My dog died suddenly. How to cope with grief and neutering guilt?

I am so sorry you lost Ned, but you did the right thing. Meningitis happens in dogs just as it happens in children and adults and sometimes it is so severe that the affected people or dogs die. It happens. It is terrible, but it is not something you could have avoided. We have no vaccine for dog meningitis, so you would not have been able to protect him with a vaccine. He could have picked up the bug anywhere. There is no way you can keep a dog in a sterile bubble and protect him from everything. It would not be a good life for the dog either. You did everything possible to give him a good life, and you took care of him when he was ill. You went all out and you gave him your love. You did not let him down. He had far more love and care than most dogs in this world. Grieve for him and remember him. Some day another dog will find you and will deserve you. Thank you for being such nice doggie parents.

I'm so sorry you had to say goodbye to Odis! He was a handsome boy. It's never easy to have to say goodbye to a beloved pet, but it did sound like he was quite sick. By letting him go, you took away his pain and discomfort, which is a great gift. He's at peace now, no long suffering, and you should know you did the right thing for him. I'm sure he loved you, and try to remember all the good times you had with it. It's so painful now, but over time, the pain will ease. You will always love him and miss him, but keep the memories of him close with you. I hope this helps.

I am sorry to hear of your loss, it is a very difficult time to lose a pet as even as time passes, memories are brought back by many triggers. I would also have agreed that euthanasia was a valid and kindest option given the symptoms of such severe weight loss of more than a quarter of his body weight, bleeding into the bowel and likely the chest given the pink fluid and black stool and the failure to respond adequately to steroids. Please do not feel guilty for allowing him to go with some dignity, quality of life has to be much more important than quantity for our pets and often allowing them to go is the bravest and kindest treatment we can offer in debilitating conditions

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.

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.

Can you call a friend or family member to come and be with you? I'm concerned about your state of mind, and think you need something there with you. I am so very sorry you lost Kamilo so suddenly, but I'm sure that he was very loved and had a great life with you. Please call someone to come and sit with you.

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