Surviving Pet Loss

[Awhzzie]

Lisaly......Thank you for your caring words! I have had a rough day today. Wondering why and if it was my fault. I really didn't have him long enough to do anything wrong. I have done reasurch everyday on what it could have been. He woke up fine in the. Morning and as the day went on he became very tired. I got on the internet and found some possible things it could have been. One being because of his tiny size he could be very tired after Thanksgiving and so many people holding him. And another said he could be morning being taken from his sibilings. And a few other sites that mentioned illnesses. I tried to get a hold of a vet but had no luck. I held him and cuddled him then I layd him in his bed thinking he needed to be alone to rest. We checked on him every 15 -20 min. And he had been moving around. Then I asked my husband to check on him and he had died he never woke up. I have been devistaded ever sinse. He ate a little bit of white turkey meat and some warm milk. Then he stopped eating and drinking all together. I trie putting water in my hand and I tried a tiny bit of milk in water he lapped 2 or 3 times then that was it. He went from his normal self to passing on all in about 4 hrs. I will never get him out of my head and will never understand what happened and why. He also pooped A LOT. He would eat and almost emedeatly poop and pee. Please help me understand what happened? Thank you again!!!! God Bless my big man in a tiny body.....Awhzzie.xo

[lisaly]

In no way was I implying that you were at fault. I had Yorkies in my life for over thirty years, and I still continue to try to learn as much as I can about this breed. I found YorkieTalk when I was searching for information about Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Ashley was sixteen at the time, and although she was under the treatment of a wonderful vet, I was trying to understand more about her health. For the longest time I continued reading in the Sick/Emergency forum because I learned so much about Yorkie health issues there. My first Yorkie was four months when I got her, and my next two were eight weeks old. I realize now that was too young to have them away from their mothers, but I didn't know it then. My breeder stressed about hypoglycemia and making sure that they were eating. I now know that I shouldn't have had them until they were twelve weeks of age. We watched them like hawks, spoiled them way too much, and we got lucky that they were okay. Someone was home with them at all times, but they were still too young to be taken from their mothers. I had a very tiny Yorkie that needed a great deal of care, but she was given to me by the breeder when she was six and a half months old. I had lots of experience with Yorkies and the breeder trusted that she would be given the best of care. It's why she gave my little Gracie to me. Gracie required a lot of special care to help her to thrive. We lost our last Yorkie, Ashley, a little over a year ago a month shy of her seventeenth birthday, so all of my babies are at the Rainbow Bridge. They are still very alive in my heart, and I will never forget them or stop loving them. I will bring another Yorkie or two home someday hopefully in the not too distant future. They will never replace our babies, but I know I will love them dearly. I know a great deal about caring for Yorkies, yet I continue to read all that I can to learn more about this precious breed. All of the health issues really scare me, but I love this breed so much and will be as careful as I can when finding a breeder who health tests her dogs. I have learned so much from the people in this forum, and I have met so many wonderful people here. I know it hurts, but try to stick around. YorkieTalk is a great resource and it is filled with people who care and who love Yorkies. If you need my help, PM me and I'll do anything I can to help you. I still feel a lot of pain from losing my babies, but it would have been a far greater loss if they had not been in my life. We talk about our babies all of the time, and the memories also bring us some great joy. I hope you can smile when you remember your little boy someday soon.

[lillymae]

Originally Posted by Awhzzie

Thank you so much for this info.! I had just got my 1st yorkie puppy after searching for months. I was blessed with my little 14oz 8week old Awhzzie! As a gift from my son.I fell in total love with this little Man. I had him for 3 days, and on the third day he wasn't acting right. I quickly did some research and I thought he was tired from the night before. I cuddled him then laid him in his bed. And my little Awhzzie never woke up. I can't get over it......did I do something wrong.....was it a birth defect.... How do I know? I can't get past it. He brigtened my life 100%. Now my heart is empty. The people that we bought him from offered us his brother. Nothing can fill Awhzzie's spot in my heart. But it would still be a part of him. Would it be wrong to accept his brother? Please help me! I need to know if it is the right desision. Thank you, heartbroken.

