creekmom Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 (edited) My bulldog has not been himself since Friday when our other dog was hit by a truck and died. My daughter was holding the little dog in her arms, and when a truck was coming down the road, her dog jumped out of her arms and ran in front of the wheels. Needless to say, it's been a rough few days at our house... The two dogs didn't seem particularly close (and rarely played together), but he truly is not himself. Just wondering if any of you have had a similar experience and what helped. Edited March 23, 2011 by creekmom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Yes, they do. I'm a vet tech and we see it all the time. I advise the same things you do for a person, touch, massage, outside time, fresh air, walks, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Absolutely. I had two cats that I adopted from the humane society in 1999. They were raised together from the time they were kittens and lived with me for the last 12 years. When the female cat (Sissy) died of cancer this summer, the male cat (Blue) grieved for her something terrible. He lost weight, he cried constantly. He is a siamese, so he has always been vocal, but this was different. He would roam the halls at night just crying to the top of his lungs. It was so pitiful. After time had passed and I had healed a bit from losing Sissy, I brought in our kitten, Rex, followed by our newest cat, Chloe. Blue is now his old happy self again. No more midnight meowing and as I type this, the cats are curled up on the bed together with dh. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 they ABSOLUTELY do!!! When I was a kid we had a dog that lived in the house and another that lived in the garage. (I still cry over that! My poor sweet dog living in solitary confinement with no interaction once I became a teen. I feel SUCH guilt!) The only interaction between the dogs was when the house pet was let out to go to the bathroom. The house pet had cancer, we believe, and a tumor on her belly opened up one day,. When my parents loaded the dog up to go to the vet, the sweet dog living in the garage went wild. She tore up so many things and mourned for a LONG time. Our house pet was put down that day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Yes, I believe they do grieve when their buddy is suddenly gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 I think so. We had to put Maggie down on September 13. Since then, Chewy, her one year younger half-brother, has been my constant companion. He went from being outside almost constantly to laying around the house near me. He's also aging quickly, it seems (he is 11 now, but....). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celticmom Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 We have a male dachshund that is a paraplegic due to back problems. When he initially injured his back, the vet said that a major complication that they could not do much about was if he became severely depressed. When our female dachshund died we had to replace her quickly because he became very depressed. We had two large dogs but evidently he missed having another small dog. We purchased a female that was very close in appearance to our previous female and he perked back up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise in Florida Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 I know cats do. We had two that we got together when they were both kittens. One died about 4 years ago and the remaining one (who is now gone also) was not the same for a long time. We used to get sliced deli turkey for him as a treat since it seemed to cheer him up. :001_smile: I haven't experienced this with dogs but it seems like it would be the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jld Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 This is kind of related . . . I saw a film once where a mother cow was grieving the loss of her calf (taken to be eaten as veal, I think). She just could not be consoled by the other cows, and was just wandering around the pasture, mooing so sadly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalicoKat Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Yes, my basenji was very sad & depressed when we put down my pom this year. Both her and I needed another little dude in the house ASAP. Today I saw her and him sharing a pee together, in the same spot at the same time. :D She's much happier to have him around even though that's the extent of their interaction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Yes, pets grieve for their pals. :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: to all of you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 :grouphug: Of course they do. I am so so sorry. I think it just takes time and healing and lots of care for your dog, just as with anyone who is grieving. :grouphug: Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oliver90 Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 We had two large dogs but evidently he missed having another small dog. We purchased a female that was very close in appearance to our previous female and he perked back up. ---------------------------------- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 My bulldog has not been himself since Friday when our other dog was hit by a truck and died. My daughter was holding the little dog in her arms, and when a truck was coming down the road, her dog jumped out of her arms and ran in front of the wheels. Needless to say, it's been a rough few days at our house... The two dogs didn't seem particularly close (and rarely played together), but he truly is not himself. Just wondering if any of you have had a similar experience and what helped. I am so sorry. What an awful thing to happen, for everyone. :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blakereese Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Yes, dogs definitely do grieve. We saw this recently with our dogs...we had to put down our dog Chino, due to heart failure. His "brother" Max, was heartbroken. They had been together for over 12 years, so they were very close. Max would not eat and just slept on the couch, and he ended up losing about 4 pounds in the first week. He's a small dog, so this was a big deal. We started giving him his favorite soft food, it is usually a treat, and of course gave him a lot of extra attention. Time was what really helped. It's been four months and he is still sad, we all are. But his "bounce" is back, and his appetite. It was really hard on us, because we didn't want to lose Max, too. Give your dog some extra love and attention, and get him outside as much as possible. Like in humans, the sunlight and fresh air seem to help cure the symptoms of depression. :grouphug::grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeneralMom Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 When my German Shepherd/Rhodesian Ridgeback passed away, our Great Dane went into a major depression. He lost weight, his black muzzle turned white, he was lethargic. The vet finally told us to get him a friend or we might lose him. We did not yet want to buy another dog, so we