Daisy's Mom,
I feel your pain! I'm a 38 year old mother now, but I remember the death of every pet I have ever had (maybe with the exception of certain fish).
Now I relive those awful feelings everytime we lose one here. Last year, our little Rusty, a hamster we had for over two years, died. Poor Helen fell apart. I held Rusty for over three hours while he died. It was the saddest thing. I didn't handle the death of our Cocker Spaniel almost two years ago very well either. As a mom, I have to be the strong one as I have a very sensitive little girl to deal with. But it is HARD!
And you're right, it never gets any easier.
Isn't it great to have wonderful "internet" friends who understand?