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Dianne

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  1. I've seen it it advertised and went to their site. I was thinking of having some of Zephyr's ashes made into a stone but just can't bring myself to do it. However years ago while Zephyr was still alive I would brush him and save the sheddings. Eventually I had accumulated enough of his hair to have it spun into wool. I now have a sweater made from his hair. Not only is it one of the warmest sweaters I own but I have something of him that I will always be there.
  2. On Nov. 21 it will be a year since Zephyr's death. I still have moments when I'm inconsolable and just want to have him back, then Today, driving home from work I suddenly was overwhelmed and realized why ... I've been blaming myself for not pushing the vet to do surgery ... for not looking into every option I could to keep Zephyr with me .. and realize I did all I could and was blessed with one more year. When Zephyr first had his choaking problem the vet pretty much said that he thought he might have a growth or tumor in his throat and he wouldn't have survived the surgery. Given the fact that Zephyr was 12 at the time, surgery of any kind was a risk, but to do throat surgery on even a younger dog came with such a high risk of failure the vet opted to give him medication to help his breathing and swallowing. The medication did work ... I began to view each day after as a gift. Winter was hard on Zephyr's arthritic back legs, but with spring he seemed to be his old bouncy self without the medication. We celebrated his 13th birthday on July 3rd I began to think maybe we'd be celebrating his 14. I kept hoping for a mild winter for 2006. His health began to decline the end of September, while my prayers for a mild winter were answered Zephyr wasn't there to enjoy it. He left us on a sunny warm November day. The sky was a clear blue like his eyes. ... today I can finally begin to heal and accept that all the love and medical genious would not have kept Zephyr here any longer than he was. I think a veil of saddness has been lifted for the first time. Zephyr, I feel your spirit in every room. I know you are whole and happy in your spirit world. I know you are forever watchful of those you loved. You were a special gift and you will forever live in my heart. I love you and miss you. Dianne
  3. Hi Maylissa I feel your heartbreak. It's been nearly a year since Zephyr passed and there are somedays I still cry ... I miss him terribly. However I know it's all a part of the healing process and the pain will eventually go and I'll be able to remember all the wonderful times we shared together. Taking a sick cat out of it's comfortable environment may stress it further and you're already dealing with your own grief and loss. I think the suggestion to go and visit the cat in it's own home is far better. As a pet sitter I find most pets are far more comfortable in their own environment and less stressed by the change. I do take in occasional dogs ... but they've all known me since they were puppies and the view my home as their second home. So when I lost Zephyr and I had the opportunity to pet sit Emily, Cavan and Maggie during those few weeks before we got Cadence it was truly a healing process for hubby and I and a way for Odin to get over the loss of his life long companion. Normally I wouldn't have done it but these dogs were like my own and fit in well with our daily life style.
  4. Sometimes having other pets does take away a lot of the pain of losing one, especially if the animal was exteremely sick. Sometimes it's just a release knowing that Shamrock isn't suffering ... We know you love him. Grief with each loss can be different. I know I was really devistated when my first dog died and we were so miserable without her we couldn't wait to add another dog. On the other hand I'm still heart sick over the death of my Zephyr. Even though we have another wonderful dog and added a new puppy to the household this past December. I still haven't gotten over Zephyr's death.
  5. I was going to say it could be allergies. Right now my oldest dog Odin is still scratching away. We haven't had a frost in this areas and mold spores from the leaves along what ever our hot air system might be blowing into the house I'm sure is making him that way.
  6. While it may sound off the wall, have you ever thought of contacting an animal communicator? A few months ago I decided to contact one when the ache in my heart over losing Zephyr was getting to the point that I just didn't want to go out and do things anymore. I have to say when the communicator was able to contact Zephyr in the spirit world and tell me that he was okay and would be visiting me from time to time it made it easier to go on without him. I have two wonderful dogs that are still with me. One I am sure Zephyr is communicating with. Our pup Cadence. There are times she'll do something that is so like Zephyr that I'm sure he's whispering in her ear. The communicator confirmed the fact that it is Cadence whom he is talking with.
