[BabyRico]

Rico, my 12 year old chihuahua was put down yesterday, the hardest thing i’ve ever had to do. He fell and broke/shattered his jaw pretty severely and the intense plate-requiring surgery and lengthy painful recovery would be too risky for his small, old frame. It was so hard to say goodbye to our little buddy ♥

Waking up this morning and having no little Rico to feed and let out to pee was absolutely heartbreaking. Coming home and not seeing him greet me at the door as I would always say, “hellllooo rico! how’s my little baby? you’re such a good boy!” And then he would often make this “happy noise” that me and mom mom and dad called it. kind of like a singing noise. I can’t think about anything else! I have so many final exams to study for and I cant bring myself to do it. He was such a sweet little boy and so happy and healthy up until yesterday. I don’t believe in god or any religion but i really hope there is a heaven me my family can be with him again. This is so hard, I wish this pain on no one. My dad even cried! I never see him cry!

I keep thinking of the image of his fall and taking him to the vet. Initially we just thought he lost a tooth, then we took him to the vet and after they put him under anaesthetic to feel his jaw and took x-rays, they gave us a call back and said it was broken on both sides and would require intense surgery with plates being put in and then at least 6 weeks of recovery in which he couldn’t eat/drink properly and it would be very painful and risky. The dr said, “he’s under anaesthetic right now and not in any pain... you’ll have to make your decision now because he’ll be in extreme pain once he wakes up”. oh my god. i could not believe what i was hearing. i came in to see him, pet him, kissed him, and cried and cried and cried. i’ve never lost anyone close to me before. i can’t tell you how much this hurts, i can’t handle this.it’s all i think about.

Have any of you lost a pet before? How did you deal with it and how do you focus on other things that required focus (school/work, etc)?

 

[jan896]

*hugs* to you in the time of loss.... I had to put my last Chi down(Tito)... he had heart congestion/Murmur but he was 17yrs old... its very hard to do.... so I understand completely .... as many here do also, I am sure......

 

[BabyRico]

Thank you

 

[20887]

So sorry for your loss RIP Rico

 

[CHITheresa]

Awe so sorry, 8 montsh ago i had to put my baby down she was so sick, I went through everything you are going through now, just reading your story made me cry and brought the sadness back to me. I went two months of coming home and no Sissy, I was not going to get another dog but husband was going back to work and I didn't want to be alone. So I got my Amberleah she doesn't take away the memory or love I had for sissy, but she sure helps and I love her a lot. I do believe in God of the bible and Jesus and if you call on to Him he hears you. He hears my cries, my needs and my joys. Jesus is my Savior.
I will pray for you and for you to believe. .

 

[svdreamer]

I just had to put my dear Ling Ling to sleep. I had her 10 years, she came to me as a two-year-old. It does hurt, but it gets better. What helped me is having the other dogs around to distract me and then I saved Chumley and Sherman and they need teaching and my attention and that has helped me move on. Take the time to greive, then think about rescuing another dog. Theres a dog out there that needs you and is waiting for you when you are ready.

 

[Blue Chi]

That's terrible. I'm sure any long time pet owner knows how you feel. I had to put my Coco (12 yr old chi) down when she went into renal failure and then had a seizure that lasted all night. Like you said, the worst part is when you expect them to be there and they aren't. The hardest time for me was bedtime. Coco slept with me and she would get so excited about going to bed. For the longest I would turn around and look on the floor for her and she wasn't there.
Life eventually returns to normal somewhat but it takes time. And I know you can't talk about it to just anyone because not everyone understands how much you can love a pet.

 

[Tanna]

Aw, your post made me cry, I had to put Nicki down about 2 years ago, and it was horrible, it takes a while to recover, don't be so hard on yourself, just know that he loved you and he knows you gave him the best life possible, you did the right thing, he's safe and pain free now. So sorry.

