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How long does a pet grieve?

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  • 30-04-2007 11:09am
    #1
    Attol
    Registered Users Posts: 2,386 ✭✭✭


    I had 2 dogs and one died. The other one is now running around the house searching for the one that died and seems to be getting pretty distressed. It's really killing me to watch this as he doesn't understand his brother won't be coming back. The leads were hanging off the banister and he kept sniffing his brother's one. How long is this going to last and is there anything we can do to ease it for him? We're all absolutely devastated because the death was very sudden and I think that may be affecting the behaviour as well? It's only been a day so I'm afraid he'll get more and more freaked out now as it gets clearer to him that his brother is gone :(


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    #2
    Alfasudcrazy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,501 ✭✭✭Alfasudcrazy


    I worry about that too with my two - they are now so dependent on each other. I am not able to help in your case as I have never experienced this but would also like to know the answer. I think a solution is to have three dogs - then at least if one should die the others are not totally left alone and would be able to cope better.

    Sorry for the loss of your bog btw - what happened him? :(


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    #3
    ShowUsYourXbox
    Closed Accounts Posts: 228 ✭✭ShowUsYourXbox


    My brother owned a German shepard and a labrador. The labrador was younger, and grew up with the german shepard with him at all times. The labrador was extremely smart and very well trained, would do anything he was told.

    When the german shepard died he was upset for months, couldn't understand. He ended up running away and getting hit by a car. Was so strange because he'd never even attempted to get out before, let alone force his way out.

    I hope your situation doesn't go as badly as ours!


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    #4
    Attol
    Registered Users Posts: 2,386 ✭✭✭Attol


    Something to do with his pancreas failing to make any insulin I think. He just had a fit yesterday and was dead by the morning. Got a call from the vets that he'd died in his sleep. It's so not fun... Still haven't fully gotten it myself that he won't be back. I think when we get a new companion for Teddy it may make sense to get two at the same time to make things easier if anything were to happen. He loves to play usually but he has no interest in his toys or anything... Heartbreaking to watch

    Teddy is a year younger than Otso was so he's always had him around. Otso was the leader at all times so I think this will just end up with Teddy being very lost and confused.... He's not allowed out of the house alone other than into the garden so hopefully he won't manage to run away :S


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    #5
    golden
    Closed Accounts Posts: 376 ✭✭golden


    Hi there really sorry for your loss.

    We have a Springer/Lab has lost two dogs in her life. Her mother was killed on the road on Millenium new years eve (was not a nice sight as the person who knocked down the mother did not even put the dog to the side of the road will never forget it) and she was hanging around her mother. Well she adopted us to live with and we had a golden retriever who had to be PTS due to cancer. Incidently the cross is roughly the same age as our pedigree!! and is healthy while our pedigree dog always had complications from a rare skin disorder and arthirtus at the age of 2, (alot to be said for mixed breeding). The springer/lab has accepted that hes not there and is getting on with her life with us.

    Shandy (golden retriever) was the leader incidently.


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