losing a pet, how did you tell your kids

[funny_girl3]

I think we will be putting our dog to sleep soon, within the next few months anyway.  Not sure about when because I'm not ready and I keep putting it off.  I started trying to talk to my son about it and he just bawled.  He's 9 years old and he understands death--we had a bad year last year, three family members died.  Once he started crying I just hugged him and didn't talk about it any more.  How did you tell your kids about a beloved pet dying?

[I_luv_my_boys3]

My DS is 6 & recently we had to give up our dog :( it didn't really bother him :( sorry! I'm not much help so here's a bump!

[prdmomnarmywife]

Idk ds is only 4 and we have never lost a pet just given one away .which was hell on both of us .

[usmchoney]

I told her he was going to a better place, and that we didnt want him to be in pain. We spent a whole day together with him, did some special stuff. Its hard, there will be crying, it's unavoidable sometimes....

[funny_girl3]

I'm sorry about your pet.  It's so hard to see my child be in pain, I hate that he has to go through this.

Quoting usmchoney:

I told her he was going to a better place, and that we didnt want him to be in pain. We spent a whole day together with him, did some special stuff. Its hard, there will be crying, it's unavoidable sometimes....

[connietrrll]

My youngest is 15. Both him and my daughter were there when our lab took his last breathe on June 25th. But, we did have to discuss it with our grandkids. About a week before he died he started to show signs of a serious downward spiral. I was talking to my stepdaughter and told her about him. She told the kids that Capo was going to go to heaven to be with Grandma. That he would be her dog forever now. It made it easier for them. They are 12, 10, 5, and 4. The 2 younger ones were around him more and really miss him. They were here yesterday and today. They asked where he is buried, and if I think he likes being with all of their grandmothers, and if I want another dog like him? We looked at pictures. We all cried as usual. But, they deal with it.

[pasteeater]

I just told him. She was very ill. We took her to the vet. They gave her meds that did not work. She died on thanksgiving morning a few years back. He cried and cried. Every year we have a little cry. I think grieving is good for the soul.

[usmchoney]

I know and thank you. Its apart if rhe circle if life and a part if greiving, they will be sad for awhile, but eventually overcome. Im not gonna lie i got her another cat two weeks later, it helped her redirect her attention to care for another animal

Quoting funny_girl3:

I'm sorry about your pet.  It's so hard to see my child be in pain, I hate that he has to go through this.

Quoting usmchoney:

I told her he was going to a better place, and that we didnt want him to be in pain. We spent a whole day together with him, did some special stuff. Its hard, there will be crying, it's unavoidable sometimes....

[connietrrll]

Some how I hit add reply and wasn't finished.

I am so sorry your family is going through this. I hope you can manage to get a few months of joy out with him. Take lots of pictures. Trust me they will be needed in the months and years after.

[funny_girl3]

Thank you, and I'm sorry about your lab.  I hope you had lots of good years with him.  Please excuse me for asking this, but did he die naturally at home or did you take him to the vet?  I'm asking because my son asked me if he could come to the vet with me when we put the dog to sleep.  I'm torn, not sure if that's the right thing to do.

Thanks for the advice, we're trying our best to make the most of the time he has left.  But it's getting to the point where every time we come home, I'm worried that we will find the dog dead.  Don't know if it's less traumatic for my son if it happens naturally, or if the vet does it. 

Our dog is not in pain, he has seizures, they've gotten progressively worse his whole life (he's almost 9) and if he has a bad enough seizure it could kill him.  The meds don't work anymore, our only option is to put him to sleep or let him die naturally.  I feel like he gets scared when he seizes, and I don't want him to die scared and alone.

Quoting connietrrll:

Some how I hit add reply and wasn't finished.

I am so sorry your family is going through this. I hope you can manage to get a few months of joy out with him. Take lots of pictures. Trust me they will be needed in the months and years after.

[Nerys-Kianna]

I told my kids, that every living creature (no matter if animal, human, and whatever is creeping around) is having "A Candle Of Life" which starts burning, when they are born. The candle burns down slowly til it's all burned down and that's when the creature goes into to the forever sleep.
They understood that very well, they sure cried a bit, as I told them, that Chakotay (my cat in Germany) and Fussel (my dad's grandma cat) died last year. Both were 4 and 5 at that time.