We had to put my little sweatheart down Saturday night.

[AZ8theist]

I failed her.

We rescued her about 10 years ago. Not sure how old she was.
But she was the most sweatest, loving little dog one could ever hope to have.

And I failed her.

She had advanced kidney disease. I took her in about year ago to get dental work, but the blood tests showed she couldn't safely undergo anesthesia. So the vet recommended a kidney supporting diet. She HATED the canned food. So my wife and I cooked her meals for her using ingrediants to help her kidneys over the last year.

I failed her.

I should have taken her to the vet to get her teeth cleaned YEARS ago, but I didn't. I didn't brush her teeth regularly. With a clean mouth, maybe the bacteria would not have been so bad as to destroy her kidneys. Last Saturday night she took a frightening turn for the worse. There was no other option but to take her to the emegency clinic and have her humanly euthanized. I could not stand seeing her in pain.
So now...right now, this big, old, dumb ex-hockey player is crying like a child over my sweat little Peanut:


To all dog and cat owners out there:

PLEASE, PLEASE ,PLEASE TAKE CARE OF YOUR PETS DENTAL HEALTH
It is vitally important and could mean life or death for your beloved pet.

Rest in Peace, Peanut. You are so missed.

[sinkingfeeling]

1. My deepest condolences.

[BlueKota]

2. I am so sorry for your loss.

[AltairIV]

3. My deepest sympathies and condolences.

You did NOT fail her, you rescued her and gave her a loving home for many, many years. Hold on to all those memories, because trust me, as time passes they will bring a smile to your face and warm your heart.

[Zelda_Orchid]

4. Dogs are good people

[Dave says]

22. The best

I grew up a feral child, raised by Labrador retrievers.

[femmedem]

5. Oh AZ8theist, you didn't fail her. You did the best you could with the knowledge you had at the time.

You gave her a decade of love, and each meal you and your wife made for her was love upon love upon love. The odds are small that she would have had such a long and good life if you hadn't rescued her years ago.

I know how much it hurts. Regardless of the reason, losing our beloved pets is hard. But please don't let guilt compound your grief. If Peanut could speak, she'd thank you for a lifetime of care.

[malaise]

6. You did not fail her

You rescued her.
Putting down a pet is way too painful. It still hurts decades later

[FakeNoose]

7. Dear Peanut, cross gently over the Rainbow Bridge

Daddy will see you on another day!

[George McGovern]

8. Crossing The Rainbow Bridge by Stella Violano

[70sEraVet]

10. I LOVE that!!

[Diamond_Dog]

26. Oh WOW. What a beautiful painting! Tears beginning .....

[70sEraVet]

9. I, too, deal with guilt over the death of my last dog.

The old boy was around 18 years old when I had him put down. He was also a rescue. I guess it's easy to feel guilt because they are totally dependent on us for love and care. But you and I both provided an abundance of love and care to these fine, loyal creatures. We did NOT let them down.
Enjoy Peanut's memory, talk about him often. And be easy on yourself.

[lonely bird]

11. Rest gently Peanut

And rest assured Peanut knows you did your best.

We only can have them a short time to remind us to be kind.

[JMCKUSICK]

12. I'm so sorry AZ8theist, please be kind to yourself today.

[mountain grammy]

13. I'm so sorry

Please don’t blame yourself. Let that go. Much love to you ❤️

[Swede]

14. My sympathies to you and your clan.

It's never easy losing a pet. Take care.

[irisblue]

15. I am so so very sorry for your loss.

[LoisB]

16. I am so sorry.

[niyad]

17. Lady of the Beasts, please take your little Peanut gently home in Your

loving arms, and send peace and comfort to her grieving loved ones.

I am so very sorry for the loss of your precious Peanut. There are no words that can truly help ease the grief and pain. But know that you gave her ten years of love and home. Do not be surprised if she comes to visit you.

[gademocrat7]

18. Condolences

On the loss of your beloved Peanut.

[Phoenix61]

19. I'm so sorry for your loss. You did not fail her.

You gave her 10 wonderful, love filled years.