You poor thing. Loosing a baby after such a short time is every bit as hard as loosing them after 10 yrs. They steel your heart the minute you lay eyes on them. I don't think it would be wrong to accept another pup from the breeder as breeders often offer another pup if the one you bought passes on shortly after the purchase. Did the breeder tell you how often to feed ? or that they often suffer from hypoglycemia as a result of not eating enough or not eating Often enough ? Also 8 wks is too young to be away from mama dog. I would tell her you want the pup but you want to wait till it's 11 or 12 wks old to bring him home. In the mean time you can do lots of reading up on how to have a healthy puppy rite here on YT. Sorry for your loss.

[Awhzzie]

Lisaly......thank you so much for all your help. I am very scared to get this new little puppy the brother of Awhzzie. But I have no choice to what to do. The people that we got Awhzzie are not breeders and both Awhzzie and his brother are already off the mother. These people are already feeding the babies and giving them warm milk or just cold milk. If we don't pick up the baby tomarrow we will not get him. He is bigger then Awhzzie was now 9 weeks old. I need to have this baby but am scared to loose him to. There is someone home at all times and if we go anywhere he will be with us. Wraped in a warm blanket. And I won't let anyone hold him or feed him anything. I am going to be very protected towards him. And our bedroom is chilly at night so he has a very fluffy bed and I got I heating pad that is real low hardly warm at all. It is small and is maimly a hand warmer and I keep a small electric heater on low right by him also. With a sheep skin blanket and a cozy toy to snuggle with. Or he can sleep with us. I hope I am not doing anything wrong. Can they get to hot? Or would he get up and move? Is a warm small heating pad ok? I am so confused but I want this puppy. I this baby will only get hard puppy Chow and water. Is this a good desition? Please any ideas will help me. I am more nervous now then when I brought my first born home! Thank you so much for all your input and help. Hope to hear before I have to leave to go get the new baby!

[Awhzzie]

Originally Posted by lillymae

You poor thing. Loosing a baby after such a short time is every bit as hard as loosing them after 10 yrs. They steel your heart the minute you lay eyes on them. I don't think it would be wrong to accept another pup from the breeder as breeders often offer another pup if the one you bought passes on shortly after the purchase. Did the breeder tell you how often to feed ? or that they often suffer from hypoglycemia as a result of not eating enough or not eating Often enough ? Also 8 wks is too young to be away from mama dog. I would tell her you want the pup but you want to wait till it's 11 or 12 wks old to bring him home. In the mean time you can do lots of reading up on how to have a healthy puppy rite here on YT. Sorry for your loss.

lillymae...I am not sure how to reply to your post to Awhzzie. I wrote a long post back to you but I think it got lost. And right now I am not sure if I am doing it right. Please let me know if I am on the right track before I type out it all again. I had a lot to ask about and to thank you for.thank you Awhzzie!

[zowiandnikasmom]

