Retriever Died Suddenly - What Happened?

[buddy710]

My family is deeply saddened by the death of our 71/2 year old golder retriever - "Buddy".  There are no words to say how wonderful and beautiful Buddy was.  Yesterday started to be a normal day for Buddy.  I was on the couch and he came up to me looking fine and then his eyes started to shift, he began to sway and finally fell to the ground.  He was awake, but he could not move.   We rushed him to the animal hospital were the doctor gave him oxygen and began to ask us questions.  The doctor did not know were to began, because Buddy was in such bad shape..  He asked if Buddy had ate some medicine or sniffed some poison, which the answer was no.  The doctor could not tell us what happened to Buddy.  Everything happened so fast!  Within an hour he went from fine to gone..
We have three children who are also mourning the loss of their dog and all I keep wondering is why?

[Jaybay]

You won't know for certain unless you ask your vet to do a post-mortem exam (autopsy).  There are a gazillion different things that could have happened, including heart attack or a stroke.  The same thing happened with my neighbor's lab who was 13.  It was a Saturday morning and they were doing their usual route: he read the paper while the dog rested her head in his lap.  She pushed her head under the newspaper, licked his hand, and fell over dead.  That fast.  

Sometimes it's just our Time.  You did nothing wrong and everything right.  The only saving grace is that Buddy didn't have to suffer through a long protracted, miserable illness at the end of his life.  I'm so sorry for your loss.  :-(

[utahmomma]

I'm so sorry for your loss.  Having recently gone through it with my dog, I do understand.  Please find reassurance in the fact that he went quickly and peacefully surrounded by the ones he loved.

God bless.

[aggieone]

I am so sorry to hear of your loss.  Our pets are our babies and to lose one is so painful and leaves such an empty place in our hearts.  My baby is in fourth stage renal failure, so please in time find  peace that he left so quickly.  I know this is just words right now, but you will find comfort in this as time passes.  aggieone

[buddy710]

Thanks for everyone’s comments.  It's hard when you don't have any answers.  I think about him every minute.  I now wonder if there is something in my house or environment that caused his death.  Given I have children, I can't help but worry.  The vet says it to late to do a post mortem.
I guess I will never know what happened to my poor Buddy....

[jeannieunc]

I am also so saddened by your loss.  We also loss our beloved retreiver Jeb, at the same age (7 years).  He was fine and then boom he was laying around the house and then I noticed he looked yellow in his eyes.  We took him to the vet where they diagnosed him with liver cancer (which the vet says is VERY common in this breed).  It is devastating to lose a dog at what I consider a young age.  There was nothing we could do, we brought him back home for one day to be with us and our children.  We had to put him to sleep.  It was the hardest thing I ever did, he was our best friend.  The only thing I can tell you is we got another golden a year later and they are nothing alike.  My vet told us not to get another of the same breed because Jeb was unusual for a golden, never chewed anything up and was very calm, not hyper at all.  I would advise to get another breed of dog if and when you may get another dog.  I wouldn't rule out cancer, just because our retriever was also fine and within three days we had to put him to sleep. There was no warning, in fact, he had bloodwork done only two months before and nothing showed up.  My thoughts are with you.

[spooch]

Yesterday was the worst day for me and my family.Our retreiver Harley,died suddenly.He was rushed to the Vets. and was pronounced dead.We are wlking around in a fog.Harley,was rescued by us after his own didn't want him.He was tied out on a deck all the time.We had Harley for 8 wonderful years.Our thoughts are with you. goma48

[ginger899]

This does sound rather like a massive stroke or fatal seizure. The one merciful thing was he was taken while he was still enjoying life, so quickly he probably didn't feel any pain (may have been unconscious through most of it) and like Jaybay said, he didn't linger with a long painful illness. It is so hard for the ones left behind when a loved one is taken like this. There is no time to prepare for their death, to get used to the idea. The only possible comfort is that there was no suffering involved.
I am so sorry this happened.

[ElGreco869]

My heart goes out to you and your family.I too just lost my Golden Retriever but under different circumstances.I loved my little Bailie so much-we had such a bond.Think of the fond memories you had together and that she did not suffer very long.I know words mean little but find comfort in knowing others care and share your pain.

[adduthie]

I know this is an older thread, but whether the original poster sees this or not, my thoughts are with you. My girlfriend and I just today experienced something similar; which is why I am posting right now. Our 10 year old Golden Retriever, Sarah, just passed away today. Literally, she was her normal excited self, and minutes later, when she didn't show up to the call to go outside, my girlfriend found her already passed on. She was the sweetest dog I have ever met, and the grieving process is just beginning. I don't know for sure what the cause of death was, but she will certainly be missed. It is still sinking in, and fits of emotion are still coming up at random. The only solace I can find is in the fact that she did pass quickly and apparently with no pain, as there was no indication of pain prior. As sad as it is, she enriched our lives so much and will be missed greatly. My heart goes out to all who have experienced such a loss, and hope that everyone that knows this kind of loss believes in the fact that our companions both enrich our lives and know that we enrich theirs and are aware that they are loved.

