Why my dog passed away - answers

[enzo483]

Our beloved dog, Enzo, passed away a few days ago.  If we had thought about it we would have requested an autopsy.  However we were so grief stricken we didn't think about it.  Now 4 days on it is killing us not knowing what happened?   Any insight would be more than appreciated.  He was 11 - soon to be 12 on 31 Dec 2011.  He was a male cocker spaniel in seemingly very good health.  The night before he vomited quite a bit and was very lethargic in the morning so we took him to the vet.  We did notice that we could almost hear his heart so we were a little concerned but thought maybe he was dehydrated.  The vet suggested his heart sounded a big irregular but thought it could be because he was dehydrated.  We all agreed we would put him on a drip and he would be good in the morning.  About 5 hours later the Vet called after he had checked on him and said that he was not responsive and was showing signs of a neurotical disorder, there was nothing more he could do.  We opted to try to get him to a specialist (5 hours away) but he passed away in my husband's arms about 20 min into the ride.  This was a dog that was fit, well looked after, extremely loved and quite honestly uber special.  We just cannot make sense of what happened.  He wasn't bitten by anything, didn't eat poison.  What caused this and could we have done anything different so he would still be here?  I have had a lot of death in my life, and quite honestly I didn't know how sad I could be about losing Enzo, but I am.  I am heartbroken.  Any light on what could have happened would be appreciated.

[ginger899]

I am so sorry about Enzo. I don't know what might have caused his death, but I am sorry you have lost a loved one. You could try-like TwoBitsMom suggested, to get some more information from your vet, which might give some clues.
I also believe we meet our loved ones again.

[marksme]

That is so familuar of what my Jack went through his last 24 hours. I know you are hurting so much right now. I could not believe I lost my Jack so early in his life, but you having Enzo so long was a blessing. I know you loved your dog and Enzo was family. Believe me I feel your pain, because I found it so hard with life after Jack. If you get time, read my Journals and you will see what I mean. Maybe start your own journal on here. Tell us about what you loved about your dog. It has helped me to write about it.
So many here love their dogs and cats, and it's so hard when we lose
them. I want to assure you, all dogs go to heaven. So you will see your Enzo again. He will run up to you and you will be able to hold him, love him and play again in heaven. Like Will Rogers, it would not be heaven without
your dog, so I'm positive he's there there now, running and playing with my
Jack and TwoBits and all the wonderful dogs who waiting to be with us
again. Thank you for sharing your story and if you want, write a journal about Enzo. I like to know about him. May God Bless You.

Mark

[TwoBitsMom]

I am so sorry to hear about Enzo. I know you are searching for a definite answer as to what caused his death, but sadly, you may never know.
Did the vet mention what type of neurological disorder he thought your dog had, did the vet mention anything about Enzos lab work..?  If you can tell us anything else, there are many of us who could give you our opinion, but again it will just be an opinion, and still nothing definite, however it may help to support your vets theory and help you to be more at peace with the events that happened that day.  From what I have read in your post, I would think that possibly Enzo had high blood pressure that may caused a heart attack or stroke.
I know how difficult it is to come to terms with the death of our pets. You had Enzo for 12 years, and he became part of your family. Many of us on this forum came here for the same reason as you...looking for answers to help us make sense of what might have caused our pets death...We wonder if we could have done something differently, or better, or quicker. We wonder if we did something wrong and we doubt the decisions we made for our sweet beloved pets. We all wonder if we could have saved them.  Your feelings of loss are normal...I have recently shared the same feelings.  
You may never know exactly what happened, but there are many of us here you understand the grief you are feeling, we know your loss and we are here to support you.
You gave Enzo 12 years of good care and unconditional love. He knows you always only wanted to do the best you could for him, and you did.
He died in the safety and comfort of your husbands arms. He was a lucky dog to spend his 12 years in the company of people who love him.
Please accept my heartfelt sympathy...
God Bless Enzo's Beautiful Spirit and Soul ......He is much loved.
Connie