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?

[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

[Bnicole3895]

I realize some of these post are a few years old, so sorry for your loss! My dog was a lab/golden retriever mix his name was Diesel, he would have been 2 on new years. He was so full of energy and loved to run and fetch, he was so fast! He wouldnt listen for nothing, but I loved him! He stayed outside in a kennel. On saturday I fed him and noticed his feces was not normal and I witnessed him have a seizure. He didnt fall over, instead he still stood and only his face and front leg drawed up and he began to salivate. At first I didnt know for sure until I let him out and he did it again.. longer this time. He was conscious in between the seizures and acted like his normal self but I was so terrified for him! I took him to the vet hospital that night he had about 7 from 3p until 10:30p. They took him in and I paid $300 that night. The tech assured me he had epilepsy and they would give him an injection of valium. He didnt have anymore until the next morning.. he had one seizure the vet witnessed but she said she didnt want to put him on phenobarbitol just yet because it would change his personality, etc. I agreed and the next day- Monday morning she called me and said they were taking him to the bath and he had a terrible seizure. He fell over, all limbs involved, urinated, deficated. Just horrible. He never regained consciousness after that one. The vet told me to get him the IV valium drip would cost $600-$800 and that it probably wouldnt help. I didnt have the money for it and she told me she would keep him for the next 24 hrs and see if there was any improvement. If not,euthanization would be needed. She said she hated to do that because without the seizure problem he was a healthy dog and had plenty quality of life! This was so heartbreaking to hear. He died a few hours later from another seizure. The vet said she thinks it was toxin but he had not been out of his pen when this occurred. I cant bare these emotions of feeling its my fault. I should have had the money to potentially save him. Then I think about him passing away in a strangers arms what if he was wondering where his mommy was.. I cant stand to think of these things. I am so heart broken and havent had an appetite for days. Please tell me this gets better? Gob bless

[pirate16]

     Our first golden lived just shy of 16 years.  She passed in 2005. She had
thyroid and seizures issues her whole life but was very active and alive.
We also fed her Iams and some people food.  
     Fast forward to our goldens we have now.  Our 8.5 year old male just collapsed and died at the groomers.  He too seemed a little lethargic in the months before. Had just been to the vets for shots etc, a few months earlier and I figured it was just age creeping up on him.  He was rushed to the on site vet but didn't make it. I was able to see him before he went thankfully.  Everyone there was did everything in their power to save him.
They did offer to have a autopsy done but I just couldn't do it to him.
      I was concerned that maybe it was something at the groomers that caused it. We have been using this service for many, many years so I had a hard time thinking this.  
      After reading this forum my mind has been put at ease about what happen.
I will say that I think the interbreeding of these wonderful dogs has damaged their lifespans.

[goldenlover23]

I'm not sure that anything can make a breed live longer, but my first Golden made it to just shy of his 14th birthday.  We fed him Iams dog food his entire life and he got some people food too.  Our current golden is 10 1/2 and we are going to have to put him to sleep as he has some sort of mass in his chest that is causing him to fill with fluid in the chest and abdomen.  I am heartbroken.  I am not ready to say goodbye, but know that I need to make sure he doesn't suffer needlessly.  Golden's are the best dogs - they give nothing but love and have sweet dispositions.  At this point I don't know if can ever have another dog because GOD THIS IS THE HARDEST THING I EVER HAVE TO DO.  Hopefully, you found another furry family member who has brought you as much joy and love as your last.  

I believe that dogs are a little slice of GOD given to humans so we can know unconditional love in its purest form.  They love us and trust us even when we are not our best.

[Alfiegoldie]

Alfie would have turned 5 at the end of May 2015.