[Sonrisa2003]

Our pups know that they are loved, an indication of that is clear when I see posts of this kind.  Sarah was our girl, and however sudden, she passed when she was ready to.   With one of us home to love her and to greet her.  

We will love her forever, and keep the wonderful lessons that she taught us close at heart.  Dogs are a blessing to our lives, and cannot be replaced; and yet, I know that she knew that she was loved, and I know that I will love her unconditionally.... forever.

Good girl Sarah! You are such a GOOD DOG!

[dylanmom]

I had to put my 7 1/2 year old golden Dylan to sleep this past Tuesday.  I miss him so much.  About 3 weeks ago he was about to jump up on the couch, like he normally does. But halfway up, he backed back down, and looked at me like "what just happened".  Then I noticed he wasn't feeling his normal self, but was only very mildly lethargic.  Two days later he refused to eat his favorite food, peanut butter. I took him to the vet and found that he had tumors in his spleen that had ruptured into this belly.  The tumors were isolated in his spleen, so his spleen was removed.  But three weeks later the cancer had spread to his lungs and he was coughing and was starting to have trouble breathing.  I took him in to be put to sleep.  I miss him so much, and it was so unexpected at only 7 1/2.  I've since read cancer in Goldens is very common.  It breaks my heart.

[heidz5]

our 7 year old golden retriever died yesterday but i am not sure what happened we had a 13 year old maltese die around a month ago and then she wimpered and wimpered for the past 3 weeks due to her mate not being with her and she became really really upset when thunderstorms hit and we had one the night before and she just died, not sure if she has died of a heart attack due to fear or from heart ache from losing her best friend has anyone heard of this before. if you could give me some advice on what you think has gone on , i would love to hear from you, we are totally heart broken our brandy has left us especially just a month after our other maltese buffy !

[caseydogg]

I am at a loss myself.  My golden died on Saturday the 14.  She was only 6 years 9 months.  No indication of a problem.  She was at the door wanting to go out and went into the front yard about 20 yards and just went down.  This is the second golden I have had, and the first did the same thing at 9.  These are such great dogs and I am considering a third, but my question now is breeding.  My first one came from the pound so I had no idea of its breeding history.  The second I bought from an amature breeder.  I have been checking out professional breeders and am wondering if that will make a difference in their longevity.  House sure seems empty without her.

[cwalason]

I lost my Golden Oliver this morning.  I am completely heart broken.  I am totally in shock.  He was 5 yrs old, absolutely beautiful and healthy.  He had just had his yearly check up last thursday and got his Rabies and Distemper shots.  He left with a clean bill of health.  Monday he seemed a little out of sorts, a bit lethargic and didn't have much of an appetitie, but I just attributed it to the HOT weather we have been having.  The next day he seemed better had a bit of spunk back and was playful.  This morning I woke up to find him laying in a puddle of urine and his breathing was very weathered. He could not stand up.  We got him into the car to rush him Vet and he never even made it inside.  He passed on the way.  I just cannot imagine life with out Ollie!  It is one thing when you know your dog is ill or he is getting up there in age, but to just wake up and find your  HEALTHY dog failing is uncomprehensible.  I cannot get  a grip on this.  Just devistated beyond belief!

[Challenger604]

My Golden Soxx died a few days ago.  He had just turned 9 and was like a son to me.  I am dealing with incredible pain that I know everyone here has felt.  Soxx died suddenly as so many of the dogs talked about on this site have.  I don't understand why dogs don't live as long as humans.  They have the same organs and god knows we pamper these animals.  When my pain has lessened I will own another Golden but I am going to research what can be done to help these dogs live longer.  If you own an old Golden let us know what you feed him/her.  Anything would help.  Marc

[gatenhoven]

Peace ot all who have lost dogs.  Yesterday our beloved schnauzer of 4 years passed in my arms at 2:50 am with us all present.  I hope he know how much he was loved and that he will be missed.  Rest in Peace my friend.  I must now say good bye.  He was on steriods and muscle relaxers for neck issues.  I was expecting Nov 21 to be his best day but he passed on Nov 20 at 2:50.  Collapsed at 2:30 am and died in my arms at 2:50 am.  He bled fromthe nose.

[colton8]

I can relate but I am so confused about my puppy. My puppy just turned 8 months old and was the most energetic dog out of all our dogs. He was fine until yesterday. My girlfriend and I went to feed out dogs and realized our puppy was nowhere to be found. We called for him and nothing, I finally found him in a corner of the yard. He could not walk. I picked him up and took him in the bathroom. His gums were pale so we figured he may have overheated which was because he drank more water than all our dogs. We started giving him water through a water through a syringe and his color came back. I went to work and my girlfreind called me about 30 minutes after and told me that there was bright red blood all over the floor. She cleaned it up and noticed his body was very cold, within 5 minutes blood was all over the bathroom again. She called me and we decided to take him to an emergency vet, but when she went back into the bathroom not even 2 minutes, he had passed. I am having a hard time dealing with his loss and dont know what could have caused this. Can someone please help?????