very sorry to hear of your loss of your little baby so young and so soon after you got him. in no way should you blame yourself, you would never have done anything to hurt your baby. if you're going to pick up his brother today, it would probably be a good idea to take him straight to the vet to get him all checked out. i'm sure that will help you feel better and get all of your very important questions answered by a professional. plus, if something isn't right, you will know right away. i would also explain to the dr about losing his brother so they understand your concerns with the new pup.
you will also get so much help and valuable information on this site. people here are truly wonderful and are always so willing to help with info they have learned from having a lot of experience with this breed. lisaly is such a loving caring person and after losing my little nika a little over a year ago, we became friends and she helped me cope a lot with the pain i was going through by just responding with her kind words and caring. with the exception of about 2 years, i have always had a yorkie in my life and i still find new helpful information here all the time!!!
having nutrical on hand is an absolute must, especially when they are so young. it's a nutritional supplement you can give if your pup has been playing a lot or hasn't eaten as much as normal to prevent hypoglycemia. please ask your veterinarian about giving it because giving it too much could cause diahrrea and make them not want to eat, but given the small correct amount, it really can be a life saver especially if your baby is a finicky eater. also, just so you know, some dogs have a very hard time digesting milk or any other dairy products so personally i do not give my 2 girls any "people" food or drinks with the exception of plain boiled chicken breast, rice, carrots, broccolli, or green beans. this past september, my 10 year old girl zowi had a bout of pancreatitis that ended up with her being hospitalized and we are pretty sure it was set off by giving her her pills in low fat cheese. she also had high cholesterol and triglycerides that lowered significantly with just a small change in diet and stopping the cheese. we now use a low fat canned dog food to sneak her pills inside and she's been a lot better. yorkies are very sensitive when it comes to table food.
please keep us updated and know that your little angel will be with you forever in your heart! i'm sure you would have done anything you could have done for that little one and don't beat yourself up. i lost my little nika very suddenly at only 6 years old. it was very hard not knowing what happened to cause her sudden illness and she was gone in less than 36 hours of becoming ill. she was rushed to the dr right away. i kept going back and trying to figure out what more i could have done for her and it was very painful. i know in my heart that everyone involved, myself and her drs, did everything possible for her and wanted her to pull through so bad but it was just her time. but i was still hard on myself and still am sometimes. now i find myself rushing to the vet with my babies if one of mine even looks funny lol. our dr is wonderful and sometimes if it's nothing she doesn't even charge me. wish you the absolute best with your new little bundle of joy! sounds like you will fall in love at first sight all over again and be the best mommy to him!

[Oppielandia]

I recently lost my dog this past sunday and have been extremely sad. I'm grateful that I came across this site and this particular forum because it is helping me grieve. I never knew losing a pet would hurt so much...

[lisaly]

I am so sorry for your loss. It hurts so much to lose one loved so dearly. People on YT really understand how painful it is to lose your baby, so I hope you can stay on YT Although it is still painful, thoughts of my little angels really make me happy, so it will get better for you too. Love lasts forever, and I hope that, in time, beautiful, joyful memories of your baby replace the pain that you are now feeling.

[Tina21]

Thank you for your post. I lost my Georgie this past Monday. She was 14 and her quality of life was getting quite poor. She was just a big part pf my life and even tho she slept most of the time for the last 6 months of her life there is such a HUGE hole left behind. I had to have her put to sleep and the vet and vet tech were very supportive of the desicion. They told me that unlike many owners I had made the choice to let her go before her quality of life became unbearable and that they admired my love for her. All of that isnt bringing much comfort. I am finding it very hard to not focus on her last moments. She went very peacefully with my hands stroking her face as she looked into my eyes. She felt safe and loved at the end but I am left remembering her passing. It has been a few days and tonight has been the worst. I struggled to fall asleep and after only an hour I am up again. I am racked with feelings of guilt and although I know in my head that the choice was best for her, I just want to hold her again. I can't stop crying. She was my first dog and she was just so amazing. Has anyone else been through this and how long did it take before you started to heal?

[poppypatch]

reading this has helped its been 18mths since i lost my patch and i am still finding it hard that ill never see him again,he was 12 years old and we had him from a baby, he was my baby boy and i miss him so much it still hurts and i still cry i kept thinking why does it still hurt so bad but now i have read this thread i know its normal to feel this way,and im not alone thank you xx

[Msgatorslayer]

Originally Posted by poppypatch

reading this has helped its been 18mths since i lost my patch and i am still finding it hard that ill never see him again,he was 12 years old and we had him from a baby, he was my baby boy and i miss him so much it still hurts and i still cry i kept thinking why does it still hurt so bad but now i have read this thread i know its normal to feel this way,and im not alone thank you xx

The 2010 Holiday season was miserable for us.

Our 12 yo Dobie was diagnosed with heart problems shortly after we purchased our 6 month, advanced, plane tickets for our annual W.V. Thanksgiving hunting trip.

