Loss of a Companion Please help

[norwegn113]

Hey everyone, I am in need of some help. I have two older dogs. One is a 14 year old Alaskan Malamute ( male ) and a 12 year old Siberian Husky ( female) These two dogs are completely INSEPARABLE! The female has been with the male her entire life. He is all she has ever known. ( It was very cute , when the male was 2 i brought him to a Husky breeder to make sure he liked his new friend before I brought her home ,but instead he actually went into the litter and dragged her out of the crowd! I guess he made his choice! ) It has been a love story ever since. The problem is The male has gotten cancer and is now at the point where he is suffering and I have to take him to be euthanized to end his suffering ( he is in a great deal of pain!) I am very worried about how his companion is going to take this. I have an appointment on this Wednesday ( 2 days from now ) to take him in. The female already have anxiety issues and im afraid this will send her over the edge? A few people have said to bring the husky to the vets office and after he has passed to let her sniff him. ( its supposed to bring closure) but I dont know , to me that just sounds like a BAD idea??? Im not a dog psychologist though. Does anyone else have any experience with this situation where one dog is let after its mate has passed? I would love some advice as to ideas to help her cope! Right now im dying inside, im losing my best friend and have to watch her suffer as well! Being an adult sucks sometimes!!!

[dillan2020]

Dogs seem to adapt to different situations much better then people. your dog will adjust just fine and i'm sure it will be much harder on you then it is on her. Never heard of taking the dog to sniff the body but that just sounds strange to me. you never know though maybe it helps I've just never heard of it. you have my condolences either way cause putting down a family pet just plain sucks.

[DestinyLynette]

Dogs can form deep emotional connections to one another. Have you ever read Where the Red Fern Grows? The end of that book isn't just a sad romantic element; dogs do die of mourning if they lose one another sometimes.. I knew someone with a story similar to yours; the older dog passed away and the younger companion that had always been around him died just a month or two later- young and perfectly healthy, but just a total loss of spirit and will to live. Her heart actually broke. she didn't want to eat anymore, only stayed under the porch where he used to lay, didn't want to be around anyone. It's not silly or strange.. just sad.

I don't know if bringing her in to him will help, but I don't think it will hurt. Maybe have her in there during the whole process? I'm sure she knows he's sick; dogs (animals in general really) are good about that kind of stuff. I wouldn't be surprised if her anxiety stems from the fact that she can tell he's dying. Dogs can smell cancer in humans; I don't see why they couldn't smell it in one another.

I'm very sorry for your boy, praying you and your girl get through this together.

[Southern_Breeder]

Im so sorry to hear this story. I currently have an Alaskan malamute and he is BY FAR my best friend in the entire world and Id never let him go. I know it may not mean much considering we don't know each other at all but if you need someone to talk to you can always send me a message n we can exchange numbers. I hope the best for you! -Ryan

[sunshinenorcas]

Dogs seem to adapt to different situations much better then people. your dog will adjust just fine and i'm sure it will be much harder on you then it is on her. Never heard of taking the dog to sniff the body but that just sounds strange to me. you never know though maybe it helps I've just never heard of it. you have my condolences either way cause putting down a family pet just plain sucks.

Actually, if you have one dog with anxiety who kinda relies on a buddy dog, and buddy dog leaves... it can be a really stressful thing because you can't sit the dog down and explain what happened. To her, her buddy just up and left and OMG WHEN IS MY FRIEND COMING BACK. It can and does happen. I've never heard of the smelling the dead dog, but I actually really like that idea. So if you want to, go for it.
I've never worked with an anxious, pack bound dog after the friend has died, but maybe try to circumvent her anxiety? Like if she's a nervous chewer, give her lots of kongs. If she stresses out alone, make sure she has someone around. If she gets frantic, kennel so she has a safe place. Gradually ease up on it in the weeks passing. Also, if you are calm, she will be calm. If she's going OMGTHE WORLD IS ENDING OMGGGG and losing doggie brain, if you lose yojr cool, she will lose it more.
Good luck and I'm sorry for your loss

[carlson]

When I was 18 had similar situation. My husky mutt died at 17 (put to sleep). The vets did it in our car and we were able to bring him home an bury him. Our female lab had been with him from a puppy to then (12 years) she went with us to bury him at the family farm. Wouldn't leave his side it made it sadder but couldn't just not let her be there when he was laid down in the woods they used to run. She lived another almost two years, she seemed sadder than a lab should be. Didnt leave their house unless it was to come inside to vist, she refused to stay the night anywhere but in that dog house tho, she would cry until placed back in the kennel. My parents did what they could to keep her spirits up, sadly I let being a college freshman distract me and I spent less time with her than I wish I did. After she died she was burried next to my boy.. up the amount of time you spend with her after hes gone see if that helps with her being lonely.

