my dog died

[MydogIzaak]

my dog died rather suddenly after eating an ham bone he there up the next morning and was sick so we took him to the vet. the vet checked his stomach, his stools, his temp., and did an X-ray he decide he was dehydrated and gave him fluids under the skin then gave him an antibiotic by iv. later that night my dog fell down trying to walk had some seizures and died when I picked him up there was a great deal of foul smelling fluid coming from his mouth and nostril and he was dead the seizures were minor his legs would pull in and his head would pull toward his chest. I loved that dog and I am heart broken can anyone give me an answer about what killed him

[Ghilly]

I completely agree with Ginger.  Bones and rawhide, while they are the go-to chew toy for many dog owners, are probably the worst things we can give them to chew on.

If you want to keep your dog occupied, my best suggestion would be either a Buster Cube or a Kong filled with peanut butter or cream cheese or something like that and then frozen so that it takes your dog a good, long time to work it out of there.  ]

You did not fail your dog.   You took him to the vet, there was nothing more that you could do.  I hope that in time you are able to heal and open your heart to another four legged friend.  For all the sadness that we experience when they leave us, they really do make our lives so much richer.

Ghilly

[ginger899]

Mydogizaak,
I am so sorry about what happened to your dog, and the tremendous shock you must feel right now. This happened so suddenly. Losing a dog has to be one of the worst things.

Cold extremities could mean an internal bleed, or that blod flow was going to the internal organs in an emergency situation. Shivering with dogs doesn't necessarily mean they are cold, it can mean they are in pain -or sometimes, scared.
You did everything right. You got him the help he needed very quickly. You couldn't have done more than you did. I am just very sorry he didn't make it.

The only real closure would be to ask for an autopsy (necropsy) then you will know the cause of his death for sure.

I agree that bones are bad news for dogs. My dog never ever saw a bone. She was happy enough with her home-cooked dinners with a sprinkling of very good quality kibble. They do not need bones. Also I question Rawhide chews, and that sort of thing. They can cause choking and if huge pieces are swallowed, they can cause internal havoc.

[MydogIzaak]

thank you and everyone else for the wisdom and I agree 100% with you that is why I am so confused the X-ray and his temps were normal no tenderness when the doc pressed on his stomach or at least he did not react. Looking back its easy to see the symptoms just before he died his paws were cold and he could not walk without falling he was shivering while I held him. by the time I realized he was in trouble and decided to call the vet's emergency number he was having the seizures. we fully expected him to get well as did the vet but something happened that I can't explain.

[Ghilly]

I am so very sorry for your loss.  Tony probably hit the cause right on the head, but like Margot, I am surprised that your vet missed internal bleeding upon examination.  The blood definitely should have shown up as a shadow/haze on an x-ray and if there was enough blood loss to kill him there should have been a lot of squishiness upon palpation of the abdomen AND a pretty good reaction of pain from your dog when the area was pressed on.  

The foul smelling fluid coming from his mouth and nostril could mean that the bone perforated the bowel, although without a necropsy everything is just guesswork.

The only bones that are safe for dogs (or cats) to eat are raw bones.  Raw bones are soft and pliable, whereas cooking turns bones brittle and causes them to splinter off into shards.  You can bend a raw chicken bone almost in half before it breaks, whereas a cooked one will snap in half with the slightest pressure.  

Again, my deepest sympathies on your loss.

Ghilly

[Margot49]

I too am so sorry for your loss.  How tragic. What Tony said is a likely scenario but kind of surprised any internal bleeding was missed.  Unless a necropsy was done, no way to be absolutely certain.  People used to give dogs bones all the time.  We almost lost one of our Doxies years ago after my parents fed the dogs cooked pork chop bones and she was bleeding internally.  Just better to rule on the side of caution.  

[MydogIzaak]

thank you Tony that makes sense I just don't understand how the vet missed it.

[tonyb286]

Hi. I am so sorry for your loss. The ham bone probably punctured the tissues and/or lining of the gastric tract. Internal bleeding probably occurred. In turn, this potentially caused blood volume loss (low blood pressure) and resulted in weakness and seizures. Sadly, owners are not well informed about the huge dangers of giving dogs bones, of any description. Bones are also still being sold in supermarkets and pet stores - and some of us are battling against this, largely unsuccessfully. Bones are very dangerous, despite the myth about dogs and bones going hand in hand. Tony