[Alfiegoldie]

Hi, so sorry to hear about your beloved boy Rusty,
We too had the most horrendous shock when our beloved 4 year old Goldie Alfie died of similar circumstances on the 17th January 2015.
Alfie went out in the garden and barked at our neighbours dog and then just fell to the floor paddling and was gone.
The vet said it was a catastrophic cardiac event either an anuresym or congenital heart defect.
I too have researched and believe that it was Aortic stenosis.
Alfie was the fittest and healthiest dog and had been to the vets on the Thursday before he died to have a check up and never showed any signs of any cardiac problems.
I too have cried every day since he passed and I felt like my heart had been ripped out of my chest.
I don't think we will ever get over losing our beloved Goldie in this way and although it was quick for him we relive it all the time.
Alfie was an amazing family member who will forever be in our hearts.
The vet did say that even if we had a top cardiac thoracic vet living next door there was no chance of saving Alfie so when they die as suddenly as this it really is a helpless situation. You can't call an ambulance for your beloved dog. The vet said it was extremely rare.
My thoughts are with all you Goldie owners out there who have lost a beautiful friend and family member.
There is a lovely poem my Auntie sent me called rainbow bridge which gave me great comfort and a lot of tears reading it.

"Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together.... "

[rusty1198]

thanks for ur thoughts.  it's been 1 week and i still can't come to grips he's gone. a 5-year old in great physical shape taken in a split second. rusty was a picture of what you'd imagine in a healthy dog. i miss him a ton. he went every where with me in the car and now getting into the car has become a chore.

[Andododo]

I'm so sorry for your loss, my beloved Bella  9 y old die 2days ago the same way. She was my everything my baby. My husband and I are in tears reading your comment.

[Andododo]

I'm so sorry for your loss, my beloved Bella  9 y old die 2days ago the same way. She was my everything my baby. My husband and I are in tears reading your comment.

[lindapalm]

I am so sorry for your loss, Rusty sounds like he was a very lucky dog and  had a great life and was much loved.  He was so young, and died way too early, but died doing something he loved to do, I hope you can find some comfort in that.  Thank you for the warning and website. and the hug advice.

[rusty1198]

I forgot to mention rusty would have just turned 5 on st. Patrick's day.

[rusty1198]

I'm glad I found this forum. we lost our beloved rusty just 2 days ago. he was the most energetic and friendly dog in the world.  our whole neighborhood is suffering his loss.  he knew and everybody knew rusty. he never showed any signs of being ill. it was just a typical normal day. at noon I took him out for his walk and as usual as we came to the end of our block he started jumping up for me to put the leash in his mouth so he could run home. he took off and as usual stopped 2 doors down to sniff. as I caught up I gave him my usual "let's go home rusty". he took off ran thru the snow for 2 doors, turned back to me and collapsed. I was no more than 10' away and was there in a second. I knew right away he was gone. I tried to talk to him to get up but I knew it was useless. I am totally devastated. the crying and pain has not even begun to go away.  from my research he must have suffered from aortic stenosis. our vet said that during his annual checkups their was never any sign of a heart problem. please next time anyone who reads this and has a golden retriever when you visit your vet ask them to do a thorough test to check for any heart murmur. he is link to what I found:http://www.akcchf.org/canine-health/your-dogs-health/disease-information/aortic-stenosis.html

lastly, everyday give your dog a big hug and tell him how much you love him.  this happened so quickly I'm not sure how long it will be before I stop missing him.  rusty was the greatest!!

[jaypat32]

I doubt you could have prevented it. Once it's time, it's time.

My family and I lost our 10 year old black lab today. She collapsed a few times last week and we took her to the vet, but she passed all the tests. Then this morning she cant get up, tongue hanging out the side of her mouth, breathing horribly. We took her to the vet and he hooked her up with some IVs and did more tests, but she passed soon after. We don't know for sure why she died, and my dad isnt sure if he wants to do the autopsy either. I think she had a tumor somewhere. She was always a very lumpy dog, and even had some surgically removed.

[tjcar1]

Hi, I just lost my 9 yr old golden retriever .... I think I did something wrong.  She came home from the groomer and was fine.  Seemed tired but she always does after the groomer.  I let her rest.  Then she came up to me in my office and laid under the desk with labored and strained breathing.  I sat with her; then went to get my neighbor to go to emergency vet cause could not lift her.  She wasn't home so went and gave it a little time.  She got up and moved downstairs and lay down but breathing better.  Went upstairs for a moment and when came downstairs she was dead.  I feel like I did everything wrong and now she is dead.

[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....

[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.........

[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 !!

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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

[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?????

[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.

[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