Reply To: I don’t know how to handle a situation that hasn’t happened yet.

I think everyone had great suggestions. Just literally sitting next to him, looking him in the eye directly and saying that he knows it’s been hard with Daisy and if he ever needs to talk, you’re able to. Perhaps, you could check in with a briefly counselor or do some googling in anticipation. Maybe offering to take photos of them together, then making art as a surprise would be a nice thing to do now, since she is still here. Ask him what you can do when it gets worse.

When/if it happens and she gets really bad or dies:

Offer to be with him at the vet/hospital

Possibly consider going over (or offering to pay for)washing his dishes, laundry or making or buying meals for him. (Good ideas for close friends/family.) That’s not at all necessary, but it’s a nice thing to do, it’s a concrete offer (after you’ve had dinner, maybe-“let me wash these up for you!” not really a big deal but a couple helpful chores done when you’re dragging through grief can make the world of difference.

Forgive me for the next paragraph, all pet owners.

I know it will be really hard, and he’ll grieve her eventual loss hard, but if he loved one dog that much…don’t you think he’d want another dog one day? There are so many dogs who need loving homes, and I am so sorry to be disrespectful of Daisy, but I just want to point out, he’ll be okay, and he can get another dog who may not be as awesome as Daisy, but she might. Or she might be even awesomer.