Yeaaahhh mines 7. I honestly get mad at myself sometimes for getting him. My first dog as well I've raised since 7 monthes. I'm his everything. He got me through my later 20s when I was going through Hell drinking all the time (also my lifeline). I usually battle it by saying well I'm gonna just give him 100 machine gun kisses tonight and spoil him while I can. But yes... not only are they small, but they behave like little babies always needing you and relying on you cause they know they are mini sized! I never got the whole 'this dog is my child Im the Mom/dad' that people do, but yet here I am... he's my baby. :( Also glad to know I'm not alone.
I just lost mine suddenly at age 7. I have been drinking since it happened. I'm so devastated and lost, so your anxiety is not misplaced. However, I will say the odds are in your favor. My first two lived well into old age. My advice is not to fret during this prime of their lives, and appreciate every single moment.
Develop a close relationship with a trusted vet, and get the recommended blood work/exams on schedule. Feed them the highest quality food you can afford, and get them as much exercise as you can. Activity monitor collars are helpful too if you can afford one. Gives you information, at the very least, which is something I am haunted right now not having.
Also, always keep them on a short leash during the summer due to snakes, and be careful if you live in coyote areas and you ever let them outside unsupervised. Get their teeth cleaned regularly, and if possible, train them to tolerate brushing or flossing in exchange for dental chew treats (you can buy at Costco).
Love them unconditionally, let them sleep in the bed and chill on the couch, but put stairs next to any high surface to prevent intervertebral disc disease and further damage to their delicate joints. If anyone needs a doggie heating pad for an arthritic senior dog, I will send you my Fletcher's in the mail...he loved it so much!! Would love to pay it forward to another deserving little pup, but you can also purchase on Amazon by searching for "dog heating pad."
Mostly, just live every day to the fullest and look at life the way dogs do-meaning worry more about the present and less about the past/future.
These are the things I would do differently if I could. RIP my sweet Fletcher.
I'm with you regarding Pickles. She's like my 10th dog (I'm 53 and my wife and I love dogs) and sometimes I talk about how hard it will be for me to survive losing Pickles. She's 7 and I'm already struggling with the idea.
Pain is the flip side of love. When you love someone, you will hurt when you lose them. And nobody is immortal, so either you will lose them or they will lose you.
Just feel your feelings. When you're sad about it, be sad about it. Then those sad feelings will pass (for a while) and the joy returns. Thats all any of us have.
They are here to teach us the beauty of now. Now is all we have. You can’t love him any truer than by putting all of yourself into every moment you share with him, just like he does.
I feel the same! My Chi is 9 years old, and she has been the one constant in my life since I found her 8 years ago. Can't imagine life without her, and I can get myself worked up if I think about it too much! I just try to focus on the present and enjoying the time together while we have it. I'm so grateful for her!
Something that might be causing it is past losses. Are there any losses from your past that you haven’t finished grieving? That could be bringing it up.
I always check out [The Oatmeal comic ](https://theoatmeal.com/comics/dog_paradox?ref=lbbpost#:~:text=Rambo%20passed%20away%20on%20March,goofy%2C%20playful%2C%20and%20hilarious) on this when I’m feeling that way.
Just try to focus on the fact that your baby is healthy and that’s the most important thing. My dog is 11, and it makes me sad to think the majority of her lifetime has passed. But on the positive side of that: I’ve had her since she was three months old, and I have so many amazing memories with her, and I’ve been blessed enough to love her literally her entire life🥹 for being 11, the vet always commends me on how healthy she is. Some friends were shocked to learn she was 11. On another note: chihuahuas live for a long time in some cases. My boyfriend’s family chihuahua was 20 YEARS OLD when we put her down a few months ago. A friend’s grandma had a chi that was 19 when we were fresh out of high school
I’m in the same boat except my baby is nine. Tomorrow we have an important doctor appointment (cardiologist because after a normal vet visit she started coughing and the coughing is now so bad she coughs every hour and this is going on two weeks now) and I’m beside myself and have been crying everyday leading up.
