. Again, I'm very sorry for your loss. If you think it would help you to have piece of mind, you could ask your veterinarian about arranging for an autopsy to be done (called a necropsy in animals). This would be the best way to determine what the cause of death was.