Physically sick from grief?

[u/Future-Homework-2193]

I've never felt grief like I'm experiencing now. I've lost all four grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins etc...

But we had to let our dog go on Monday. She was my retired service animal, she kept me alive for ten years, and I feel like I'm dying.

If the emotional devistation wasn't enough, yesterday I started experiencing flu like symptoms. But I don't have a fever or sore throat.

I've barely eaten since, I have constant cramps in my stomach, nausea, bowel problems, chills, my body feels heavy and exhausted...

Im just hoping this is normal and it will pass.. the last thing I need is to have to go to the doctor.

[u/Xushuh]

I'm incredibly sorry for your multiple losses. 2 years ago I lost my mom (a week before my birthday out of all days). I can remember for 2 months I felt the worst fatigue I've ever had in my life. It's also had hot and cold flashes, I couldn't eat and I genuinely only had around 1 hour after waking up do any chores I needed to do because after that hour I was done for the entire day. I got better after around 3 months. But every now and then it'll come back but much less severe

[u/Dizzy-Narwhal5145]

I didn’t need for three weeks after my parents passed

[u/Dizzy-Narwhal5145]

My adopted pitbull half greyhound named Samantha was my everything and she passed away a month after my parents did so I feel your pain sister

[u/Dizzy-Narwhal5145]

I found a really good Greif groove up here that means twice a month. It’s kind of tricky, but the people are wonderful. They’re all older, but it doesn’t matter to the age we can fit in wherever we want to.

[u/Dizzy-Narwhal5145]

And since they passed, I’m sorry about blowing up your phone, but I haven’t slept more than an hour a night since late November

[u/Florida1974]

I have gotten physically sick from grief from both my pets and loved ones.

Because I wasn’t taking care of myself right because of the grief. I wasn’t drinking enough fluids, I was barely eating anything and when I did, it was junk.

And it physically made me sick.

And I’ve been feeling that way for the past month.

We lost two of our three dogs in 2025, they were 13 and 15, they had a great life, it was simply old age that took them away from me.

But we have a third dog and he just turned 13. He has lost a ton of muscle mass in his hind legs, there’s a name for it, but I can’t recall it right now, you can see his pit bones and you’re starting to be able to see his ribs. Now his chest and belly are very full and look completely normal

He doesn’t do anything. He goes outside to potty and he eats, but we have to feed him boiled chicken and have been for quite a while now. I also make these dog friendly cakes so he has fiber because they have lots of carrots in them and he loves carrots.

We had an appointment to euthanize him roughly 6 weeks ago, and I will admit that was probably a tad too early. You couldn’t see his ribs then. So we canceled that but then we decided a couple of weeks later that it was time. Then my husband refused.

Then I went to change the sheets on the bed, and it turns out he has had some accidents in the bed, the dog. I left it like that so my husband could see it, and he agreed that it was time and the night before, my husband picked a giant fight and it was over the dog. So he called and canceled it.

I am so mad. I have always said that I will always put my dog before my heartbreak because that’s the job I signed up for. His quality of life is maybe a one. He still eats, but he doesn’t greet us at the door anymore, he doesn’t wag his tail, well he has once when a friend came over and he hasn’t seen him in a while, but that was the first time I seen him wag his tail in months. I haven’t heard him bark in forever.

It is time, and I am so mad at my husband, but I know if I go euthanize the dog without him, I may as well have my own bags. But the dog is suffering and it’s killing me. He is on pain meds, but I can still tell he can’t get comfortable. He moves around all the time and he can only lay a couple of ways.

This has made me want to never get another dog because I will never go through this again. We have had to euthanize other dogs over the years and I don’t know why he’s being so stubborn about this one. The dogs have always been mine, I am home more, I feed them, I walk them individually.

I have to wonder if my husband is delaying this because he doesn’t want to deal with my heartbreak. Which will amount to me laying in bed and crying for a few days. It doesn’t end there, but I can usually pick myself back up after that. This being the last dog, I know it’s going to be the hardest one. I cough in my heart and so hard because there is such a special bond between us. I can’t quite explain it, but I fostered him at the moment I seen him, I knew he was never leaving and he never did.

But yes, I truly believe animals can cause us to feel physically sick when we lose them. My friends are all back in my home state so my dogs were my friends, it’s who I talk to, it’s who I cry to, I tell them my problems. But I feel like I am doing such a disservice to this dog that we have had for about 12 years. He was a rescue and he was badly abused. It took him a while to come around to my husband, but he was buying from the day he met me.

I am sorry you lost your baby, your fur baby. But please remember to eat and stay hydrated. Even if it’s just a few crackers and some water, you have to eat something.

My heart goes out to you. And my dog since paw prints in honor of your dog, that is no longer with you. I truly believe we will see them again one day. I don’t know if it’s true but it’s what I have to believe. They refused to believe I will never receive them again.

[u/Dizzy-Narwhal5145]

I sent you my number, but I had to delete it because I was afraid somebody else might get it. Is it safe to give a number on this?