persephone Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 I try & let other animals see/sniff the dead one . That way they KNOW ....it might take several minutes ..but they will know that their mate is not there anymore..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaneH Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 'Rainy', the vet I use - specifically asks that other pets are present. The argument being that there is closure for the remaining pet/s and they are not left to wonder where the other pup is. I have done this twice now with really good results and absolutely no drama. There was no force used at all to keep the remaining pet there - it seemed each time - that was what they wanted to do. Sad to read that you are preparing for this ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chequeredblackdog Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Sending hugs. My old dog died unexpectedly at home, so was not PTS, but the other dogs all said their respects. They weren't forced, but over the morning all found their way to him to say goodbye. When he was buried they all came and sat around the grave and watched us bury him. I'm not sure if they totally understood, but it touched me that they seemed to care so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
korbin13 Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 I don't think I could cope with another pet there as I was so distraught when having to put my old boy to sleep. I had about half an hour in the car with him where I just sobbed. We then took him home for the others to see, we left him out for about half an hour for them. They just sniffed him and then didn't bother with him. I am glad that I did let them see him though, even it was to satisfy myself that they knew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VizslaMomma Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 New Question Just thinking, is it better for other dog in the house to see the PTS dog once it has passed away or not? With hindsight, I say yes. We lost our 'younger' old boy last year. Just never cam home from the Vet trip. That left the older dog very puzzled and out of sorts for some time. Later I recalled another dog & the pack did appear to relate to the passing . HUGS to you all LOVE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuffles Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Personally I think it depends on the dog. My boy was PTS at the vet and my other dog remained at home. To be honest, she didn't fret at all. She looked for him a few times but seemed to accept that he wasn't there very readily. She's a very sensitive soul and I don't know if she would have done well seeing him after passing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2boxer Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 I regret not bringing my girl with me when my boy was pts. She spent a long time looking for him which was heartbreaking to watch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Having dealt with the death of a pet and having a child, I think your are better off preparing them stating the obvious that when an animal or person is very sick, sometimes their heart stops and they die. The first time we explained this Poodie thought that their heart broke and they couldn't love anymore. We kept it very simple, your heart stops and you don't breathe and that's when you die. Books are OK but they rely on the kids being able to either read it for themselves or comprehend what you are reading. I reckon deal with the "death" part and what death is first, don't make it out to be anything other than something that physically happens to all people and animals. The emotions that come with loss and grief are where the books about feeling sad and loss are helpful. Agree ,, ill and old animals are not 'sleeping'..and I was always careful to avoid saying -"being put to sleep".. It's good you have time .... there are also these youtube videos ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=9NjFbz6vGU8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akayla Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 I would say yes let the other dog at least see that they are gone. However when I had Lakota put to sleep I brought her home and let Blaez see her. He was very distressed. He tried getting her to play, nipping her and then trying to force her to move. It was horrible. Then he grieved terribly for a few months. He still goes and sits on her grave from time to time. So I guess what I a saying is yes do it, I do think in most cases they seem to just except they are gone BUT don't expect it either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bjelkier Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 My dogs have never reacted to the loss of a pack mate. I think they feed of my grief rather than feeling the loss themselves. I do believe however when one of "the twins" (litter bro and sister) goes the other will be very distressed, those two are joined at the hip. So for them I would take the other along if possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 I say it as it is with my kids. They are very old/sick, whatever and their heart has stopped they have died. They see us bury them. So far that seems to help them understand it is permanent. Now they are getting older I imagine they will feel the emotional side far more than previously. I let my other animals see and sniff them. So far they have all coped quite well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tikira Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 I don't think I could have handled letting my Border Collie see Tip at that time, the nightmares I have at the moment are enough (Tip was taken by a brown snake, so his passing was sudden though). However, it did take Kira a really long time to settle, for months she would grab her toy, and "guard" it from him, he had to be around that corner, right?, and any lump under the blanket she would nose for him to come out to play. It was sad, and perhaps seeing Tip after would have helped her accept it? I don't know, it is such a personal thing. Di Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebanne Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 New Question Just thinking, is it better for other dog in the house to see the PTS dog once it has passed away or not? My dogs have never cared. