First, may we extend our deepest sympathy over the death of your pet. If you are able to talk about how it happened, why it happened, when it happened, and how you are coping with grieving for them, please use this site to tell us how you are doing. God notices when even a sparrow falls, and He cares for you and your sorrow over your loss.

I purchased a female rottweiler back in January of 1997 - she was 13 weeks old. She was a very healthy dog all through her living years except for a minor ACL problem. Last April she started breathing heavy, drooling, having problems going to the bathroom, drinking excessive water and not eating. She did not show any signs of being sick then all of a sudden one day all these signs and sypmtoms appeared. We rushed her to the emergency vet where they said that it could be heartworm, diabeties or something else. It turned out to be something else. Her x-rays showed a large tumor the size of a tennis ball on her one lung, other little tumors all over the back part of her lung and her lungs filled with fluid. The vet said there was nothing they could do for her except drain her lungs but the fluid would come back or have the large tumor removed but there were also the smaller tumors. We decided that instead of letting her suffer, it was best that she crossed over to the bridge. Our rottweiler Gypsy crossed over to the bridge on April 6, 2003 at the age of 6. It was very hard to deal with losing her so sudden and unexpectedly. She was my first dog. We also had a male rottweiler at home who eased our pain but he could never replace her. We didn't come home to an empty home but Gypsy wasn't there with us. With the support of other people on a board that I found pertaining to people who lost a fur kid helped me out a great deal. Healing the heart doesn't happen over night but it does heal over time with the love and support of others who have dealt with the same things and to also know that Gypsy was at peace. I didn't want to keep her going only to have her suffer. It wouldn't have been fair to any of us including her.

Hello, My sister bought a 5 week old, male Affenpinscher. He may not of been my dog, but I loved him. Well, one day, he was about 22 weeks old, she brought him to me, so I could babysit for a day while she went to the beach. So, I said that it would be fine. I put a blanket down for him to lay on. Well, an hour later I went to check on him, and he had almost stopped breathing entirely. I shook him with one hand, and he felt cold. I was so scared. I picked him up in my arms and rushed him to the vet. They put him in an oxygen cage with towls down, as I prayed he would live. They said he had a severe lung infection. He sat up after a while, took three gasping breaths, and then collapsed. They brought him to me, as I looked at him with tears in my eyes, hardly able to hold him. He shivered in my hands, gasped for his last breaths, as the vet told me he was dying. He then black out. A few good breaths still left in him. I shook him gently to try to get him to wake up. The little guy opened his eyes, stood up on my lap, to the vet's surprise, and then blacked out again. I shook him once more, but he was gone. I have no idea why this had to happen. It was about a year ago. M sister came back to no dog, and called me a dog murderer, and has refused to talk to me since. I am still shooken up, and I feel awful. It wasn't my fault that he died. How could I prevent a lung infection? I am now so scared to get my own dog. Love, SaraN P.S. Thank you so much for your kindness

Sara my deepest sympathy to you it wasnt your fault that he died .he must of had this infection for awhile before it came to this .you did everything you could didnt your sister know he was sick ? your sister should reconsider . my deepest sympathys.

SaraN, What a tragedy that your sister did not pick up on the signs of the dog's illness. It is not your fault that this happened. You did everything right from the moment you decided to check on how the dog was doing. Sometimes, when someone receives such a shock, they don't even make sense with what they say and do. I am hoping your sister will be able to reach a more adult place in dealing with losing her pet. My guess is that she had issues of similar inability to deal maturely with things prior to this. You, on the other hand, appear to have a realistic and honest approach. May God comfort you and give you peace. Kathleen

I bought my first dog my freshman year of college. I was going through a hard time and needed an unconditional companion. Whinni did just that. Every tear I cried for 7 years, Whinni was there to lick my cheeks dry. She always seemed to cheer me up. At about the age of 4, she started having seizures. The vet said these were normal and not to panic unless they became frequent. She also started vomiting about once a week. The vet blamed that on table food. When she was six, I finally found the will power to stop feeding her table food. The vomiting continued. The vet said she probably has a sensitive stomach. On December 30, I woke up to a very sick dog. She was vomiting, but it was different. It was clear and foamy! She also looked different. She was scared. I took her in to the vet and they treated her for an ear infection and irritable bowel. Told me I could take her home but if she vomited again bring her back! I ended up taking her back. They put her on an IV over night and I was able to bring her home the next day. Might I add this was her first time away from me! I only had her home thirty minutes. She could barely stand to poo. Her legs would tremble. I knew I had to take her back when she vomited and then lay in it! I had to spend New year's Eve with my precious baby cooped up alone in a vet with an IV. Had I known it would be the last time I would kiss her, I would have held her forever! I called the vet's wife on New Years' Day to tell her to tell her husband I wanted to come play with my baby if he went in to check on her. I got a phone call an hour later. I was so excited to see the vet's number on the caller ID. I was going to play with my baby. Except....the news was bad...she had collapsed on the X-Ray table and died. The vet was confused and wanted to do an autopsy. What he found was two large tumors. One on her splein and one on her pancreas. One of the tumors had ruptured a blood vessel and she bled internally. He told me she died of shock when he laid her on the X-Ray table. She was literally scared to death. I mean, she would have eventually died, but the scare of him putting her on a table and her being depressed without me pushed her over. I cried for a week straight. Now, two months later, I still cry when I look at her grave. My husband and I could not stand coming home to an empty house. We have now purchased two female pomeranans. That way we don't fight over who gets to hold her. We rarely have time to grieve now. We still miss Whinni greatly, but it sure has helped having the puppies! Thanks for letting me tell about Whinni. It helps to talk aobut it!

Please read the book "Animals and the Afterlife", by Kim Sheridan. It is very comforting following the loss of a pet.