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[SnowShredder]

I was in this same situation last year.
I had to put my boy down at 2 weeks shy of his 8th birthday. The days leading up to putting him down he became very sick. Our female, 9 years old (They've been together his whole life), could tell he was sick. She was very depressed. Finally I knew I had to put my dog down. The female was very depressed after, and she had to be put down 6 months later. It was extremely sad. The only consolation I have is that they're together now. I don't think she wanted to be here without her brother and best friend.
I'm very sorry to hear what you're going through. It's the hardest thing I've ever dealt with. I'm sorry and I hope the best for your girl, and I give my condolences.

Oddly enough both of our dogs died of the same thing. Idiopathic pericardial effusion (the sac around the heart filled with fluid and also the abdominal/chest cavity). Ran every test in the book and nothing was found. It's nothing that can be caused environmentally either

[norwegn113]

I was in this same situation last year.
I had to put my boy down at 2 weeks shy of his 8th birthday. The days leading up to putting him down he became very sick. Our female, 9 years old (They've been together his whole life), could tell he was sick. She was very depressed. Finally I knew I had to put my dog down. The female was very depressed after, and she had to be put down 6 months later. It was extremely sad. The only consolation I have is that they're together now. I don't think she wanted to be here without her brother and best friend.
I'm very sorry to hear what you're going through. It's the hardest thing I've ever dealt with. I'm sorry and I hope the best for your girl, and I give my condolences.

Oddly enough both of our dogs died of the same thing. Idiopathic pericardial effusion (the sac around the heart filled with fluid and also the abdominal/chest cavity). Ran every test in the book and nothing was found. It's nothing that can be caused environmentally either

Im so sorry for your loss. Thanks for sharing your experience with me. It helps to know that others have had to deal with the same thing and in the end come out ok!

[TerrieL]

I had a pair of Rotties that were inseparable, actually mother and son. Roxie my female got congestive heart failure and at age 13, I knew she was suffering and I decided to ease her pain. I was VERY worried about Moose, her son, he was so attached to her he was 6 years old when Roxie died. We had the vet come to the house and put Roxie down at home. I allowed Moose to sniff Roxie and he was with us when we buried her. His attachment to her seemed to quickly transfer to me and it was a huge problem. If I left home for anything I could not leave him loose in the back yard (he would tear down a section of privacy fence and would wait by the garage for me to get home) this actually happened on more than one occasion, and if I left him in the house , he had to be in a crate or he became destructive in the house but he howled and cried constantly. (these were all behaviors that he never had while Roxie was still alive. His separation anxiety was extreme and my vet suggested I put him on medication. I didn't want to do that so about 6 months after loosing Roxie I brought home Zoe a 12 week old puppy and Moose was transformed. He loved Zoe and they became the best of buddies. I lost Moose at the ripe old age of 14 and he loved Zoe to the very end. I became involved in Schutzhund and had added a Belgian Mal to my household so Zoe had Allie when I lost Moose. I don't know if getting another dog is a possibility but it did help my guy.

[Dracoluna]

I'm sorry for your loss and knowing it's coming makes it that much harder. I would definitely take them in together and make sure that the vet understands that it may take awhile afterwards before you're ready to leave. If you're going to be taking him home to bury, some of the time mourning can be spent at home but if not, your girl is going to need time to say goodbye. Though it sounds ridiculous, even wolves mourn lost pack members and it can last for days. If they don't understand what happened, they will keep searching which will just cause increased stress for your remaining dog. By allowing her to sniff and spend time with him afterwards, it will give her a chance to reason through what happened. I'm not going to tell you she'll be fine as some dogs never rebound from losing a best friend like that but it's not impossible either. She's going to need a lot of one on one time whether it be playing or just snuggling on the couch together. A new pack member sometimes helps but generally not when done afterwards. Going from 3 to 2 is very different from 2 to 1 to 2 again. Your mood will also affect her so after awhile when the pain becomes a bit more bearable, you might try doing something a bit more upbeat with her. Another thing to watch will be her food and water intake. Many times, issues arise from them just not eating or drinking after something so hard. Unfortunately, this isn't something that you can plan for ahead of time and you'll just have to play it by ear. Watch her closely, try to keep an eye on her moods, and use your judgement as to what's best when. You both will need support after and don't be ashamed to lean on her a bit too. Remember, you're part of her pack as well and that closeness will help her during this time.