Aa
Help he died.
I had a 11.5 year old German Shepherd mix who died Sept of this year. I woke up let him out and got the kids ready for school. I then went to let him and my other dog in. I called him and he didn't answer. I didn't think much as he was not hearing as well and he could have been on the other side of my house and not heard me. I went up to him and said come on Jake and grabbed his collar and he came in the house. I then thought he looked weird in a way. I took him and my 2 year old daughter out to the car. He jumped in the car like usual. I went down the street. When I stopped he stood up as he often did. I thought ok he must be feeling ok. He was somewhat overweight, but had been to a vet in July and was at a vet for boarding in August. I then brought him home where he walked in the house and laid down. I then offered him some water which he drank. I thought ok maybe he just doesn't feel well. He had vomited a few times that morning. He vomited on occasion, so I didn't think much of it. I ran out to run errands upon returning, he was laying down at the bottom of my stairs. I think I was in denial. I called the vet and told her that he didn't look good and the receptionist mentioned it to the vets after and they said to bring him to the office in 2 hrs. I waited for my husband to come home and he helped me lift Jake in the car. He was 97 pounds. The vet didn't seem too concerned when we arrived. She said that dogs come in like that and are running the next day. I thought ok . We have 3 kids and we had to leave to get them dinner. I never thought that he would die. She said she would call us in 30 min with the results of the bloodwork. I got busy with dinner and thought no news is good news. She called 2 hrs later to say he struggled to breath and died. She said that he was biting at the flies that were landing on him. There were flies in the room. The only thing I learned was that his calcium was high, white blood cells elevated, toxins present and a temp of 103. She never xrayed him, did an exam, nothing. I had him for 10 years. I am now devastated. I never knew he was that sick. Can anyone shed some light on this?
Cassie,
I am glad to hear that you got a better answer from your MT vet. It does at least give you a reason for your dogs death. You did not do anything wrong, you did the best you could, and even if he would have gotten to the vets sooner, there is no guarantee that the outcome would have been any different.The information I have found, says that....
Sepsis is difficult to diagnose early, and once the dog show symptoms, it can quickly turn into a life-threatening situation.
Sepsis can occur with the onset of infection or a traumatic injury. Death can come swiftly once sepsis sets in, often occurring within hours of the dog showing symptoms.
Even if you would have gotten him in earlier, it does not mean that the vet would have had time to save him.
Sometimes, things are just out of our control.
I hope you can find some peace knowing that because of you, Jake lived a good life for 11.5 wonderful years. 11.5 is a respectable age for any dog. He got there because of the good care that you gave him. You are a good owner, and any dog would be lucky to have you.
Try not to destroy the wonderful relationship you had with Jake, with such a destructive feeling of guilt. Guilt will do nothing but tarnish what you had with Jake. Guilt will do nothing but destroy 11.5 years of love.
I know how difficult Christmas will be for you, but I hope that you will not allow guilt to make things worse. I hope you will allow memories of Jake to bring a smile to your face,and I hope that you will find some peace in knowing that the only thing you are guilty of, is loving your dog.
I hope you and your family have a Nice Christmas, and a Happier New Year.
Please let me know how things are going for you......
Connie
I am glad to hear that you got a better answer from your MT vet. It does at least give you a reason for your dogs death. You did not do anything wrong, you did the best you could, and even if he would have gotten to the vets sooner, there is no guarantee that the outcome would have been any different.The information I have found, says that....
Sepsis is difficult to diagnose early, and once the dog show symptoms, it can quickly turn into a life-threatening situation.
Sepsis can occur with the onset of infection or a traumatic injury. Death can come swiftly once sepsis sets in, often occurring within hours of the dog showing symptoms.
Even if you would have gotten him in earlier, it does not mean that the vet would have had time to save him.
Sometimes, things are just out of our control.
I hope you can find some peace knowing that because of you, Jake lived a good life for 11.5 wonderful years. 11.5 is a respectable age for any dog. He got there because of the good care that you gave him. You are a good owner, and any dog would be lucky to have you.
Try not to destroy the wonderful relationship you had with Jake, with such a destructive feeling of guilt. Guilt will do nothing but tarnish what you had with Jake. Guilt will do nothing but destroy 11.5 years of love.
