Is it possible to get PTSD from the death of a pet?

[eveningprimrose]

I was just wondering...because there was a website which claimed that you can, indeed, get PTSD from the death of a pet. There was a news agency that kind of made fun of the website's claim, saying that there is this "trauma gold rush" in which everyone claims that anything can cause PTSD.

This is just my opinion, and I posted this thread to see how far from the truth my opinion is, but I believe that you can get PTSD from the death of a pet. I witnessed the euthanasia of my 10 year old dog late in 2013, and although it didn't cause me any PTSD, it was not pleasant, and I still feel a bit sad nowadays.

I don't want to offend anyone, or say that ANYTHING can cause PTSD. I'm just saying that, in my opinion, you can get PTSD from witnessing the death of a pet, especially a pet as complex as a dog. But once again, I'd like to see whether or not my opinion is true.

[Pua_means_fl0wers]

For me I believe you;re able to gain PTSD from the death of your pet thats traumatic. For me on December 22 2017 a little before that date I just found out my Lab had a special disease that is supposed to only go to cats, but with my luck it got her. She stopped eating, couldnt go the restroom,, anything. I knew she wasnt getting better so I asked to go to Big Bear and that was the last time she ran in the mountains and was free. It became December and on the 22 she got back from the vet and she wouldnt move so I slid her in my room with her bed and a minute later she stated to wheeze. I got a bad feeling and jumped off my bed and grabbed her holding her she started to cough up blood and her stomach acid at the same time. I literally held my dog while she died and after that I feel like I became a different person. Every time I hear my step moms dog cough or wine while sleeping, my heart starts to race, I cant breathe, I start to cry and I get pictures of my dog dying in my hands in my head. Its not pleasant. Or even hearing a song will make me have a panic attack. Its not fun having this happen to you when your so young.

[Pua_means_fl0wers]

Even with photos of her and any sound of a dog wheezing, whining , any sound other than a bark will trigger me making me burst into tears. Or even when I'm trying to sleep I'll be fine but then I'll open my eyes feeling my neck like I lost my locket of a photo of her but when I finally feel it I'll burst into tears.

[Pua_means_fl0wers]

( I'm sorry for adding to my thing..) and when I go to bed with step moms dog i need her to lay next to me for I can keep my hand on her chest so I can feel her heartbeat.

[ALittleBirdToldMe]

I understand exactly how you feel.. I’m going on 5 years.. mine is just as bad as the day it happened.. I’m so very sorry.

[SonnyMaevis]

I believe it is possible to get PTSD from the death of a pet. 3 months ago I witnessed my dog Phoebe die in my mother's arms. She was hit by a car and my sister came rushing in with Phoebe's little dying body in her arms. At first we thought she was going to make it and I was preparing to rush her to the vet ER. But then I looked over and had seen my mother sobbing and cradling our dog's body in her arms. Blood was everywhere. Unable to do anything, my mom sat her body down and asked me to bag her up as she calmed my sister down. I've had nightmares and flashbacks ever since, especially because Phoebe's neck and ribs were broken and I felt all of it as I bagged her up. And now, three months later, just about any type of screaming can trigger memories. I can't even look at pictures of her or be remotely close to the spot she died in.

[RenaeWu82]

Yes, people are emotionally attached to their pets for comfort, release of stress, and security. I was so attached to pet bird Frankie. Frankie was my 5 year old cockateil. I loved Frankie.  I work in a highly stressful and life threatening job in Law Enforcement.I can't tell anybody how I feel. Each day Frankie would wait for for me to come home and wanted to be petted and held. He provided comfort, release of stress, and security for me as I sit quietly with him. One weekend my husband and I flew to New York for a vacation and had a crappy flight to and back from New York. When I got back home I was excited to see Frankie again. When I got home I found Frankie dead tangled in his toy. I saw blood on the walls, ceiling, floor, and on my other 2 birds. I saw thousands of Frankies feathers on the floor as he struggled for his life. Through my job I have saw many bad things.That's my job keep it professional get the job done. I saw Frankie my heart broke. I cried. I was devastated. I didn't sleep for 3 days straight just cried thinking of what he must of went through. He needed my help and I wasn't there to help him.I felt bad and felt guilty.I think of Frankie often. I will always miss my Frankie. I was lucky to have him in my life.