bought him a kitten and named him Rover - our Dane perked back up a little and they were fast friends, but he still was depressed and wasn't eating properly. So, we got him a little Dane puppy and the change was miraculous. Sadly, soem workmen we had in the house beat him and our other Dane and the older one died. The younger Dane went into a tailspin of depression. Out of the blue, a big black Newfie mixed showed up at our fence and the Dane just broke his heart crying so we brought the Newf in and our Dane was so happy. Sadly, turned out the Newf was very old and riddled with cancer and he passed away 2 months later. Our poor Dane was beside himself, so a few months later we got him a Great Pyrenees companion and another cat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 YES! when Linus died, his sister, Lucy sat underneath the tree we buried him under for 3 days. It was pitiful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oasis Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Awww... :grouphug: Reminds me of "Where the Red Fern Grows". :crying: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SheilaZ Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Our girl Angel did. She was partially bind and seemed to have some form of dementia. Her and and our old boy Stamper had been constant companions for 16 years. Stamper would guide her back inside, reminded her to eat and drink, and just took care of her. They were just like an old married couple. When Stamper died unexpectantly in his sleep, Angel was lost. She forgot to eat and drink. We had to prompt her to drink throughout the day. She wandered aimlessly around the house and yard. She hardly ever slept. We couldn't get her to eat more than a few bites at a time and then she would walk for hours. If she heard another dog she would go searching to see if it was Stamper. It was just so sad. We decided to put her to sleep about 2 months after Stamper died because she just wasn't enjoying life without him. After 16 years together, she couldn't live on her own.:crying: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkacademy Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Yes they do and sadly it can really alter their behavior as well. We had two beagle brothers and a misunderstanding led to one getting hit by a car. (I thought kids dad was watching them, he thought I had them in the house) The surviving dog Oreo went into major depression. No eating no real sleeping he would lie on his pillow and whimper. We all thought he would pass away as well. About a week later for whatever reason he totally perked up but his behavior was altered and it has been forever now. Anywhere his brother slept he would pee. If he smelled his brother he would like mark it I guess you would call it. He was no longer friendly and playful with the kids he hates strangers I mean hates them. He constantly barks he will not listen. He was potty trained before all that now we have to keep him caged off in the laundry room with a baby gate because he will pee all over my house. The kids are miserable with him he is not the dog that plays or socializes well. I mean I can't give him away because I know no one would want him so he just kinda lives here. He runs around my yard chasing rabbits and plays with the cats but he is not what he was and is quite content for the most part avoiding most human contact. The kids want me to get rid of him but I fear too much he would be put down so he stays and lives on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkacademy Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 When my German Shepherd/Rhodesian Ridgeback passed away, our Great Dane went into a major depression. He lost weight, his black muzzle turned white, he was lethargic. The vet finally told us to get him a friend or we might lose him. We did not yet want to buy another dog, so we bought him a kitten and named him Rover - our Dane perked back up a little and they were fast friends, but he still was depressed and wasn't eating properly. So, we got him a little Dane puppy and the change was miraculous. Sadly, soem workmen we had in the house beat him and our other Dane and the older one died. The younger Dane went into a tailspin of depression. Out of the blue, a big black Newfie mixed showed up at our fence and the Dane just broke his heart crying so we brought the Newf in and our Dane was so happy. Sadly, turned out the Newf was very old and riddled with cancer and he passed away 2 months later. Our poor Dane was beside himself, so a few months later we got him a Great Pyrenees companion and another cat. OH MY GOSH!! I hope those workmen got into major trouble for that. I am so sorry for your loss and the horrible actions that took place in your home against your "family members". That is just tragic I don't even know what else to say except I am so sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Yes, absolutely. Our dog grieved when the cat died. We gave extra attention, made sure someone stayed with the dog or brought her with us in the car (we didn't leave her home alone missing the company of the cat), and we made sure the dog slept next to someone (the cat and dog had previously slept near each other). We also provided a distraction, something nice to do like a quick walk or game, whenever it seemed like the dog was walking around looking for the cat. In a few weeks, she wasn't so obviously sad. -nan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessAriel Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Yes, they definitely grieve. We lost two dogs last year who had shared a kennel. I know the first one was not quite the same after the other died and she died 6 months later. We had added another younger dog to the kennel which helped some, plus the extra attention, walks, etc. Now the younger one is on her own and seems a little lonely but daily walks, extra attention help some. We just aren't up to getting another dog at this time. It is so difficult to lose them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Once Again Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 They definitely do. Our neighbors had a beagle and a keeshon. The keeshon was old and developed a serious illness and had to be put to sleep. The poor beagle cried and howled nonstop 3 whole days. I felt so sorry for him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 This is kind of related . . . I saw a film once where a mother cow was grieving the loss of her calf (taken to be eaten as veal, I think). She just could not be consoled by the other cows, and was just wandering around the pasture, mooing so sadly. oh yes...this is true. When our calf fell through the ice and drowned last month her mother was very upset. As a matter of fact, when we take the calves and pen them up for weaning (age 6 months) the mamas are more upset than the babies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekmom Posted March 26, 2011 Author Share Posted March 26, 2011 Thank you for the :grouphug: and great advice. Socrates (our bulldog with an uncanny resemblance to the real Socrates :D) seems to be doing a little better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.