 

[DKT113]

So sorry, it's the hardest thing about loving them, I think. In the past 3 months we had to put down our very elderly cat Peach (cancerous tumor on front leg, was operated on once about 5 years ago ~ this time though he was too old to go through it again) and the last of the litter of an approx. 17 year old rescue. My mom heard her Mom crying in a stream pregnant and saved her and the litter. Someone placed the Mom there in the middle of winter leaving her to die. Midders lived almost twice as long as all her litter mates and we did love her (we loved them all). It's not easy that's for sure and there is nothing magical that can be done to make everything better. It just takes time and then for me it just seems like all the fun times replace the grief for the most part, but every now an again you get a little hitch when certain memories come to mind. That's when you just have to pull it together and think how fortunate you were to have had them for the time you did. Dad was just remembering tonight about Kato his 21 year old Lab, an amazing dog who he lost. They stay in your heart forever.

 

[jazzman]

I'm so sorry you had to go through this.

Focus on the fact that he had a glorious life filled with love.
It is very difficult to cope. Each day, it slowly gets better.

I Lost Poco 4 years ago and it seems like yesterday. Carlos followed the following year. I had no idea at the time how I would make it from day to day, but I did, and so will you.

RIP Rico.

 

[mellawson]

I am so sorry for your loss, about 6 yrs ago we lost our min pin to coyotes and not even a month later we had to have our beagle put to sleep, she mourned so severely she wouldn't eat or drink and eventually her kidneys shut down. It was the absolute worst month of my life. I had lost my Grandmother and my Dad but so had the rest of my family and we mourned together but when we lost the dogs it was a very different sense of loss I can't explain it and I hate to say it was worse but in some ways it kinda was. I just tell myself the grief is a small price to pay for all the love they gave. You are definitely not alone just take it day by day.

 

[Willowjune]

I'm so, so sorry. I'm in tears, because the memory of the two dogs I've had to put to sleep is still near the surface,so I know that pain. But I do want to say that my experience is that our babies are with us often, especially right after they pass over. Go ahead and talk to him, tell him how much you love him, how he'll always be in your heart and you'll never forget him, say all the things you want him to know and trust that he knows (and always did know) exactly what's in your heart. Blessings to you and your family.

 

[KayC]

Hello I am so glad you found us because we do understand what you are going through. I am so sorry. Many (((((HUGS))))) to you and R.I.P Little Rico

 

[Dragonfly]

Wow, I am so sorry. =( Bless his little heart.

I have never really lost a dog that I love like my Shayley. She was my first dog. The dog my mom adopted hated kids lol so She didn't like me that much, I loved her and I never wanted anythign to happen to her( We had to put her to sleep hardest thing I ever had to do in my life) AND I wasn't even THAT close with her. I just can't imagine what it will be like to lose my heart dogs. I did lose my cat Fluffy though. She was my everything. I had her since I was 2 years old and she passed away in 2008. I was 22. I hadn't known life without Fluffy it was pretty rough she was my everything. Bless her soul. I got through it though and I still think about her, have her pics up and all the awesome memories. At least she lived a life of love just like your sweet Rico! <3 May he rest in peace.

 

[BabyRico]

Thank you guys all so much! I really needed your words because you’re right, not everyone gets what we go through. I really really appreciate this.

 

[BabyRico]

Wow you guys are amazing! Thank you so much for sharing your stories with me. A whole new wave of tears came over me, but I needed it. I’m going to show this forum to my parents tomorrow morning, they’ll be touched by your words too. Here’s to another tough night

 

[bayoumah]

hi so sorry for your loss sounds like he had a great love from your family and it was his time to go i feel your emptiness and hope in time youll only remember all the good times you two shared

 

[RandomMusing]

I'm so so sorry for your loss.

 

[guccigrande]

Oh gosh
I am ever so sorry to hear that :'(

 

[BabyRico]

oh you all are so sweet. i read this thread over again with my mom this morning. we cried again, obviously. but it’s so nice to feel sympathy with from you even though I don’t even know you. it feels really good. i’m so sorry for all your losses as well, this feeling is the hardest thing i’ve ever had to deal with. And some of you have had multiple losses! I can’t imagine!

Thank you all so much xoxo