Hello. I'm glad I finally found a site like this! It took a while. Anyway, I've been reading up on a lot of your stories and I can't seem to find anything similar to my little boy's story. He's only 9 and is dying of cancer. He never showed any signs of sickness until
a week ago when he came into the livingroom where me and my husband were and he looked like he wasn't feeling good. (I work for a veterinarian,I'm an assistant by the way) So I brought him to work with me the next morning. We did tests and X-rays and he has a cancerous tumor on his spleen. It spread (the cancer) to his lungs and now he's on very limited time! So far, he seems to not be in pain but, he's more tired than usual. My husband and I are so very distraught and hurting from this, we can barely help each other! We are trying to get through each day the best we can. I came here in
hopes that it might help me to feel a little better by reading other peoples stories to remind myself that I'm not alone and there's other folks like us too! I keep seeing "he or she was 12, 13, 14, 15" but I'm not really finding anyone who has or had an animal who is or was younger. I know, it's probably me, I'm just not looking around well enough I guess! I'm sorry if I sound like an idiot! I'm lucky I sat here and typed this out in one sitting! I can't focus or think straight so please forgive me! Are there any out there who has had a death or sickness of a younger animal? If so, please post so I know I'm not alone! I'm sure I'm not, but I think I need to see or read about it to help myself to get through this! My deepest sympathy, my heart and soul go out to each and every one of you! I'll pray for all of you to help with your pain! Thank you!

I am so very sorry that you are going through this with your baby. I am one of those who lost my baby from age related complications, but I know that just recently bellemocha99 and megsmom (the two that come to mind, but I'm sure there are more) have lost their babies at a young age. If you click on their names (from the actual board) you can bring up all of their posts and maybe that will be of some comfort to you. megsmom, like you, got a diagnosis of cancer and found her way here before she actually lost her girl, so her journey may help you the most. ( and megsmom-and myself-are also vet techs!) You would think that seeing sick animals everyday and having to watch people say goodbye to their babies everyday would desensitize you to it, but it doesn't. It never gets easier to watch people go through it and it hurts like hell when you go through it yourself....but the pain of losing them is so worth the joy, and love they bring. Hang in there, and give him lots of extra love, take lots and lots of pictures and video, and let him eat everything he isn't supposed to...no regrets...
your friend in grief,
Kim

Lisa,

I too lost my baby at a young age, 7 1/2. He would have been 8 on June 1st, he died Feb 16th. We believe it was from either stomach or cancer in his lungs. He showed no signs of illness until Wed morning, and I had to put him down Thurs afternoon. He was having trouble breathing, not eating or drinking. He was throwing up blood and it turns out the blood had made it to his lungs. I miss him still to this day and still cry every day.

Like Kim said, take pics/videos, let him have his favorite things, spend as much time with him as you can. I sure he knows how much you love him, but the extra attention will be more for you than him. Have NO regrets. Nothing makes this easier, but I hope you have quality time left with him and when the time comes to say goodbye, you both will know. His suffering will be over, but to be honest, yours will just begin.

I'm sorry you have to go through this. Keep us updated.

My baby was only six. She was hit by a car a couple weeks ago.

Many years ago, I lost a cat who was about five. She had feline leukemia. We had to have her put to sleep when she got very sick and was in a lot of pain.

Magdalene

A week ago I had to put my 10 month old kitty to sleep. I've come to realize that age is not a tool you can use to measure the amount of pain you should or shouldn't feel. I am quite positive that I miss my Rompy equally as much as anyone who has lost an older pet.
I am so sorry that you have such rough days ahead of you. The love we all feel for our pets is something that I never dreamed would be so strong until I went through it!
When my kitty was diagnosed with FIP, I had just taken him in because I thought he was constipated! Imagine the shock when I learned that the disease is 100% terminal! He didn't seem THAT sick, just a bit tired... I just couldn't believe that it would get that bad. It was over the course of about 2 weeks that he went downhill in a big way. Just give your baby loads of love and attention and try to enjoy the time you have with him.
I think kmom and kim's reply's really said it best.
All my best to you and your husband.

lisab- I just lost my lab/pit mix, Mocha on Saturday. She would have been 8 yesterday. You can go to my topic (My Mocha is gone) to read about her illness. She didn't have cancer but had a disorder of her lymph system which caused many problems, including loss of appetite, abdominal fluid, chest fluid (which caused congestive heart failure)..and others. She had been so healthy up until a couple months ago. She was taken way too soon. I always thought that she would die of old age and that she still had several years left. As kim r and kmom said, take pictures, video and spend as much time loving and spoiling him. I went to Petsmart the day before Mocha died and bought a keepsake memories frame. One side holds a picture and the other side holds an impression of a paw print. The kit comes with the impression putty stuff. I am so glad that I did that. I will have that forever. I am sorry you are going through this. The decision to put Mocha to sleep was the toughest but she helped me make the decision by showing me just how much she was suffering. And that day was the only day she wasn't terrified to walk in to vet's office. Please come back and let us know how he is doing. I have found more comfort here than I thought possible.

My baby Meg was only 6.5 years old. She had a brain tumor. I've lost old pets before, and losing them young is so much harder. You don't have those years and slow decline to prepare you.
I am very sorry for your loss. The waves of grief get farther apart and eventually your days can return to a level of normal.

I agree with all the other posters here. When you lose an aged pet, it's a pet you've lived with and had as a companion so long that all your memories seem to include him/her, and that hurts a lot. When it's a young pet, it just doesn't seem fair that a young animal is gone so quickly. Either way, it's a pain that sometimes seems unbearable.

The one thing I would add is that you may in future days hear comments that are hurtful and thoughtless, and aren't meant to be that way, but can cause pain anyway. Some people don't equate the loss of a pet as as painful as the loss of a person, but in my experience grief is grief and there is no comparison. I'm sure the folks you work with and your husband will be able to offer comfort to each other. In the last days of my old cat Heidi's life she seemed to enjoy sitting on my lap as I gently combed her hair, and I've kept that comb and fur as a valued momento ever since.

You all have my deepest sympathy, and I'll be thinking of you all in my prayers. Take care - Barbara

Hi,
I am so sorry to hear that your pet is so sick.
After reading your post I had to respond because what you are describing is so similar to my story. I know exactly what you are feeling its horrible to watch a loved pet and be unable to help.
My 10 year old cat was diagnosed with abdominal cancer in November last year, he was just off his food a couple of days when we took him to the vet who said he had a tumor the size of his fist, we were davastated.
He had surgery the day after but it had spread and there was nothing the vet could do.
He was started on Deltacortef and for two weeks he did really well his appetite returned and he played as usual then the vet reduced the dosage of his meds because he was worried about side affects. Looking back now that was the start of his decline and he went worse very rapidly and I asked the vet could we go back to the higher dose and he agreed but it was too late.
On the 22nd of January we felt he had suffered enough he had been going worse every day for a week, so we did the kindest thing for him and put him to sleep.
Its been nearly six months and I still cry for him everyday he didn't deserve to die like that he was just so special
I agree with eveyone else, death comes to our pets at all ages, I have just lost another cat and she was 22 and was so well loved and had a wonderful life and a peaceful death.
There is nothing that I can say to ease your pain just that you are in my thoughts and please come back and let us know how you are doing.

Cleo1