[KingChozo]

My dog just got hit by a car. I feel like it was my fault I let her outside because she was getting better at not taking off. She stayed near the house but then bolted down the side walk. She got past one street ok but the se ond street the busiest of the two she ran across and made it halfway and got hit by a car. The scene keeps replaying in my head and I don't know what to do I feel bad because I know that I caused this to happen.

[DaraD4]

My cat was killed by being run over by a car. I woke up to someone pounding on our front door that morning and heard my roommate calling in to my room, "Dara, Cooper was run over. Come down." I didn't comprehend what she was saying at the time, and my body went in to complete shock and I grabbed two plastic bags on my way down because I think my brain was trying to help me fully realize that I was going to have to pick up my baby boy. I came down and out of the house to walk to the middle of the four way next to my house. Cooper was kind of hunched, his head was....well, use your imagination. It must have been a quick death. Someone called the local SPCA that morning before I had the chance to come to. I was sobbing and my roommate was hugging me, rubbing my back. She kept saying "I'm so so sorry Dara..." I didn't want to be near anyone for the next few hours. The scenes of me putting his lower and upper half into two connecting bags was the worst thing I've ever had to do. The SPCA officer pronounced him dead in the box we put him in, as I wasn't expecting him to show up. We had him cremated an hour later when my boyfriend and I could get it together enough to do what needed to be done. I feel like I do have PTSD because I keep getting flashbacks of his face, his body....I kept saying inwardly that I was so sorry that I couldn't protect him...

[drifter0213]

its tough losing FAM

[Squibbles07]

I'm glad I found this thread. I felt guilty feeling so traumatized by my dogs death because people are traumatized by way worse. I keep trying to deny that it's given me ptsd because I feel almost unworthy of having it in a sense, due to it being a veteran type label. But I lost my dog to cancer. Yes, I knew the time would come but you can never fully prepare yourself for that. She was my childhood dog and one morning, I got up, let her out, and she was just fine. Later in the day, she started breathing heavy and seemed half out of it. She appeared to be suffering and I felt so guilty for not having her put down. I feel she suffered and it's my fault, but I truly believed I'd know when it's time to have her put down, however, her death seemed to come on suddenly as she didn't seem like she was any worse than the month before. I was home all alone when her breathing started becoming more labored. Slime was coming from her mouth and I was so disturbed. I wanted to stay by her and comfort her but I was so distraught over seeing her that way. I called every vet in the area at 9pm to see if they did after hour emergencies. I didn't want her to suffer as the cancer made her throat lymphnodes swell so. Much that she was slowly suffocating right in front of. Me and none of them would do it. None of them did emergency hours. So I sat next to her, watching her struggle to breathe over a period of about 5 hours. This dog had been my best friend and I couldn't do. Anything to ease her pain. Eventually, she let out one last big breath and she was gone and I watched it. I watched her slip  away in such a tortured way and I could so nothing to help. I then had to move her to the garage until I could take her to be cremated the next day. I felt like it was inhumane to put her out there but it was the only place to keep her somewhat cold. Her body was so stiff that it just killed me inside. The next day, she smelled so bad that I wanted to cry for my baby. Now I can't sleep. I constantly think about it. I walk into the back hall when she had died, and i immediately flash back to that moment and relive it over and over again. Sometimes I think I see her off the corner of my eye. I freak myself out  all the time because of it. I cant get the sound of her rough breathing out of my head. I can't forget her face after she was gone. It didn't even look like her. It was no longer the same lively loveable dog that I had been so close to. It was just an inanimate object and I felt sickened to. The core that she looked that way. I keep thinking "God do I have ptsd from this?" and then I think I'm out of place to even think that because how on earth could something like a pets death, traumatized a person. But now thanks to these stories,  I feel like it's very well possible to be traumatized from this and I feel a tad bit more normal.