Loss of best baby girl

[MamaG]

My 4 1/2 year old dog, Gypsy, died suddenly on Monday night.  She was supposedly half Husky and half Australian Sheperd, but looked like a Border Collie.  She had a very thick coat.  She was just such a joy and I am at such a loss right now.  Besides the grief, I feel responsible.

It has been very hot here, just like everywhere else.  She loves to be outside and runs a lot.  I let her out around 8pm.  She was on the back porch.  Had a mouse cornered, we live in the woods and she loves to catch things, so she was very intent on it.  I was coming to call her inside, but instead look at what she was focusing on.  

I think she thought the mouse ran out because she jumped on the deck, then collapsed.  She made a terrible whining sound and I thought she had broken something.  Then she just stopped breathing.  I'm thinking it was cardiac arrest possibly brought on by the heat.  Never had the vet say anything was wrong with her heart but she's only had regular check ups since she was so young, healthy and active.

If only I had brought her in right away maybe this wouldn't have happened.  My husband says you can't play the "what-if" game but I'm just so sad and upset.

Thank you for listening.

[KayC]

I am so sorry!  You can rest assured your sweet little girl is at peace now...now it's just you that is suffering.

The what ifs blame game happens to most of us going through early grief, it did me when my husband died nearly 19 years ago...it's not that we are guilty of anything but loving them, and the truth is feelings are not facts, but it's that we can't wrap our heads around what happened, and our mind is trying to find some different possible outcome so it searches all the what ifs...

Comfort for Grieving Animal Lovers

A Dangerous Villain: Guilt
Breaking the Power of Guilt
A Dangerous Villain: Guilt
http://www.pet-loss.net/guilt.shtml
http://www.griefhealing.com/article-loss-and-the-burden-of-guilt.htm
https://www.griefhealingblog.com/2019/08/pet-loss-when-guilt-overshadows-grief.html
https://www.griefhealingblog.com/2017/07/pet-loss-when-guilt-goes-unresolved.html

I hope this short video brings you some comfort and peace.