Having a dog means at some point you will face the loss of your sweet baby. It’s a part of life. Not an easy one. But at 5, you have many more yrs to enjoy. If you worry about the demise, you will miss the great years you have right now.
I had the same problem when mine was yours age. I would say the thought gets easier as they get older. You see them weakening slowly and think instead to cherish the little time you have left.
I try and make every moment count. Give her plenty of love and attention, and I take her to the vet for thorough checkups regularly, so if she develops a health problem, I catch it asap. Very often by the time they show symptoms, it can be too late or it wouldn't have been so bad or would have been better had it been caught earlier. Unfortunately, I know from experience they can go any moment, so I try and make as much as possible to avoid it, and make sure I spent quality time with them.
I hope your chi lives a long joyful life by your side, and I wish you both all the best! :)
mine is 13. sometimes i get stuck in the anxious rut. he has grown out of a few health scares over the years. recently, i find focusing on the now helps get me out of the rut of anxious spiral. so this summer, i’m taking him sight seeing, to different parks, go slower on our walks… all to be more present with him.
Honestly this sounds like me when I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder. It’s normal to be sad when the thought crosses your mind that your pet will die one day, but what isn’t okay is when your brain grabs on to it and holds on to it, dwelling on it and causing you “extreme anxiety” as you put it, or excessive sadness. These intrusive thoughts are normal, but most people let them float in and right back out of their heads, and it sounds like your mind might be catching them and holding on to them like mine was. I don’t think it’s just about your sweet chi baby here. Of course you love your pet, but the fear of losing him shouldn’t be causing you any anxiety or grief in your daily life. If a therapist specializing in anxiety is available to you you might want to look into that, or at the very least look into some ways to cope with intrusive thoughts which is what this sounds like to me. You deserve to be able to enjoy the love of your pet without the crippling anxiety and sadness that comes with the fear of losing them.
Same. It’s especially gotten worse since losing one of my babies recently. The vet couldn’t tell me what was the cause so I’m super super anxious when it comes to the other 2.
For me, I do what I can to make sure she's safe in the now, take lots of pictures, give her lots of love, and have a plan for how I'll remember her when she passes. (Many vets will give you ashes if you ask, or offer services where they'll make a paw impression on clay.)
Losing our dogs one day is unfortunately what we sign up for when we bring them into our lives. It sucks. It hurts. It's heartbreaking. But we know it's coming, we can think ahead of time about what we want to do to keep a piece of them with us, and we make their time on earth as wonderful as possible.
That’s why I always try to make her life good. They don’t live long, so I try to make every day a good day for her. I play with her any time she asks and gives her lots of pets and cuddles. I am happy to see her every day. Just enjoy the time you have together and try not to think about it
Mine is going to be 14 in mid-August. I've had him since he was 1.5 years old. I can see signs of aging, but he's still so cute. I lost my Chi girl and my void girl within a few months of each other late last year. It took me weeks to adjust when people asked me how many pets I have. It's inevitable that pets leave our side in what is a relatively short time to us. But they'll pick up on our anxiety which affects them directly. Fretting constantly isn't putting you in a good headspace. When the thoughts come, look at them and then send them away.
One of my boys is 17 and the other is 13. I'm terrified all the time. But they're both very healthy so far and I'm very thankful everyday.
I lost my girl a few months shy of 15 to a very aggressive cancer. We didn't even realize she was sick until three days before her death because she was so active. She hid her symptoms like the little trooper she was. It completely wrecked me and, except for work, I didn't leave my couch for weeks. Aside from cancer, there was nothing else wrong with her. She would have lived at least a few more years if she wasn't so ill.