I know how difficult Christmas will be for you, but I hope that you will not allow guilt to make things worse. I hope you will allow memories of Jake to bring a smile to your face,and I hope that you will find some peace in knowing that the only thing you are guilty of, is loving your dog.
I hope you and your family have a Nice Christmas, and a Happier New Year.
Please let me know how things are going for you......
Connie
I do wonder if he picked up something from the same vets where he went his last day. He was boarded there a month prior. It says sepsis is commonly caused by parvoenteritus or something like that. He had just recieved a dhppc vaccine, but still. I feel like yes, I did take him, but that was after he laid here for 7 hrs first. I called the vets at 1 and told them he didn't look good. They said bring him in at 330. I am not mad at that too. Granted I had to wait for help to lift him, but still. I don't understand why they didn't have me bring him in sooner. The vet said it didn't sound good.
I talked to the vet in MT. She said he died of Sepsis. Not sure what caused it though. I thought bloat in a way, but he never had the retching or some of the other signs assoicated with it. The vet thought that she saw lower counts in WBC too. She said he could've had it and it corrected itself too and then somehthing else happened. I will never know. I just feel terrible for suspecting something and not taking him right away. I waited because we had found out our son needed $7000 worth of dental work. This came as a shock to us. Then Jake got sick. So I feel like I let him down terribly by leaving and not taking him that day
COMMUNITY LEADER
I am so sorry about what happened to your Jake.
Whatever, please don't blame yourself. It is often quite hard to tell a dog is sick enough to be nearly dying. That sounds strange, but it is true. A dog CAN be "fine" one minute (or apparently so) and can be on the edge of death the next. You see, dogs have a deeply-ingrained stoical attitude to life, and it's usually when they are more or less knocked for six by some problem, that their symtoms become apparent. Up till then, they can appear quite normal.
Elevated Calcium points to something being basically wrong with his health apart from bloat. The most common cause is cancer of some kind, and of course if Jake had been living with elevated blood calcium (unknown to you) for some time, this would have affected his kidney function, which would have added to his illness.
Whatever, please don't blame yourself. It is often quite hard to tell a dog is sick enough to be nearly dying. That sounds strange, but it is true. A dog CAN be "fine" one minute (or apparently so) and can be on the edge of death the next. You see, dogs have a deeply-ingrained stoical attitude to life, and it's usually when they are more or less knocked for six by some problem, that their symtoms become apparent. Up till then, they can appear quite normal.
Elevated Calcium points to something being basically wrong with his health apart from bloat. The most common cause is cancer of some kind, and of course if Jake had been living with elevated blood calcium (unknown to you) for some time, this would have affected his kidney function, which would have added to his illness.
I am glad you have the lab work. Hopefully your vet in MT can help give you some insight into what may have caused your dogs death.
I know it is not easy, but try not to be so hard on yourself.
It is not your fault that your dog died.
You did not know that your dog was seriously ill.
You took him to the vet thinking that he would be checked over, and you would be picking him up later.
Even if you would have done something different, there is no guarantee that the end result would not have been the same.
Thanks for the update...
Please let me know what the vet tells you....
Connie
I know it is not easy, but try not to be so hard on yourself.
It is not your fault that your dog died.
You did not know that your dog was seriously ill.
You took him to the vet thinking that he would be checked over, and you would be picking him up later.
Even if you would have done something different, there is no guarantee that the end result would not have been the same.
Thanks for the update...
Please let me know what the vet tells you....
Connie
I have the bloodwork. It looks like his WBC was 32.32 The LYM was 0.78
The MCHC was 40.9
I am going to ask the vet in MT. It looks like his Calcium was high. It showed 12.5
I think it might have been bloat. I never saw the signs. It makes me feel terrible to know that he could have probably lived, had I taken him earlier. This is why I feel so much guilt. I stay at home with kids. I am mad at myself for deciding to leave that day, knowing he wasn't 100 percent. I thought after he drank water he would feel better. I never imagined this to happen.
