Children and euthanasia

[calicokat]

How'd it go?

 

[keesmom]

I would like to know also. I face a similar situation in the not-so-distant future with my 13 yo Dutchy boy and my kids (7 and 4). Dutch is my dog, but he's been a constant fixture in their lives since they were born.

While I would like them to be able to say their goodbyes in person I wonder if it's just easier to let them know after Dutch has passed on.

 

[ninny]

Quote:
Let them say good bye. Just tell them hes not doing good and that he wont be around much longer. If they get to say good bye and have time to adjust to the idea of him not being there, it should be easier on them.

To the OP how'd it go?

 

[MagsC]

I too would let him say goodbye. I hope it all went as well as could be expected.

 

[MomtoSyd&Emma]

I just found this thread, and sitting here reading it with tears rolling, I recently had to have our Chihuahua (Peanut Butter) put to sleep, my daughters were 3 and 7 at the time, the 3 yr old still asks about her and we tell her she is with Jesus, our older dd talks about her but understands that she is gone, (we buried her in the yard and have flowers all around her and a cross on her grave) so they know her body is here but they never saw it as the 3yr old was asleep and the 7yr old in school when I had to take her (she was in a complete seizure and wouldnt come out of it)

My sister is a hospice nurse and she met me at the Vets as my whole family adored Peanut Butter, and she told me that watching Peanut go was the hardest thing she has ever witnessed, due to how bad she had gotten so quickly. I am soo sorry you have had to go through this, I hope your son has come to terms with it. Let him pick his puppy! The shelters are filling up quickly here with puppies as puppy/kitten season has already hit.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I honestly think that picking the puppy so soon after the old dog died is a BAD idea. Much better to wait at least a month or two so that the new puppy is not seen as a part of losing his old dog, but rather is a completely separate esxperience. Let him work through his grief and loss first,

 

[Equus5O]

It's been so busy at work with the aftermath and cleanup from the nor'easter. It's hard to fit in BYC time when I have to go out and do police work!

It was nice to see so many asking after Eric and HQ. Thank you.

After Eric got in the house after school I gave him a little bit of time to have a snack and settle in. I was actually delaying the inevitable. Who am I kidding?

I told him that HQ was gone. He knew immediately what I meant. He didn't have to ask where he had gone to. He was very emotional for a few minutes. The only questions he asked were what time and did Daddy know. We snuggled and sniffled for about 15 minutes and that was pretty much it. He said that he was going to go tell Grandma. My mother said that he very matter of factly told her that HQ had died. A few times throughout the course of the remainder of the day and the evening he mentioned that he missed HQ. Overall, he handled it very well.

I hope everyone understands that this isn't the first time my son has been dealt the death of a pet. It's the circumstances of this death that were different, and I wasn't sure how to handle that aspect. Also, I never intended to lie about HQ's death, meaning that I wasn't going to tell him that the dog had run away or anything like that.

There are also no plans to immediately get a puppy. While it's been forever since I've been without a dog and I would like my son to grow up with a dog, it's not something you rush into. If one lands in my lap, just like all the rest of them did (including my last horse LOL), that's different. In the meantime, we'll look around when we get the chance.

Again, thanks so much for the interest, concern, kind comments and suggestions. It was greatly appreciated.

Now I'm needed in court! How dare they!

 

[MomtoSyd&Emma]

Quote:
So glad he handled it well, our girls have been through way to many losses (human and animal) in their young lives but there is always that special one that really hits harder! When I mentioned getting another dog of course I didnt mean right away, you and your family will know the right time for the new addition!