Death thoughts after loss of dog

[Nitia]

I just lost my dog Talika a day agowhom i took in as a stray a year ago. She went missing and i presumed hit by car. She was my best friend and had helped me through some of the most difficult moments in life. I keep think and wishing of dying. Is this normal? Maybe the pain is too raw?

[KayC]

Give yourself time and don't act on these feelings, they're normal in grief but should pass.  If they don't, please make sure to see a professional grief counselor and tell him/her what you have told us here.

I'm very sorry for your loss, I've lost many pets over the years, it's very hard.  Our pets are part of our family and because we interact with them daily and they seem to love us unconditionally, it can be one of the harder losses we have to endure, but it's one us pet lovers go through as they don't normally last as long as we do.  I try to focus on the wonderful life we were blessed to share rather than merely on the loss.

Was your dog microchipped?  I hope you've called your local pound to see if they have found her.  You can't assume she was hit by a car, there have been dogs gone missing for years that have later showed up.  Sometimes they hitch a ride with a trucker or someone thinks they don't have a home and takes them in.  Have you put up flyers?  Contacted local news stations?  Posted about your missing dog on Facebook?  Make sure to share it publicly so it can reach a wide audience.  Where I live we do have a place to post such things.  Good luck to you!

[pjo59]

On 5/1/2017 at 8:38 PM, Nitia said:

I just lost my dog Talika a day agowhom i took in as a stray a year ago. She went missing and i presumed hit by car. She was my best friend and had helped me through some of the most difficult moments in life. I keep think and wishing of dying. Is this normal? Maybe the pain is too raw?

I'm so sorry for the loss of your dog. I'm sorry you had such a short time with her. You are a kind person to have taken in a stray dog and had you not done that, she might not have lived the year she had with you. She might not have ever known love and affection. It's not your fault about whatever happened to her. Sometimes we have no control over things. Yes, feeling like dying is normal. I went through hell two weeks ago after having my cat put to sleep. I wished the vet had put me to sleep too. I'm getting better now and starting to heal because I'm thinking of good memories, and the time I spent with Sadie. Talking and sharing on this board has also helped me a lot. Your heart will heal but you'll never forget her. I asked God for peace one night, out of sheer desperation and he gave it to me. I still have my down days. I had one today, but I don't cry all the time or ruminate, like I was doing. I'll pray for your peace of mind, because that's what you need.