While fetching his ball he clasped and died

[Debkline10]

I am heartsick, I have read some other story's but mine is a little different. My 12 year old Sampson, golden retriever  started throwing up this past Tuesday, I had changed his food and we had rescued a pup the Sunday before. I thought between the food change and the new pup he was a little stressed, my husband seemed to think that there was deer poop in his vomit also...Wednesday he wouldn't eat, Thursday he ate and seemed ok, Friday I took him to the vet to get checked out , told them what happen, it was his yearly visit so physical was done, shots were given also. He was back to his normal self, wanting to play ball ect.., I was relieved... Saturday the husband and I ran errands, came home let Sampson and Gabe (choc lab) out back and walked my 3 smaller dogs out front... Gabe wanted back in so my husband let him in and my Sampson was standing there with his ball in his mouth ready to play ..My husband threw the ball for him and the third time on the way to retrieve it, Sampson dropped,  My husband ran to him only to hear him take his last breaths... We are in shock!!and deeply heart broken.. We just don't understand, he seemed perfectly fine just seconds before. The only thing we can think is heart attack..He was a dog that had a ton of personality, loved everyone, talked to me all the time, my tag along, he was a gentle giant. Has this happened to anyone else? I can't stop crying, horrible horrible feeling, he was family..

[Rockysmommy]

Hi Jennifer. sorry for your loss. The same thing happened to my little 9 yr old Rocky (chijuajua) late last night. He was barking to go out at around 1130pm. My husband let him out and watched him pee- then walked around by the pool and just collapsed. No warning signs at all. My husband yelled for me- as I ran outside I just seen Rocky's lifeless body. I thought did something attack him? I looked for flesh wounds-found nothing. He ate normally yesterday and acted perfectly fine all day yesterday! I just can't wrap my head around this whole thing. I truly feel your pain. This is our first pet loss. It's just unbearable. My kids are completely heartbroken. My husband cried all night. I have been crying all day. I did read a poem called Rainbow Bridge online today. It was difficult to read, but it was comforting. Check it out. Again, sorry for your loss.

[Jennifer316]

Sorry for your loss.  My name is Jennifer.  My coonhound mix, his name is MR just died suddenly when we were playing fetch on Sun. 8-18.  I also threw the ball about 3 times, he came running back to me dropped the ball and fell to the ground.  I don't know what happened,  He was 7 1/2 years old and as far as I knew healthy.  I am so sad.  Any clues as to what might have happened?  

[Debkline10]

Thank you all for your kind reply's, It makes me feel better knowing that this is kinda common... All kinds of things go thru your head, a lot of what if's.. But going over it again and again I think if it didn't happen yesterday it would have happened sooner or later, at least my husband was home cause I was a big mess.. Just breaks my heart. Sampson did die loving what he loved most tho, fetching his tennis ball with his human Dad. So sorry for all your losses also, losing a pet is horrible.. Again thanks to all.

Deb
Proverbs 12:10

[Margot49]

I am so sorry to read about the sudden loss of your Sampson.  Yes, I have also lost dogs suddenly and it is a shock.  One little terrier mix I had years ago, around age 12, was fine, running around playing and ran over to me.  I picked her up and she just died in my arms.  Vet said probably a heart attack.  Another Sheltie I had, maybe only 6 or 7 at the time, was perfectly fine in the morning, ate her meal, was running outside, etc.  came home a few hours later to find her on her side and in shock.  Rushed to the Vet and she passed there. I did have a necropsy done and she had a large liver tumor that had ruptured.  My Vet and I were both shocked as there was no indication she had any problems.
Unless you have a necropsy done, you will never know for sure what the cause was but it sounds like he had a good life in a loving home.  Cherish the time you had.
Hugs

[123412]

Hello

It is so sad when a pet you love has died.  We had a Shih-tzu that died in less than 24 hours of Congenital Heart Failure.  She coughed the night before she died and I thought it was bronchitis.  But when I woke up the next day she was wheezing really badly.  By the time we got to the vet and I asked him what we could do, she was dying with blood coming out of her nose.  Her lungs had filled up with blood.  It was truly a shock.  
I hope that you take comfort in all of the memories you have of Sampson and all the love he gave you and you him all those years.
Tootsie

[deadgamegrrl]

I am so sorry for your loss. I have had 3 dogs die suddenly, two from heart attack and one from stroke. In all cases they were perfectly fine right up until they...weren't.

It is so hard to lose a furry family member. And it is even harder on us when there is no warning. The one thing I try to keep in mind is that it was easy for them. They died while loving life, chasing balls, playing, without any drawn out suffering or pain.

Again, my condolences. You are in my thoughts.

[Jerry_NJ]

Sorry to read of your loss.

We had a large English Golden Retriever we ended up putting down at just over 12 years of age. That was over two years ago, we still miss him and his loving ways.  We now have a rescue Wetie, a very different type dog.

At about the age of 10 I was on our property with him getting ready to take an walk, no leash.  He was about 100 feet away and came toward me and when he reached about 25 feet from me on our side walk he just dropped to the ground - on his side.  He was alive and breathing, he lost some bowel content and drooled some, looked real bad.  I held his head an petted him and called a neighbor.  The dog, Montana, was large about 90 pounds.  We lifted him onto a garden wagon and took him inside.  He began to recover slowly but could not get up.  We took him to the vet the following morning, his regular vet who said Montana may have suffered a spinal stroke - and dogs sometimes recover from that.  

The bottom line is while Montana continued to get better, he couldn't use his rear legs, we had to hold his rear up with a wrap and help him with his toilet needs.  We tried to provide physical therapy by using the wrap to assist his rear half.  That wasn't making much progress when the idea to use water, get him to doggie paddle, came to mind.  We took him by car and wagon to a near by river and to shallow back water and went into the water with him - he had to swim  which involved using his rear legs. We did this perhaps 30 to 40 times and he was back on his feet.  No more running or mock fighting with his best dog buddy, but he did live for another two years when cancer caused us to decide to put him down.

In the story above the "stroke" could have, I believe, killed him on the spot, but didn't because it was localized to his spine.  Your dog may have died from a stroke, that can also be very sudden.