Hi,i dont know what to do..my beloved great dane is 12 years old.last friday, he collapsed and was not able to get up again.
we called the vet, he told us that Astrix body was giving up and that he didnt want to put him to sleep as he didnt suffer yet, he gave him 2 injections( one for his heart and one for the pain )..
Something amazing happened after that, Astrix got up and took my harm in his mouth like he always do when he wants to play, he even ate a little and drank as well..we stayed up all night, i stroked him all night, then saturday morning, he collapsed again, he managed to get up again during the evening and then went down again.
He got up again sunday morning and collapsed shortly afterward, i called the vet, he came and said that Astrix was not suffering but he never got up after that and he got so thinn,i hate seing him like that, he seems to be in a coma now but peacefull, the vet will be here in one hour to put him to sleep forever.
I am dreading it, i am so scared, i havent slept in 3 days,i havent eat either, i dont want to loose my best friend, i feel so alone,i can not cope, i want to die, nobody seem to understand, they say tht i am exagerating.what will i do without him?
I dont know wether to stay with him when they put him to sleep, even though he is in a coma, he still give me the paw and he turned his head towards me, i wont be able to cope, he means everything to me, i cant stop cring, it hurts so much.what will i do?

Hi, atrix, please permit me to offer you my sincerest sympathies in the physical loss of your beloved Astrix. Losing a companion is never easy regardless of the circumstances or how long we are blessed with the privilege of their company. Euthanasia is the last gift of love we can give to our companions at great sacrifice to ourselves so that they can be restored to their former youthfulness in the company of the angels.

Atrix, please permit me to try to offer you some comfort and reassurance that what you are feeling is very normal grief - - very painful both emotionally and physically, yes - - still very normal. From what you have shared with us it truly sounds like you are doing the very right thing in easing his transition journey to the angels. Even though he is in a coma, he could linger for several hours or days - - and this would not be what you would want for your precious Astrix.

This grief journey is one of the hardest experiences you will know on this side of eternity, atrix. It is filled with many different emotions - - it is frequently referred to as a horror roller coaster ride. During the deep grief it is very hard to cope - - to be able to do the simplest of tasks - - to be able to concentrate - - to have the will to face the minutes, days, hours that now no longer include the sweet precious physical presence of your Astrix. Nothing will be the same - - and for quite awhile your heart will feel quite empty and lifeless.

The good news in the midst of all this pain is that the love bond you and your beloved Astrix share is eternal. It is not restricted to the physical laws of time and space. Even though your beloved Astrix will no longer be with you physically, I promise you that his sweet Living Spirit is always and forever a part of your heart and your memories, and nothing in heaven or on earth can ever take him away from you. Even though he will be with the angels, I promise you that his sweet Living Spirit will continue to share your earthly journey as he always has and always will, for he is always and forever a heartbeat close to you.

Atrix, I know there are no adequate words in any language that can soothe the seering pain of sorrow that is in your heart, and will be in your heart for quite awhile. Unfortunately there is no easy way through this grief journey, and the deep sorrow that you are feeling will not go away in a minute, an hour, a day, a week, a month - - or even 6 months - - for you are now on a journey that is filled with all the "first withouts" and the "this time yesterday, last week, last month, last year" - - and it will feel like your heart breaks anew with each memory. But I promise you, atrix, it will not always be this way. One day when you least expect it you will be thinking of your beloved Astrix and you will find yourself smiling - - truly smiling - - and this is what your beloved Astrix wants for you.

But until this time comes for you, atrix, one of the many things you need to remember is that you are not alone, atrix. Unfortunately sometimes the people who are the closest to us both emotionally and physically simply do not understand the love bond that we share with our companions. I promise you, atrix, that each of us here do understand what you are going through, and we are here for you for as long and as often as you need us.

Thank you so very much for sharing your beloved Astrix with us, atrix. Perhaps sometime you will feel up to sharing a picture(s) of him with us - - but only when / if you want to. Please know you are in my thoughts and prayers, atrix, and please let us know how you're doing.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

I'm so very sorry for what you're going through. The love you have for Astrix is so evident in your post, and I'm sure Astrix feels all that love too. Please know you are in my thoughts, and that you are not alone. We're here for you.
-Kelly

My heart is sad as I can feel your pain and love, beautiful...endless love for Astrix.
I experienced the same with my sweet, adorable Coco. Coco like your Astrix just didn't
want to leave this world and me. She was 19 years old and fought hard for her life....however,
her time was over.....leaving me 19 years of pure, total, precious love to cherish always.
And so my dear, this is the most difficult time for you and Astrix and the time for you to be as
strong as you can be, because Astrix needs you to be with him as he departs to what we call the
"Rainbow Bridge."
Please know that you are not alone now or anytime in the future, because everyone here is and will
support you.
I'm sending you big hugs and love to you and your precious Astrix.
Litebrez

Tank you so much for you reply, it is of great confort
Astrix left me yesterday ( by the way my name is Natacha).
It was the hardest thing i ever had to do, he managed to lift his head to look at me one last time, oh it was heartbreaking.
When the vet injected him, he put his paw on me as if to say" its ok, you are doing the right thing mummy".
I am happy he is at rest now, it was the most difficult 4 days of my life.
I am going to have to find a way to cope without him now.
I dont feel guilty anymore now that he is not in pain but i am so angry at everyone.
We will be burying him later on today and i feel bad that he is alone in a room now but i dont feel strong enough to go and say one last goodbye as his spirit has left his body.He fell asleep peacefully, it was quick.
I hope i did the right thing, i hope he knows how much i love him.
Goodbye my angel, please take good care of him wherever he is, he likes to be rubbed over the eye in a circle motion to fall asleep,he likes to have a blanket on him tokeep him warm whe

this is my astrix and meClick to view attachment

What a beautiful photo. Astrix will always know how much you love him, and he will always be in your heart. You gave him 12 wonderful years of love and unselfishly helped him cross over to the Rainbow Bridge when it was time. I know, it's never the "right" time, but your love for him helped you realize what you needed to do for him.
Take good care of yourself during this difficult and sorrowful time. There are many wonderful people here who understand how painful it is, and are here for you.

Take care,
Kelly