Our Dog - Died Should I be Concerned about our vet?

[rachelnna7]

after the second dose, the accidents stopped and she seemed to be happy. Friday  we found that she once again couldnt get enough to drink and that she wasn't interested in the food that she so often eats. She accepted a hamburger treat later that night but we still rushed her to our vet first thing saturday morning.

They sent us home and said to take her to the er if she collapsed, we went home, and saturday was mostly the same, but sunday, she stopped taking any water, she started to become disoriented and crash into furniture. We rushed her to the hospital, and by the time we got there she couldn't walk.

They rushed the blood work, and started her on an iv, and before the blood work came back, she slipped into a coma. They said that her pancreas levels were looking bad, she had severe anemia, probable internal bleeding and that most of her blood tests were unfavorable. They gave us the option of blood transfusions, but we decided that the chances were too low to continue to do that to her, and made the decision to put her down. She passed away before they could give her the iv injection to put her down.

I am really concerned because we dont know the exact diagnosis so I was wondering if we should be worried about our other dog at all, is it possible something could be wrong with her?  I am curious if blood work would have been sampled with the urine test a month ago that we might not have had this traumatic experience with our pet. I am also concerned about the lack of urgency on saturday when we did try to take her in...are these concerns valid, or did our vet follow the book?

[Cliff Redford, DVM]

First off, I am very sorry to hear of the loss of your dog. The questions you have are valid ones however I cannot determine if earlier intervention would have helped. Sometimes these things happen suddenly and tests performed 1 month previous are completely normal. It is also difficult for me to say if your original veterinarian should have been more assertive or sent you to the ER sooner. I imagine the outcome would have been the same.
I expect that this condition is not infectious however to be safe a wellness test (simple set of blood work) would be a good idea. At least it will reduce your concerns.

[yorkie5]

So sorry for your loss. Eerily, your experience is very similar to the one which I came on here to ask the very same question about. We similiarly saw our dog collapse, become disoriented and so on. A urine test revealed proteins and we were given antibiotics. A blood tests revealed raised white blood cells and we were given more. His abdomen, which had seemed swollen and filled with liquid, returned to normal. Eight days ago our dog was tearing around like his old self.
Only when he slumped on his walk the next day did I decide to take him to a different vet. They found that he was severely anemic, and that his again swollen abdomen was filled with blood. They tried ultrasound and X-ras but couldn't see anything because of the increased liquid and had no choice other than to open him up, and found up to 40 tumours, which had originated in the spleen. When a tumour bursts, the blood spreads the cancerous cells through the body. The blood is absorbed back into the circulation, but has left a time bomb. It's a very cruel disease - hemangiosarcoma - and is very difficult to detect. I think our original vet should have investigated with ultrasound or X-rays at the start.
It sounds like your beloved dog may have had the same problem, but only a med could comment on the treatment. Again, deepest sympathies with you: it is devastating.