my dog died suddenly

[agnes323]

My dog unfortunately just died he was 8 years old and just started with vomiting and just wanted to drink water but would vomit it out anyway the vet said he might have panceatitis but didn't suggest anything only maybe blood tests but they wouldn't get the results before xmas and just before he died he did brown/yellow diarrhoea and went to vet again but they couldn't help him hr had a seizure there and died within 5 minutes i just wanted some answers as to what might have killed him.

[Karenpenny47]

I am so sorry that you all seem to have experienced the awful sudden attack of pancreatitis on your dogs that took my beloved Jack Russell, Penny last week. I really am in shock. 5 days before she had been diagnosed with diabetes after drinking lots of water, stopping eating  (not usual- she often fasted for 2/3 days and then started eating like a horse!)and vomiting white froth. She was on a drip for 3 days to get her glucose levels stabilised. Her potassium levels were low so that was being topped up too. Her kidney function was fine and her liver a little raised. Pancreatitis was not mentioned as it didn't show up on the blood tests. There were ketones in her blood. She was given insulin morning and evening at the vets and I picked her up every night to come home. By day 3 she was much brighter, eating, barking, wagging her tail. I injected insulin Saturday and Sunday morning but Sunday afternoon she started breathing heavily and became lethargic, lost interest in food. I stayed up with her in the night as she couldn't sit comfortably. Her breathing was bad and she wanted to lay out in the garden which was unusual. Her eyes were narrowed and she was not so responsive. I had an early appointment at the vets so took her in at 8.30. Her gums were pale and our vet said she'd put her on the drip you try to stabilise her. She rang later that morning to recommend euthanasia as she wasn't improving. She died naturally before I could get there. I feel so guilty and feel I could have done more. I am crying and thinking of those last days all the time, trying to understand what happened. Did I do something wrong? It seems many of you have been through this so it is a help. Thank you

[emaildave]

We are sorry for your loss. We are feeling your pain right now. Our beloved Spanky went home this morning after also being diagnosed with pancreatitis. The vet gave him antibiotics, and something for nausea  6 days ago. He was very lethargic,  and wouldn't eat, but he didn't seem to be in pain.  He didn't like pain, so he was spared that by the grace of God. We took him in yesterday and his liver test was low on everything. The vet said that usually it is high if the liver is in failure, but also that the results may not have shown the spike that normally occurs and then goes down. We were scheduled for an ultrasound this morning. We are in pieces, but  thankful for the 12 years with our beautiful dog  Spanky.

[panchitog]

My dog passed away from pancreatitis as well. My heart is broken into a million pieces and I miss him so much. He gave me the best 2 years of my life and I truly owe my happiness to him. It's been a little over a month, but not a day goes by where I don't think of him.

[HealthHappiness]

My parents' dog just passed from pancreatitis. He was like a brother to me. As a Goldendoodle he had very human like qualities. He was very social and very much part of our family. Sadly when I was watching him while they were gone he became very lethargic and and began drooling. After not eating dinner on Saturday, I was a bit alarmed. Everything I read online said to take the dog to the vet if it was vomiting or had diarrhea--which he had neither. Sunday he was even more lethargic and drinking water constantly, but had no interest in food. I took him to the vet early Monday morning fearing he had a broken tooth or cut in his mouth. After he was at the vet the entire day of Monday he was put on an IV for fluids and blood samples were taken. The vet assumed pancreatitis, which was odd because he was never fed table scraps and didn't go through the trash; plus he didn't vomit or have diarrhea. The vet said to feed him high protein, non-fatty foods such as yogurt, eggs and boiled meats. Monday night I prepared scrambled eggs for him and he wasn't interested. Tuesday morning he ate some scrambled eggs. Tuesday night he very much enjoyed the rice and boiled ground turkey I prepared for him. Wednesday the test results showed he had pancreatitis, which shocked me because his diet is low in fats. He had one bowel movement which was solid and didn't seem abnormal (smell wasn't unusual, color wasn't odd). The next day his temperature rose and the vet wanted him on fluids again. I was also giving him medication prescribed to him to help with the inflammation of his pancreas. His conditioned worsened and we took him to a university for an ultrasound--the doctors said everything seemed promising they just needed to give him a blood transfusion and he'd feel a million times better--sadly his body rejected the new blood cells, they proceeded with another transfusion and he had blood clots in his lungs and brain. He was given at 10% chance to live, so we went with the medical advice of putting him down. I'm beyond sad, it's only been three days and I know time does heal, but I just feel overwhelmed with grief and "what ifs"--I just want to know if this were something that could have been prevented. I loved him and will continue to think of fond memories. I just can't help but think that he should be alive. He should be by my side right now.