In the months leading up to our trip he was doing fine. Age had settled in but he still had spunk. Dh's 96 yo Grama was having good days, and bad days. Absolutely no health problems. She wasn't on meds for anything. But her body was old and tired.

We discussed our trip with family and everyone agreed that we should still go. We had a friend stay at our house to take care of Worlock. And another friend who would stop by in the early afternoon to check on him.

Worlock turned 13 on 11/23. On 11/24, the day before Thanksiving, we got the call. Our friend found him laying in his bed with blood all over him. He rushed him to our Vet who called us. He was hemorrhaging really bad.

We had to make the most difficult decision to put him to sleep without us being there. Our friend stayed with him to the end and we are forever greatful to him.

In a lot of ways, I think it was best we didn't see him like that. And since this happened on a day that both of us would be at work if we weren't on vacation, he would have suffered much longer, and probably would have been dead by the time we got home.

"Nan' died on the 29th. The day we got back home.

I cried my eyes out this past year when I was pulling the Christmas stuff out and found Worlocks stocking.

[arnolda30]

Thank you for posting this. We just loss our baby, Charlie, shortly after his 17th birthday. While we were so blessed to have him and he had such a happy, long life, we miss him terribly. He was such a part of our family. We are just heartbroken.

[poppypatch]

Originally Posted by Tina21

Thank you for your post. I lost my Georgie this past Monday. She was 14 and her quality of life was getting quite poor. She was just a big part pf my life and even tho she slept most of the time for the last 6 months of her life there is such a HUGE hole left behind. I had to have her put to sleep and the vet and vet tech were very supportive of the desicion. They told me that unlike many owners I had made the choice to let her go before her quality of life became unbearable and that they admired my love for her. All of that isnt bringing much comfort. I am finding it very hard to not focus on her last moments. She went very peacefully with my hands stroking her face as she looked into my eyes. She felt safe and loved at the end but I am left remembering her passing. It has been a few days and tonight has been the worst. I struggled to fall asleep and after only an hour I am up again. I am racked with feelings of guilt and although I know in my head that the choice was best for her, I just want to hold her again. I can't stop crying. She was my first dog and she was just so amazing. Has anyone else been through this and how long did it take before you started to heal?

my heart goes out to you,i had to have my patch put to sleep 18 mths ago he was 12 and had a bad heart,i have had the same feelings of guilt but know that it was the best choice for my patch i just keep telling myself that it was best and i just couldnt have let him suffer,that would have been unfair on patch,he too was an amazing dog he was one in a million,i found it hard to not focus on hes last moments for quite a while but like you i know he felt my love till the end and thats what matters most even though it hurts bad we stayed with them,i know its hard for you and it will take time dont know for sure how long i still hurt but i tell myself how would i have felt if i hadnt have been there at the end and that helps me knowing i held him and cuddled him and told him how much i loved him,and that my love for him went with him.i really wish i could tell you how long it will take to heal but it does get easier and you will be able to remember all the good times not just the sadness,i really do feel for you and know how much you hurt but honestly it will get easier.
my thoughts are with you. r.i.p georgiexxx

[daisy511]

I just lost my Daisy on 1/31/13. I have never felt pain like this in my whole life! She was sick and fought hard for a long time, but her little body could not fight anymore. I am having a very hard time getting happy thoughts and pictures of her in my head. I keep seeing her in those last moments and just feel awful. I am so afraid that this feeling will never go away. This is the first time in 6 years that I have no reason to get out of bed...Please help..Deb

[yorkiefan_]

Thank you so much for this thread and this site. Talking here to other yorkie lovers who understand how devastating it is to lose your little furbutt has done so much to help me with Minnie's passing. I don't have any idea how I'd be feeling right now without having this outlet to tell the world about my spectacular yorkie Minnie. She took such a piece of my heart with her when we lost her, but this place has really helped me focus on the good times while lending a sympathetic shoulder to cry on in the tough times.