bonnie

[toots1971]

Last week my 6 year old westie Bonnie took really ill i rushed her straight to the vets but by the time i got there she had gradualy got worse..the vets rushed her straight in to the examining room and asked me to wait 15 mins later they came out and said they had did scans and blood test and she was severely anemic which was a result of internal bleeding somewhere her heart rate was dropping so rapidly and she was in a lot of pain and they said the best thing to do was to put her to sleep i held her in my arms and told her how much i loved her while she took her final bretahe im absolutley devastated but when i asked them what could  have caused this they never gave me any real answers to my questions  and as a result i have no closure and now im starting to blame my self did i miss something was there something more i could have done i just cant get over the fact how can a young dog be so healthy and has never shown any signs of illness just suddenly take ill like that she had never suffered any trauma or injury and was never left unattended at any time ie in the garden park etc..I loved my beloved pooch she wasnt just my pet she was my best friend i adopted her whan she was 3 years old she had originally came from a puppy farm i know within my heart i gave her the best life possible but i cant help feeling guilty and thinking was there anything more i could have done has anyone else ever experianced the same with their beloved dog

[Jerry_NJ]

I just looked at an enlarged image of your avata, 7 dogs on a couch, three are Westies.  I assume Bonnie is one of the these three.

Are all those dogs yours, or are some visitors?  We sometimes care for two dogs that belong to a neighbor, so three dogs in the house is the most we ever see - and that is a lot of dogs in my mind.  

We have considered the benefits of having a second dog, a friend for Wilson our Westie, but I have resisted so far.

[Jerry_NJ]

I have been watching this thread in part because we have a 9 year old Westie.   This is a good bit older than Bonnie was, and I wonder if the Hemangiosarcoma is less or more likely as a dog ages, i.e., is it a cancer that strikes the young and thus an older dog has passed the critical period.

The is so much to worry about when one has a dog, but love, were ever it is placed carries it risks and rewards.  The best we can do is try to enjoy and love every minute we have with loved ones (including our pets).

[ginger899]

Dear toots,
This is a horrible shock, and you must be grieving so much right now. I completely understand, and am so sorry for your loss of such a dear beloved friend.

From what you have said, this sounds as if it could have been Hemangosarcoma. It is a cancer of the blood vessels. It is known as the "silent killer" of dogs because they are often almost symptom-free until they are suddenly dying!
My dog passed from Hemangiosarcoma. Though with her I got a few days' warning, and she did show some symptoms beforehand. Although she was very fit and energetic almost to the last.
The primary tumor is usually on the Spleen. It is a very unstable tumor, prone to bleeding. Sometimes, if there is a "slow bleed" they can recover temporarily, but if it's a massive bleed, there is often nothing can be done. By the time the tumor(s) are discovered they have often spread to liver, sometimes heart and brain as well as under the skin occasionally.

The ONLY way to have treated this with any kind of success would have been to discover the primary tumor when it was very VERY tiny and before it had chance to spread. Unfortunately as this is a blood vessel cancer it spreads almost immediately via the bloodstream. It spreads like wildfire. Also, as the dogs are symptom-free (usually) at this very early stage (when the spleen could possibly be removed) -there is no way to discover it! Unless there is an abdominal exploratory for a totally different reason, and the tumor is discovered accidentally.
It is, unfortunately becoming more common in dogs.
Surgery and chemo, though it CAN buy them a few months more time, ever works as a cure. It is incurable so far.

Believe me, there is NOTHING you -or even the vet- could have done to nip this in the bud, and there is nothing you did wrong. I treated my dog better than myself, and she developed it.

I look forward to the day when screening for the Hemangiosarcoma gene, or screening for some other factor which predisposes dogs to this deadly disease, will be possible.

My heart goes out to you because I understand the shock and pain you must feel right now.
If you find it hard to come to terms with your loss, there is great support and help for pet loss at:

http://www.rainbowsbridge.com

[Margot49]

I am so sorry to read this and know it must be a shock and am sure there is probably nothing you missed.  Unless a necropsy is done, you may never know the exact cause.
I will tell you (I have had many dogs over the years) that something similar happened to one of my Shelties years ago at about the same age.  I had 4 or 5 then, fed them all in the morning and turned them out in their enclosed run before I went to work.  They all ate and were fine.  Came home a few hours later and all came in the house except one female.  I looked outside and she was down.  Checked her and she was in shocked.  Rushed to the Vet but she passed just after we got there.  Ended up she had an undetected tumor on her liver that had ruptured.  Shocked me and my Vet as I try and keep a close eye on all my animals.  It was tragic but just something that happened.
I am sorry for your loss but don't feel guilty.
Hugs

[Jerry_NJ]

My heart felt sympathy.

We have an estimated 9 year old male Westie, named Wilson by the rescue person we adopted him from.  You say you adopted your Westie from a Puppy Farm, I think that is the same as what we call a "Puppy Mill" here in the USA.  Those dogs do not have a life, and you were a god sent when you adopted the little lady and gave her a loving home.  I know she loved you back and will rest in greater peace when you stop doubting yourself, you were her savior.

Our Westie seems healthy, just came home yesterday for an anesthetized tooth cleaning - and he was having problems this morning.  One never knows and on checking with the vet they said his lack of interest in water and food (he had to drink some water) was somewhat common for dogs that had been anesthetized

He was much better this evening and ate his dinner kibble that sat in his bowel since yesterday.  This made us very happy and we know everything is temporary, he and we will not live forever, all we mortals can do is focus on connecting to all who/that we love.

I hope you will adopt another dog in need of a home.

God bless,

[BluCrystal]

Hi, Bonnie.  I worked for a vet for several years awhile back, and saw alot of things that other people would not understand, but made sense medically.  You said that the cause of her death was anemia, which is lack of some important blood chemical.  It could easily be that she was not receiving necessary nutrients from her food BECAUSE her body was rejecting them, like having a syndrome.  How could you have possibly known?  And this is just one example.  There are many, many fur-parents who blame themselves for a death.  Look back at her life.  Is there anything that tells you that you really are responsible for her death?  I will bet not.  Animals can have the same health problems as people.  And often when they become sick, it IS something that could have happened to a human.  It's just that animals require different treatments for them.  I hope that I have been of some help to you, and i pray that God grant you comfort during this time of loss.  Blessings - Blu