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remarkabull Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 My dogs have never seemed to care when one has gone from the pack. No fretting or searching at all. I now have a mother and son and Arnold (the son) is very attached to Simi (mum) so there might be more to with him if she passes first. Simi likes Arnold but she isn't any more attached to him than any of the other dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty Miss Emma Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 New Question Just thinking, is it better for other dog in the house to see the PTS dog once it has passed away or not? I had Kenzie with me when emma was put to sleep. It was extremely interesting. Before she was put to sleep they both spent a lot of time lying beside each other and licking each others faces, I think Kenzie knew something wasn't quite right. kenz was also a lot more calm than she usually was. She was very excited to see Emma (she had been at te vet clinic all day), but was so much more gentle with her than she usually was. The vet nurse held Kenz when Emma was given the injection, but she was there in the corner of the room. Once Emma had died Kenzie gave her a sniff and then pretty much acted as if there was nothing there. I definitely think being there helped her to realise that Emma was no longer with us. Following all of this we did have a few issues of Kenz mourning Emma for a little while (she was pretty miserable until another dog moved in with us for a little while) and she did develop some anxiety issues in visiting vet clinics, but we did lots of happy vet visits and all of that was fixed up pretty quickly. Certainly the next time I am in the same situation 9which unfortunately is going to happen eventually) I will do the same thing. Kenz wasn't left wondering where Emma was after she'd disappeared in the car that morning, she knew and even though she was sad I think in the long run it was better for everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trifecta Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 I don't have any kids so can't comment on that aspect but the reaction from my dogs to death of a pack member has been very interesting. My original pack was a gang of four girls including two litter sisters. My old Kelpie x was a true alpha, she could pull any one of the other three back into line with a withering look :laugh: She was the second to pass on & after she had died I left her bed, which was a basket, in situ for quite some weeks. When the four of them were alive, three of them would swap beds but no-one would dare lay in the old girl's! After she had gone not one of the dogs attempted to use her bed & funnily enough when I showed it to subsequent dogs we acquired not one of them attempted to get in it either! With my current dogs which were part of a pack of three, it was my Belgian girl who became depressed for a couple of months after our big boy succumbed to cancer, even though she acknowledged the body. I wonder if she missed him or it was in response to our grief?..... the Belgian Shepherd is a profoundly intuitive dog! The Kelpie on the other hand couldn't give a stuff, there had always been some competition between the two boys, mostly on the behalf of the Kelpie & he even trod on Rogan clambering over his body in the back of the ute when we were driving down to our animal cemetery to bury him! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 he even trod on Rogan clambering over his body in the back of the ute when we were driving down to our animal cemetery to bury him! yet another indicator that they know there is no more "dog" in that body ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trishm Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 I had my 16 year old whippet pts at home, and the vet (who doesn't practice any more, she just does euthenasia at home) insisted that I let my other 2 whippies come and visit her on my bed, so that they knew she was gone. They both reacted differently, Flynn, who had never known life without Jasmine, simply sniffed her a couple of times and went and crawled onto the vets lap, but Leah who had only been with us for 6 months, licked Jazz's face and sat with her for about 15 minutes, just looking and licking her. Neither were upset afterwards, and didn't go looking for her, I'm sure they knew that she was gone. I would certainly do it again, it is different I know, but when my husband died, they would peer around me to see if he was coming when I would come in the front door. It took a long time for them to twig that he was not coming home again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rainy Posted March 14, 2014 Author Share Posted March 14, 2014 Thanks all, my main concern is the other dog has never been a single dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tikira Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 Kira was only ever away from Tip for one night in her 7 years, so we were really concerned too. We "borrowed" our nephews dog for a few weeks,before slowly weaning him off her for a few nights at a time, and that helped a lot. We also upped the amount of training and fun things we did together, and she adjusted really well, but she has always been laid back. Good luck Di Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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