  7. I feel so sad that your family ... who should be the biggest support would not support you through your loss. I am a firm believer that when you lose a special dog that dog's spirit does return to you in some way or another. Recently I lost my dog Zephyr to illness. He was 13-1/2 and I contacted an animal communicator who was able to communicate with him. She told me that Zephyr was happy and well in heaven and if he did return to me it would only be because I needed him very much. However he would visit me from time to time and let me know he was around by talking with my new puppy Cadence. I hope that you will be able to cope with your loss. Sometimes a close friend who has a pet can help you get through this. Maybe adding another dog into your life in the future will help as well. I certainly hope so.
  8. Hi Maylissa, I've found that most of my relatives aren't pet people, and even though I'm close to them and love them they just don't get it. Even my closest friend who had never had a dog before said "Well you can always get another dog" after my first dog Dolly died. I have lost both my parents and still have to say the most painful loss was the loss of my Zephyr this past November. He was there when I was going through a really bad period with my dad when we weren't talking. He was there to help heal the pain of having lost my mother. When he died it was like a part of me went with him. Today there is a much better understanding of pet loss and far more support groups than when we lost our first dog Dolly back in 1992. I hope you will find comfort here in losing your Nissa as I hope to find with my loss of Zephyr.
  9. Thanks so much Meylissa for your kind words. I guess there are dogs in one's life you never really forget or stop missing. Zephyr will probably be one of those. Having lost a dog before him I thought I would be able to get through this and be healed by now. But there are days when I still cry. I know time heals and maybe this time it's just going to take longer. Having had Nissa for 20 years I would imagine it will take a long while to get through your grieving process. I will always feel blessed that Zephyr was with us for 13 plus years. A good age for most Australian Sheperds ... so many of them don't make it to 13. What makes it a little easier to bear is I still have my Odin. He's 11 now and thankfully very healthy and active for his age. Then there is the little pup that chose me just before this past Christmas. Three weeks after Zephyr's death I went to see a litter of pups with Odin and Zephyr's breeder. She was looking for a new pup to show and to fill the void of having lost her "heart" dog Odin's half sister a year before I wasn't ready for a puppy just then... I had planned to wait till this past spring ... but this little blue merle pup with blue eyes broke away from her litter mates and jumped against my leg ... she came home with me a week later. I will always believe and feel that this pup was a gift from Zephyr (who also had blue eyes and a blue merle coat)... I think he knew how much we would miss him and he must have whispered in her ear and told her to pick me.
  10. On November 21, 2005 we brought Zephyr into the vet to have him put down. He was almost 13-1/2 years old. The year before he had developed a choking problem that caused him fainting spells that were extremely scary to both ourselves and him. The vet though it might be a growth that on occasion blocked the air to his lungs but that an operation would most certainly kill him. He prescribed Theodure to aid in openin his breathing passages and it really helped, so well that he didn't seem to need the medication through the fall and winter. We were able to celebrate his 13th birthday in July and were optimistic that we'd probably be spending this past July with both our dogs. Late August the choking problem returned and I put Zephyr back on Theodure, but he seemed worn and not feeling well. He was running a low fever and the vet put him on antibiotics. Rather than rebound his appetite decreased and we brought him back for blood work and more antibiotics. His blood work came back perfectly normal but the antibiotics just didn't seem to help. He seemed to be having trouble chewing and swallowing so I began grinding up his food. For awhile he would eat at least one meal a day then stopped. I started cooking for him ... his appetite still didn't return to normal. During his last weeks with us he was only eating baby food if that. Then the Sunday before he left us we let him enjoy laying on the front lawn under his favorite bush. He didn't eat that night and Monday we knew it was time ... He went peacefully in my arms at the vets. With him he took a peice of my heart. Being able to explain to Odin our other Aussie where his life long companion had gone was hard. Having Odin there was truly a comfort. But here it is a year later and while we now have a lovely year old pup I can't seem to get over greiving Zephyr. I know he is at peace and no longer suffering. But I cant stop missing him
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