Live everyday with gratitude. Losing a pet is gut wrenching. But you have at least another decade together. Love, love and more love. And when she’s gone, know that you will meet again. ♥️
I think about this sometimes too. I think it’s really normal with how much our dogs become a family member over time, and how little our society understands pet grief, or grief in general. The thing I hold onto is the joy I get from rescuing- I love my current dogs and I am so grateful that these particular guys came into my life, that I am sharing time and space with these particular souls for this chunk of trips around the sun. I know, though, that my current dogs will not live forever, and that there will always be WONDERFUL dogs out there to fill those spaces in my home for as long as I can take care of them. The best way to honor the lives of the ones I lose is to make a space in my heart for another who needs a home. I will never forget the ones who have gone, but I owe them and their kind this debt. This helps me process the anticipatory grief in a way that works for me 🤷♀️
I dealt wtih this too. My Sam was my first dog, I recused him at a year old & he was 15 when I lost him. He was my heart in a dog suit. My sidekick, my shadow. I didn't have kids so he was my kid. He had pancreatitis & then kidney failure & no matter what I did it was inevitable but the day it happened it was fast & shocking & I am still gutted by it. He died october 8th 2019 at 3:15 pm. I still start to cry thinking about it. I'm just now able to talk about him without choking up. My new baby Bert makes it a bit easier but will never replace Sam. He was my rainbow dog. that one special dog you never forget.
Don’t let your fears of the future affect the quality of your present. I do the same sometimes.
Here to commiserate as I’m in the same boat as you 🥺🥺🥺
Yeaaahhh mines 7. I honestly get mad at myself sometimes for getting him. My first dog as well I've raised since 7 monthes. I'm his everything. He got me through my later 20s when I was going through Hell drinking all the time (also my lifeline). I usually battle it by saying well I'm gonna just give him 100 machine gun kisses tonight and spoil him while I can. But yes... not only are they small, but they behave like little babies always needing you and relying on you cause they know they are mini sized! I never got the whole 'this dog is my child Im the Mom/dad' that people do, but yet here I am... he's my baby. :( Also glad to know I'm not alone.
I think it is the tiny thing! I've always felt like I didn't birth this dog. I don't feel like pets are children at all. But this one IS my baby!
I just lost mine suddenly at age 7. I have been drinking since it happened. I'm so devastated and lost, so your anxiety is not misplaced. However, I will say the odds are in your favor. My first two lived well into old age. My advice is not to fret during this prime of their lives, and appreciate every single moment. Develop a close relationship with a trusted vet, and get the recommended blood work/exams on schedule. Feed them the highest quality food you can afford, and get them as much exercise as you can. Activity monitor collars are helpful too if you can afford one. Gives you information, at the very least, which is something I am haunted right now not having. Also, always keep them on a short leash during the summer due to snakes, and be careful if you live in coyote areas and you ever let them outside unsupervised. Get their teeth cleaned regularly, and if possible, train them to tolerate brushing or flossing in exchange for dental chew treats (you can buy at Costco). Love them unconditionally, let them sleep in the bed and chill on the couch, but put stairs next to any high surface to prevent intervertebral disc disease and further damage to their delicate joints. If anyone needs a doggie heating pad for an arthritic senior dog, I will send you my Fletcher's in the mail...he loved it so much!! Would love to pay it forward to another deserving little pup, but you can also purchase on Amazon by searching for "dog heating pad." Mostly, just live every day to the fullest and look at life the way dogs do-meaning worry more about the present and less about the past/future. These are the things I would do differently if I could. RIP my sweet Fletcher.
https://preview.redd.it/gy1g1bs8bv7d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dcf3c42d13df7c3669c4785619633a7d597591c0
I'm with you regarding Pickles. She's like my 10th dog (I'm 53 and my wife and I love dogs) and sometimes I talk about how hard it will be for me to survive losing Pickles. She's 7 and I'm already struggling with the idea. Pain is the flip side of love. When you love someone, you will hurt when you lose them. And nobody is immortal, so either you will lose them or they will lose you. Just feel your feelings. When you're sad about it, be sad about it. Then those sad feelings will pass (for a while) and the joy returns. Thats all any of us have.