[Jobella01]

I'm so sorry for your loss. We just went through this last night and are devistated and in shock and looking for answers. Reading the stories here has helped understand how quick it can come on. We love our choccy lab who was only three months off turning 2. Endless tears :(((

[mcmikey49]

I have just lost my 7.5 yr old german sheppard,he was my life!!!!!.I had to return to england for 2 weeks and put in the kennels where he allways went when we went on holiday,the day before we were due to fly home my daughter rang to say he was very poorly,so i rang the vet back in canada and she said he had passed in the night,the simptoms of my Harvey was no pain but every time he drank water he would through up white throff and it came out of his nose.It was very sudden and they dont realy know what this was but they thought it might have been pancreatitus,my regret is that i was'nt with him,i will miss him very much and i am not coping very well with the loss,i am 50 yrs old and i cry like a baby because of him gone,the people that was with him in his last hours loved him also,and i cant thank them enough.R.I.P. My Beautifull boy

[crackerjack4u2]

Hello agnes,
I am so sorry for the loss of your friend.  It sounds like to me also that it might have been pancreatitis. It is so difficult when we lose a member of our family.  Pancreatitis unfortunately can become severe basically overnight, and that might be what happened in your guys case. Again I am very sorry for your loss.  God Bless Brenda


Hello heartfluttersflyawayplz, A dog can get pancreatitis from infections, obesity, trauma, medications-sulfa drugs, and chemotherapy, following surgery, and metabolic disorders.  Also my Vet told me that feeding them Red Meat such as Steak, Hamburger etc. can contribute to it as well.   A dog does not have the necessary enzymes to properly break down the proteins and digest them.  The best way to help prevent it is to avoid the above mentioned causes when possible, watch for early warning signs of  diarrhea, nausea, depression, vomiting,  and abdominal pain.  If any of  these signs are noticed seek Vet assistance immediately as IV treatment may be necessary for dehydration   I Hope This Helps!  Brenda

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

how do they get pancreatitis and can you avoid it

[dominosarah]

I am so sorry to hear about your pets passing.  This is always so tough.  Sounds like you did everything you could~~~~~sara

[ginger899]

I am very very sorry this happened. It is so sad.
Ditto what Jaybay said, but I just wanted to add that you are always welcome here, especially if you are feeling down or sad, or need to talk about your dog.
It's easy to feel shut out at Christmas if you are feeling grief, but there will always be someone here to talk to.
God bless.

[Jaybay]

Oh I am SO sorry!  Bad enough to lose your friend, but it's so much worse during what is supposed to be a joyous time of year.

I have to agree with your vet regarding the cause of death.  I lost my first dog to pancreatitis and he had the same symptoms as your dog.  It's an extremely painful condition and very difficult and expensive to treat.  The only blessing here is that your dog was spared a great deal of suffering and took a difficult decision out of your hands.  The only way to know for certain what happened is a full postmortem exam if the blood work doesn't confirm pancreatitis.  

I know you have to be in terrible shock right now, but do your best to remember all the good times you had with your baby.  Those good days far outweigh the sickness and suffering at the end.  Cry all you need to.  It's a necessary part of grief and it does help to let it out.  Blessings to you and yours during this difficult time.  :-)

[Grapeape64]

I. Believe she's right atleast its over for her so sorry for your loss lol