The MCHC was 40.9
I am going to ask the vet in MT. It looks like his Calcium was high. It showed 12.5
I think it might have been bloat. I never saw the signs. It makes me feel terrible to know that he could have probably lived, had I taken him earlier. This is why I feel so much guilt. I stay at home with kids. I am mad at myself for deciding to leave that day, knowing he wasn't 100 percent. I thought after he drank water he would feel better. I never imagined this to happen.
I hear the word 'regret' a lot in your posts and it seems like it is laden with guilt. This is not your fault. You couldn't have prevented what happened. You made the absolute best decision you could have with the information you had. I would have made the same decision as would have anyone else in your situation. Even if you find out it was something that could have been prevented by other actions I hope you don't use that as a catylst to incur more guilt. Like I said before, you did your very best with the information you had. Hindsight isn't accurate. All the 'could have's' won't serve you well.
It is a tough situation. Losing a pet is heart wrenching. Sometimes I will cry just thinking about the day when my beloved dog will die. Only those with great love will experience great heart ache. Your heart hurts because of the love you shared. In time you will remember the joy without the sting of despair.
It is a tough situation. Losing a pet is heart wrenching. Sometimes I will cry just thinking about the day when my beloved dog will die. Only those with great love will experience great heart ache. Your heart hurts because of the love you shared. In time you will remember the joy without the sting of despair.
I am so glad to hear that she may have some records for you.
I think that if you can have another vet look over the blood work, you will be more at ease with what might have happened to Jake.
I will be hoping that you get some answers that will help to better explain what happened to Jake.
I will be thinking of you...please let me know how things are going.
Connie
I think that if you can have another vet look over the blood work, you will be more at ease with what might have happened to Jake.
I will be hoping that you get some answers that will help to better explain what happened to Jake.
I will be thinking of you...please let me know how things are going.
Connie
I called yesterday. I am going to hopefully get Jake's records Thursday. I have to take my cat to get looked at. The receptionist said they should have his blood results on file. I hope so, I don't know though. This vet is called a country vet. She works by herself with one assistant. She handles farm animals. That is why she is a country vet. I now wish that I would've taken Jake somewhere else. I also wish that she would've told me if it was going to be too much for her to handle. This place is a small office. I had taken my cat there before and everything went well. It was not for anything serious though. I have much regret taking him there. I wish I would've went anywhere else that day. I didn't know though. I had only been there the one time. I normally took Jake to a vet in MT when we would go every year. He was just seen there in July. I don't know if he could've caught anything from being boarded. Our other dog is fine. I guess anything is possible. I just really hope I can get the results of the bloodwork so I can show the other vet and get her opinion. I hope I can get some answers myself, so that I can be at peace with this whole thing.
I am wondering how you are doing...? Have you been able to talk to the vet, or acquire any records...? You are saying this gal is a country vet...I don't really understand. Does that mean she has limited means for doing lab work..Does she have any assistants, or a lab or even an office...?
I have also been thinking that it is possible that your dog contracted,or got into something while he was being boarded.
I wish you all the best, and hope that you will find some peace with this whole situation.
Connie
I have also been thinking that it is possible that your dog contracted,or got into something while he was being boarded.
I wish you all the best, and hope that you will find some peace with this whole situation.
Connie
I took him to this vet here in SD. It was a country vet. She sees plenty of small animals though. I asked her after if his stomach was distended and she said she could not tell. He was a Shepherd and his chest was large. I never noticed anything, but it would be hard to tell as he was overweight. I was suprised by alot of this as well. I thought I would be getting a call in 30 min and that didn't happen. I truly think she did not xray him because he was 97 pounds and she didn't or couldn't lilft him. The doors were open that day and there were flies in there. I didn't know this was like this. I have never had to take an animal to a vet before. Now, of course I wish she would've told me to go elsewhere. I was not happy to hear that he was not exmained or anything. I had to leave to take care of my young kids. Now, I wish I would've stayed. I don't know what to think either. I will ask her if she has info on his bloodwork. That is what she said though. His liver and kidneys were good. I am puzzled myself
I think if she is a good vet, she will have documents of anything that she did for your dog....regardless of whether or not he died that day. If she does not have anything regarding the services rendered...and the lab work...Then, she is not a good vet, and you best never take your dogs there again. She should be reported .