A few years ago, my best friend "rescued" a Lemon Bassett Hound pup from a pet shop. It was love at first sight. She was totally devoted to her new little baby. When she was 4 months old, she started having problems walking. My friend took her into the vet who x-rayed the dogs front legs. The bones in her legs were severly deformed - due to a genetic defect. She consulted veternairy bone specialists, other vets, trying to find help for her puppy. The poor little dog got worse and worse. She cried all the time and was on pain pills everyday. Through many many tears and many sleepless nights, my friend took the advide of her vet and put her little baby "to sleep". For her efforts of trying to "resuce" a poorly bred puppy, she was heartbroken, depressed, and about $1500. poorer. This happened 2 years ago, and still little "Zoie" is missed and greived over everyday because of the horrible circumstances of her needless death.

So sorry, to hear such a sad story. What an amazing price for the dog!

I never expected to have a small pupper given to me only to have it become deathly ill at a year old.This is what happened to our baby Noey.I took Noey to the vet for what seemed to be a regular bladder infection. She recieved medication for the infection that she was suppose to take for 10 days.There was no change in her condition,so I took her back,they changed her medication,after 10 days still no change . I brought her back,they did x-rays and a ultra sound to find a tumor on her bladder the size of a grape fruit. The tumor was way too large and they couldn't remove it. I got second and third opinions ,the other vets said the same ,the tumor was way to large to remove.2 months later we put Noey to sleep when the tumor started to obstruct her bowles and she started to loose her dignity. She was pts on 1/15/2000. R.I.P my baby. After Noeys death we got another pupper ,her name was Sadie . Last summer on 7/3/2003 my hubby dropped off 2 healthy dogs at our vet to be boarded,we only got one dog back(Tigger). Both of the dogs where not boarded securely. We where told my dogs would be moved to the new kennels,the place they where being kept was only temporary. They where never moved.On 7/4/2003 Sadie and Tigger both broke out of their crates,and Sadie jumped through a screened window never to be seen again,Tigger didn't follow thank god,she just hung out on the couch in the living room. Sadie was hit and killed on Rte 84 3 weeks later on 7/26/2003.R.I.P my Sadie. Her death was senseless and totally preventable had these people done their jobs like they where suppose to.Sadie got out about 3 to 4 in the morning,no one told us until 12:30 in the afternoon. I did get another pupper ,her name is Piper .I will remember my other 2 babies always.I have both of their ashes .

We had adopted a golden/collie mix from our local agency, she was 2 years old. She was my husbands girl, the most wonderful pet. When she was about 7, she began having a hard time breathing and laying down for longer than 20 or 30 minutes. As soon as we noticed this, we took her to the clinic I work and had an xray done. It was hard to tell if it was an enlarged heart or a tumor. It was so big. Next we took her to have an ultra sound done, the next day. It was a mass pressing against her heart, hence, she wasn't able to breath freely. They said they could do surgery, but they would have to remove 3 ribs, (it matastisized off the outside and grew inward), and she may not make it up off the table. If she did, the recovery would be long and she would probably not be the same. We decided not to put her through that, and just to keep her as comfortable as we could for as long as we could. It was only 3 weeks and she came into our room just looking at us, it was a Sunday. My clinic is open on Sundays also, so we knew what we had to do. It was very hard, my husband was heart broken. I could see in her eyes though we she looked up at us that she was saying thank you. Her breathing became almost normal for the last few moments of her life. We loved her so very much, and will miss her. It will be one year on May 31. but it still seems like it was just yesterday. I see this all the time at work, and have learned to control my emotions, but when it is your own it is just so very difficult. We love you and miss you Holli Bear.

After I miscarried our first child, we decided that a dog would help get us through the pain. That's when Bishop came along. The most ornery Min Pin I have ever met, I fell in love with him the moment we met. As bad as he was, he would sleep on my pillow, curled on his side just as I was and give me kisses every night before I fell asleep. Fast forward to eighteen months later and I am giving birth to our son. Bishop stays with my boyfriend's mother (along with his Shih Tzu - we were living in their basement) and we move to my mother's one-floor house so I don't have to do steps. I visit Bishop every week and he is ornery and happy just as if I never left. Fast forward again to a frantic call from my boyfriend's mother and Bishop has sliced his leg on a broken dish. We take him to the local vet and are given a choice: have them repair the tendon and pay for a very expensive surgery or leave him with a limp that will slow him down for life. To this day, I still wonder if things would have been different if we had refused the surgery. He came to live with us at my parent's house after the surgery since now he couldn't do steps. lol He got to meet the baby and give him kisses whenever he was close to the floor. His little cast barely slowed him down... Fast forward to the fateful day and I am stepping outside to get the mail. BAM! Quick as a flash, even with a cast hampering his movement, Bishop has flown out the door and up the street, straight to a hazardous intersection. I chased with all my might but there was no stopping him. Sadly but gladly, I was there to hold him as he passed from this world to the next. Over four years ago and the tears still come... I still miss him. Amazing how all I remember is the sleepy kisses.... Tracy - Proud Mother to a Jack Russell Terrier, Miniature Pinscher and Rat Terrier.

My 6month old Cavvie girl died yesterday. She was a very happy, healthy and energetic puppy. A real scallywag, but we loved her to bits. We took her to the vet to get desexed, and she was fine at 8.30, by 11.30 we got a phone call from the vet to say she had died on the table. Her heart slowed down to a stop when she got the anasthetic, he hadn't even started to operate. We are having a great deal of difficulty coming to terms with this, particularly when she was so young and full of life, and was going in for 'routine' ssurgery. Can't change what has happened, but we are missing her terribly. This is my first dog and first to die, I now understand what others go through.