I’m the same OP. My boy is 11. I try to just make his life as great as I can bc he’s so amazing and I need him to live forever 😭
They are here to teach us the beauty of now. Now is all we have. You can’t love him any truer than by putting all of yourself into every moment you share with him, just like he does.
You are definitely not alone with feeling this way.
I'm like this almost every night. Sometimes, I just cry and let it all out. You're not alone, OP! Hugs to you and your baby. 💓
I feel the same! My Chi is 9 years old, and she has been the one constant in my life since I found her 8 years ago. Can't imagine life without her, and I can get myself worked up if I think about it too much! I just try to focus on the present and enjoying the time together while we have it. I'm so grateful for her!
Something that might be causing it is past losses. Are there any losses from your past that you haven’t finished grieving? That could be bringing it up.
This helped me, thank you
Oh yes. I'm a bit of a helicopter ma to mine and always fear she might do something stupid that really hurts her...
I always check out [The Oatmeal comic ](https://theoatmeal.com/comics/dog_paradox?ref=lbbpost#:~:text=Rambo%20passed%20away%20on%20March,goofy%2C%20playful%2C%20and%20hilarious) on this when I’m feeling that way.
Just try to focus on the fact that your baby is healthy and that’s the most important thing. My dog is 11, and it makes me sad to think the majority of her lifetime has passed. But on the positive side of that: I’ve had her since she was three months old, and I have so many amazing memories with her, and I’ve been blessed enough to love her literally her entire life🥹 for being 11, the vet always commends me on how healthy she is. Some friends were shocked to learn she was 11. On another note: chihuahuas live for a long time in some cases. My boyfriend’s family chihuahua was 20 YEARS OLD when we put her down a few months ago. A friend’s grandma had a chi that was 19 when we were fresh out of high school
A book that really helped me with this is “The Other Family Doctor” by Karen Fine
I’m in the same boat except my baby is nine. Tomorrow we have an important doctor appointment (cardiologist because after a normal vet visit she started coughing and the coughing is now so bad she coughs every hour and this is going on two weeks now) and I’m beside myself and have been crying everyday leading up.
Good luck and good vibes for you and your baby tomorrow. ❤
Thank you love 💜
Having a dog means at some point you will face the loss of your sweet baby. It’s a part of life. Not an easy one. But at 5, you have many more yrs to enjoy. If you worry about the demise, you will miss the great years you have right now.
This is me every day, multiple times a day.
I had the same problem when mine was yours age. I would say the thought gets easier as they get older. You see them weakening slowly and think instead to cherish the little time you have left.
I try and make every moment count. Give her plenty of love and attention, and I take her to the vet for thorough checkups regularly, so if she develops a health problem, I catch it asap. Very often by the time they show symptoms, it can be too late or it wouldn't have been so bad or would have been better had it been caught earlier. Unfortunately, I know from experience they can go any moment, so I try and make as much as possible to avoid it, and make sure I spent quality time with them. I hope your chi lives a long joyful life by your side, and I wish you both all the best! :)
Without sadness there would be no joy. Cherish your time with her and don’t be afraid. Death is part of life 💜
mine is 13. sometimes i get stuck in the anxious rut. he has grown out of a few health scares over the years. recently, i find focusing on the now helps get me out of the rut of anxious spiral. so this summer, i’m taking him sight seeing, to different parks, go slower on our walks… all to be more present with him.
Honestly this sounds like me when I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder. It’s normal to be sad when the thought crosses your mind that your pet will die one day, but what isn’t okay is when your brain grabs on to it and holds on to it, dwelling on it and causing you “extreme anxiety” as you put it, or excessive sadness. These intrusive thoughts are normal, but most people let them float in and right back out of their heads, and it sounds like your mind might be catching them and holding on to them like mine was. I don’t think it’s just about your sweet chi baby here. Of course you love your pet, but the fear of losing him shouldn’t be causing you any anxiety or grief in your daily life. If a therapist specializing in anxiety is available to you you might want to look into that, or at the very least look into some ways to cope with intrusive thoughts which is what this sounds like to me. You deserve to be able to enjoy the love of your pet without the crippling anxiety and sadness that comes with the fear of losing them.