If you are not comfortable with talking to her directly...then make a phone call, and tell them...don't ask them...tell them you are coming in to pick up your dogs file...If they won't give you the file...you are legally allowed not only access to it, but copies of everything in it...although you may need to pay for the copies. If you cannot do this...ask your husband to do it for you.
Take the copies to your regular vet, and ask them if they could please go over them and give you an opinion.
I know she says kidney and liver looked good....and I have also thought that if you dog was poisoned, that something should have shown up in the kidney or liver panel...( if it was done ) But, I also wonder if there may be a poison that does not show up on a routine blood panel....?
I would call your out of state vet...and ask...? Explain the situation...it is just a phone call, and if you can't talk to the vet directly...then ask for a lab tech. I am sure someone would be able to help you.
You could also pose this question to the...Ask a Veternarian Forum on this Website.
Please don't give up on getting copies of your dogs records...
I will be thinking of you,
Please keep us posted....
Connie
If you are not comfortable with talking to her directly...then make a phone call, and tell them...don't ask them...tell them you are coming in to pick up your dogs file...If they won't give you the file...you are legally allowed not only access to it, but copies of everything in it...although you may need to pay for the copies. If you cannot do this...ask your husband to do it for you.
Take the copies to your regular vet, and ask them if they could please go over them and give you an opinion.
I know she says kidney and liver looked good....and I have also thought that if you dog was poisoned, that something should have shown up in the kidney or liver panel...( if it was done ) But, I also wonder if there may be a poison that does not show up on a routine blood panel....?
I would call your out of state vet...and ask...? Explain the situation...it is just a phone call, and if you can't talk to the vet directly...then ask for a lab tech. I am sure someone would be able to help you.
You could also pose this question to the...Ask a Veternarian Forum on this Website.
Please don't give up on getting copies of your dogs records...
I will be thinking of you,
Please keep us posted....
Connie
WHAT?
#1 You don't have to ask for specifics on the bloodwork, it is a printout sheet that the machine prints....The original will be in his files.....Go over Monday morning and ask for a copy....You paid for it! Don't leave till you get one...Matter of fact, get a copy of your dog's entire record, period. She had to have made a report sheet of some kind....
#2 Are you sure you saw the Vet? This person had plenty of time to examine and xray your dog......And a Distended stomach is EASY to tell just from viewing....
#3 Biting at flies? Why is this clinic full of flies? That is NOT OK! What idiot would have even said that? Especially to a client.....Good Lord....
#4 To suggest poison, but also say Kidneys & Liver were good, doesn't make sense.....Poison CAUSES Kidney &/or Liver failure, that's what kills them! This statement here is a huge "Red Flag"!
I'd be furious with this clinic and I'd be over there demanding an explanation! I'd file a complaint against them, too....Oh, yes I would!
Is it in Oklahoma? If so, I'll go with you and we'll get this done! That place will have your name written all over it before I'm done!
I feel awful for you.....I'm so sorry that this has happened...Goodness Sake, I don't even know what else to say.....I'm thinking about you and my heart goes out to you......Sincerely, Karla
#1 You don't have to ask for specifics on the bloodwork, it is a printout sheet that the machine prints....The original will be in his files.....Go over Monday morning and ask for a copy....You paid for it! Don't leave till you get one...Matter of fact, get a copy of your dog's entire record, period. She had to have made a report sheet of some kind....
#2 Are you sure you saw the Vet? This person had plenty of time to examine and xray your dog......And a Distended stomach is EASY to tell just from viewing....
#3 Biting at flies? Why is this clinic full of flies? That is NOT OK! What idiot would have even said that? Especially to a client.....Good Lord....
#4 To suggest poison, but also say Kidneys & Liver were good, doesn't make sense.....Poison CAUSES Kidney &/or Liver failure, that's what kills them! This statement here is a huge "Red Flag"!
I'd be furious with this clinic and I'd be over there demanding an explanation! I'd file a complaint against them, too....Oh, yes I would!
Is it in Oklahoma? If so, I'll go with you and we'll get this done! That place will have your name written all over it before I'm done!
