They are still here, but I am already terrified of losing them. Is that normal?
Yes, it is normal. When a dog is old or ill, many people start to grieve while the dog is still here. This is called anticipatory grief.
A real example
A UK study of 667 pet owners found this early grief was most common with old or chronically ill pets. One woman said she woke at night, anxious about losing her dog.
What others said
「My dog of 13 years is in the hospital, and I'm too sad to focus on anything.」
Shared online (reworded) Latin America, Oct 2026「My dog's kidney disease is stage three, and the vet says three to six months are left. I'm already grieving and exhausted.」
Shared online (reworded) English-speaking, Oct 2026「I'm worried my dog's cancer may have spread, and I'm scared to find out the test results.」
Shared online (reworded) Latin America, Oct 2026「I'm afraid my dog won't come home from the hospital this time; I don't want to accept it and won't go sign for euthanasia.」
Shared online (reworded) Latin America, Oct 2026「One of my dogs just died, and I pray my other dog stays with me a few more years.」
Shared online (reworded) Latin America, Oct 2026「I posted a photo of my dog, who has really gotten old.」
Shared online (reworded) English-speaking, Oct 2026Show 2 more
「My old dog could go any time, and thinking they won't be waiting when I get home from work is so hard.」
Shared online (reworded) Latin America, Oct 2026「My dog is 11, getting older and often having problems, and I'm so afraid of the day we part.」
Shared online (reworded) Yahoo!知恵袋, Japan, Oct 2026What people do in different places
Sources
Updated 25 Oct 2026. This page updates daily from owners’ posts.