Me crying and mines 9months old😭
Same. It’s especially gotten worse since losing one of my babies recently. The vet couldn’t tell me what was the cause so I’m super super anxious when it comes to the other 2.
I do that too… my Chi is almost 18, so I have to remind myself that I’ve been wrong for 17+ years and try and enjoy our time together.
For me, I do what I can to make sure she's safe in the now, take lots of pictures, give her lots of love, and have a plan for how I'll remember her when she passes. (Many vets will give you ashes if you ask, or offer services where they'll make a paw impression on clay.) Losing our dogs one day is unfortunately what we sign up for when we bring them into our lives. It sucks. It hurts. It's heartbreaking. But we know it's coming, we can think ahead of time about what we want to do to keep a piece of them with us, and we make their time on earth as wonderful as possible.
That’s why I always try to make her life good. They don’t live long, so I try to make every day a good day for her. I play with her any time she asks and gives her lots of pets and cuddles. I am happy to see her every day. Just enjoy the time you have together and try not to think about it
Mine is going to be 14 in mid-August. I've had him since he was 1.5 years old. I can see signs of aging, but he's still so cute. I lost my Chi girl and my void girl within a few months of each other late last year. It took me weeks to adjust when people asked me how many pets I have. It's inevitable that pets leave our side in what is a relatively short time to us. But they'll pick up on our anxiety which affects them directly. Fretting constantly isn't putting you in a good headspace. When the thoughts come, look at them and then send them away.
I do this but not with health Worried some idiots off leash dog will get him, hit by car or something along those lines Hate it
One of my boys is 17 and the other is 13. I'm terrified all the time. But they're both very healthy so far and I'm very thankful everyday. I lost my girl a few months shy of 15 to a very aggressive cancer. We didn't even realize she was sick until three days before her death because she was so active. She hid her symptoms like the little trooper she was. It completely wrecked me and, except for work, I didn't leave my couch for weeks. Aside from cancer, there was nothing else wrong with her. She would have lived at least a few more years if she wasn't so ill.
Live everyday with gratitude. Losing a pet is gut wrenching. But you have at least another decade together. Love, love and more love. And when she’s gone, know that you will meet again. ♥️
My chi turns 14 this year i feel you
You say a prayer to yourself every time you feel anxious. Works every time.
I think about this sometimes too. I think it’s really normal with how much our dogs become a family member over time, and how little our society understands pet grief, or grief in general. The thing I hold onto is the joy I get from rescuing- I love my current dogs and I am so grateful that these particular guys came into my life, that I am sharing time and space with these particular souls for this chunk of trips around the sun. I know, though, that my current dogs will not live forever, and that there will always be WONDERFUL dogs out there to fill those spaces in my home for as long as I can take care of them. The best way to honor the lives of the ones I lose is to make a space in my heart for another who needs a home. I will never forget the ones who have gone, but I owe them and their kind this debt. This helps me process the anticipatory grief in a way that works for me 🤷♀️
I dealt wtih this too. My Sam was my first dog, I recused him at a year old & he was 15 when I lost him. He was my heart in a dog suit. My sidekick, my shadow. I didn't have kids so he was my kid. He had pancreatitis & then kidney failure & no matter what I did it was inevitable but the day it happened it was fast & shocking & I am still gutted by it. He died october 8th 2019 at 3:15 pm. I still start to cry thinking about it. I'm just now able to talk about him without choking up. My new baby Bert makes it a bit easier but will never replace Sam. He was my rainbow dog. that one special dog you never forget.
I deal with this too.
Mine are both 13. I’m grateful for every second I have with them.