[get the red out]

20. I am so sorry

Pets are our angels. You didn't fail her, older dogs develop health problems quickly. I lost my precious, 15 1/2 year old, Layla in January. I took her to the Vet regularly for arthritis treatments and she was the same diva she had always been. Then I saw her start having seizures, I got her to our Vet quickly and he found a large tumor on her spleen. I feel guilty because looking back there might have been signs of these already beginning to happen, like finding poop on the dog beds and one literally soaked with pee. But I had no idea what that meant or which of my 2 dogs might be responsible. I have to remind myself that I had no idea that could be from Layla having a seizure.

It sounds like your angel was very fortunate to have been in your and your wife's care. You obviously did everything possible to take the best care of her. We can only do what we can do.

[Americanme]

21. Sorry for your loss.

We had a scare a while back with our dog. 2 different vets in 2 different towns told us he had cancer, should be put down. He had lost 30 pounds, was very sad and listless. But, he started eating, gained 40 pounds, has been healthy for over a year. The vet said she can't explain it, but there is no sign of cancer or anything else. He is a big happy dog.

[Botany]

23. You did the right thing you stopped your friend from hurting but that doesn't stop you from feeling the hurt 2.

And it sounds like you gave your dog some extra quality time with his pack.

[StarryNite]

24. What a beautiful girl.

I am so very sorry for your loss.

[FalloutShelter]

25. So sorry for your loss.

Peanut thrived in your love. You gave her a good life and love is never failure.

Sending a big hug, because I have suffered these losses many times. She is always with you.

[kellytore]

27. You did not fail her.

You gave Peanut a loving home and a life she might not have had without you. Thank you for being who you are.

[Diamond_Dog]

28. You gave Peanut a loving home for ten years. That counts for everything.

I am so sorry for your loss. I know what it is to lose a beloved furry family member.

[Clouds Passing]

29. I'm sorry AZ8theist 😥 Aw Peanut

[virgdem]

30. Deepest condolences on the loss of Peanut.

You loved her. That is all that matters.🌈💔

[kairos12]

31. My profound condolences to you.

Such a beautiful companion.

[democrank]

32. So sorry for your loss, AZ8theist.

You certainly didn’t fail your sweet girl. Think of all those years and all that love you gave her.

Take good care ~

[LetMyPeopleVote]

33. It is hard saying goodbye to a family member

[Bluepinky]

34. So sorry about Peanut. But you didn't fail her.

I understand your feelings, as our family had to put down our beloved family member, Bella, earlier this week. Maybe Bella and Peanut will be friends in the afterlife. Take care, and don’t be too hard on yourself.

[Mme. Defarge]

35. You may not be a "believer"

but Billy Graham once said that he could could not imagine heaven without his dog.

[LaMouffette]

36. My dear AZ8theist, you absolutely, positively did NOT fail your beloved Peanut! First of all, you rescued her! Second,

you and your wife lavished her with love and attention for the rest of her life. Peanut, I am sure, did not want for anything her entire life. You gave her the very best life a pup could ever hope for.

But believe me, I know what you are going through. Our sweet older Yorkie also needed a procedure with anesthesia and the pre-procedure tests were what discovered that she had kidney disease. We tore ourselves up with guilt: We should have done this, we shouldn't have done that. And we are still remorseful over the mistakes we made. But we remind ourselves that we are very much human and humans make mistakes, and sometimes these are mistakes that hurt the ones we love the very most.

From your user name, I see that you are an atheist, and I respect that. I'm an "agnostic leaner." I lean toward believing that our bodies die, but our spirits are indestructible. I also lean toward believing those who have had near-death experiences. To me, these are very compelling and are a great source of comfort, especially after experiencing a loss of a loved one. Here's one I would like to share with you. It's pretty long, but you can go to 6:28 in the video for the part about pets. Like I said, I'm an agnostic. I'm not 100 percent sure there is an afterlife, but I certainly hope so, so that we can all see our loved ones again, both the human kind and the furry kind.

All the very best to you and your wife!

[Prairie_Seagull]

37. Very sorry for your loss of Peanut.

Also thankful for PSA about dental health in dogs. We lost a dog due to this years ago. At the time, who knew? Not everyone got the memo. You did not fail her.

Peace AZ8theist.