[Misfits4Me]

I'm so sorry for your loss...My heart goes out to you! There is not enough information for us to guess at the cause.....Do you know where the blood was coming from? Was there vomit and/or Diarrhea? Any other clues would be helpful.....Again, I'm sorry this has happened to you & your puppy.....Karla

[LindaTX]

So sorry about your puppy...it sounds like it could have been Parvo, with his age and the blood and all.  We lost a puppy to that...a dalmation...the breeder had said she'd given him his first shots but he wasn't due the second set so I was left to wonder if he had really gotten them.  Parvo is unmistakeable by smell and amt of blood lost.  Only your vet can tell you for sure.  It's a horrible thing to go through.

[fredo06]

so sorry for everyone else lost,my myself still deep in sorrow,my 7year old goldie fredo passed away yesterday morning,leaving a big hole in my life and everyone else in the house,one thing i couldn't accept was this could be avoid if i bring to proper vet,the one i called home was diagnosed my fredo with flu,and silly me,i believe,until i bring to a senior vet and it was suspected blood parasite.blessed these wonderful dogs memories.and one things that made me very sad,he even have the power to say goodbye to me :""").i'm a proud friend.

[ginger899]

I am very sorry indeed about the loss of your dear Fredo.

The first few days are so very painful, I know. And the loss of a friend like that is always felt.

If you find it hard to cope with the loss of him, there is much understanding and support for the bereaved on:

http://www.rainbowsbridge.com

Everyone there understands what this loss is like, and there is a lot of kindness and help.

[tuckersmum1107]

And I thought I was the only one....my beloved 6yr old Golden was running around the backyard, last Tues, very excited to see my friend who had just come in the gate. Suddenly he dropped to the ground by my feet, and passed away in @ 30 secs. I am devastated and totally stunned. He was healthy, well-fed, well exercised and adored. I am in tears reading all your stories...for you and for myself !!

[larry7615]

I was looking for a place to take solace in the fact that i just lost my golden Maya last thurs with no warning.She was 9 yrs. Every night i would take her out and run around the yard as i got the mail. I was walking down the yard and she was running towrds me as she always did as she ran past me i turned to see her falling to the the ground. I went over to see what happened and she was gone instantly. She had just seen the vet in the last 4 weeks and had blood work and all was fine. I feel for all that have lost a golden like this.I miss her so and her "talking" to me evrynight. Just remeber the good times.........

[RileyPie]

Hello,
I am new to this forum and not quite sure how it works. We lost our 6 year old golden retriever to kidney failure on Friday :*( We are all in shock and devastated and destroyed inside!! You all seem to be very knowledgeable, so I was wondering if you could help me? You see, he was our family dog and I just moved out 2 years ago. My sister and I along with my parents all shared custody of him and he was always loved by us all and
taken on new adventures. My mother was his primary care giver although we allcared for him and loved him!!! Back in the fall he was diagnosed w/ Lyme disease after he couldn't stand up one morning and his joints were sore. After he was treated on antibiotics and given some fluid treatments his levels lowered to 2.6 The next months his Creatine level went down to 2.2 and his BUN was lowered. The
vet told my mom that he wasn't worried about him and he would live a full life. He was also given fluids at home for a little and put on kidney food. In no time he was back to his old self and doing so well that my mother never took him back in for another blood test. He hasn't been back in the last 4 months because we didn't know he was suffering. He showed no signs :( I'm beating myself up for not taking him myself, but I thought he was doing great. Out of nowhere last Mon, he became lethargic and vomited twice in the yard. Up to that point he was full of energy and eating. We took him in and his Creatine rose to a 13! Would we have stopped that level from rising if we took him in sooner?? Would fluids every month mean he would be here right now? We then immediately rushed him to the ER where they kept him on IV's for 2 days to see if the levels would drop. They didn't :*( and we were advised to euthanize him within 24 hours. Shocked and heartbroken we wanted to take him home with all of his loved ones. Everyone showered him w/ love and affection and he slept on his  
love seat for hours while we laid next to him. He was scheduled to be put down the next day by our vet. He wouldn't walk or eat, but he was still wagging his tail and I know he felt our presence.
We all laid and comforted him, thanking him and telling him ho much he means to us....Then we told him it was okay to go find Pop-Pop (who he loved and also passed recently) and stop fighting for us. He then slipped away peacefully and his head fell into my mom's lap. It was heart and
gut wrenching and I am still in complete shock. If we took him into the vet
sooner, would he still be here? The specialist treating him at the ER said he had a kidney disease called PLN (Protein-Losing Nephropathy) Have you ever heard of it? Was it caused byLyme?
Could his life have been prolonged? He was the most amazing brother and best friend and we feel empty and shattered without him!!!! I keep reliving these horrible moments in my head and I just want to hold him in my arms!! We all may need to seek some sort of counseling bc we have never felt such pain :*(  We all are a mess. If any of you could shed any light for me or point me in another direction, I would greatly appreciate it!  Thank you for your help!! Our hearts will never heal....