I feel awful for you.....I'm so sorry that this has happened...Goodness Sake, I don't even know what else to say.....I'm thinking about you and my heart goes out to you......Sincerely, Karla
I say that because my dogs rarely go out and we have a 6ft wooden fence. Our neighbors have dogs as well. The vet did say that there are too many poisons to test for and that they are expensive. If it had been any other day, I would've been home all day and my husband could've gotten out of work. Also, the trash would not have been picked up and I could of taken the vomit for testing. Never thought of it at the time. Initally, the vet thought it was pancreatitis and then she said no based on the blood work. I thought of asking for the specifics on the bloodwork too. I normally took them to a different vet out of state. I thought I would be able to ask her about it as well. I am afraid to even ask this vet as I have a good feeling that she did not make note of the findings. Later, I asked her if his stomach was distended and she said it was hard to tell. So I know there was no exam done or anything. She said there was no time for xrays. He was there for 2hrs. I don't know what to think.
I know how much you wish you could have been with him when he died. My heart truly aches for you because you weren't....but some things are out of our control. You had no reason to believe that his life was near its end. You should not blame yourself...Your dog would not blame you...he knows you brought him there for help.
I searched online, and found the following reasons for elevated calcium levels...
* There are numerous causes of elevated calcium levels in the blood – diseases affecting the skeletal system, tumors (both cancerous and benign), kidney failure, and poisoning can all cause hypercalcemia. Your veterinarian will need to do a thorough investigation in order to pinpoint the exact cause. This will include blood tests, urine tests, a full physical check up, an exploration of the dog's medical history, and any other tests that are deemed necessary.
If I were you, I would still go to the vets office and see if she has your dogs bloodwork on file....Then you can do some research based on the actual findings in the bloodwork.
I know you do not think that is was poisoning...but please search your surroundings very well...and dispose of anything that is questionable.
Would your dog have had access to a neighbors garage or yard, where they might have had d-con or any other rodent poison...?
Sadly, you may never know what caused your dogs death.
I am so sorry that you are going through this...I do understand how you feel, when you say you feel like you let him down. I felt the same way when my dog died. But...you did not let him down...you brought him for help...You did the right thing.
My thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time.
Connie
Thank you very much for your nice words. I am devastated by this loss. I feel like I failed him. It is like the one time he gets sick and I am not there for him. I am mad at myself for even hesitating that day. I told my husband that he didn't look good. He didn't believe that Jake was that sick. It made me doubt myself. He got out of work as soon as he could to help me lift jake and take him to the vets.
I forgot to mention that the vet said his liver and kidneys were good. She was not sure what killed him. She said maybe poison or something internal. I have another dog, so I doubt poison.
I forgot to mention that the vet said his liver and kidneys were good. She was not sure what killed him. She said maybe poison or something internal. I have another dog, so I doubt poison.
Thank you for your kind words. The vet said that his kidneys and liver was good. That is all she really said. I asked her again in person and she mentioned that it could've been a poison or something internal. She really did not know. We have another dog, so I don't think poison would be it. I am not sure she even made note of the bloodwork being he died that night.
I am sorry to hear about the loss of your dog. You did the best you could, you took him to the vet. You had no idea of how sick he was when you brought him to the vet, so don't blame yourself because you were not there when he died.
Your dog knows how much you love him.
I know you are wondering what the lab results might suggest was wrong with him. Surely, based on the lab work, the vet must have offered an opinion of what may have been wrong....?
If she didn't, I would suggest that you call and ask her why she thinks your dog died.....You will feel better about it if you have some type of answer from her.
If you want to talk with her in length about it, make an appointment.
I would also suggest that you get a copy of the dogs lab work for yourself.
There are many websites that can help explain some of the reasons why dogs lab values are increased or decreased. If you have a copy of the lab work, you can at least get some kind of idea of what may have been wrong.
You may never know for sure what was wrong with your dog, but the Vet should be able to look over the labwork and give you her professional opinion.
I'm sure that is something she would do for you.
Please talk to her, it will help you put your mind to rest .
Let us know what you find out.
Once again...I am sorry for your loss..
Please accept my heatfelt sympathy.
May God Bless your Dogs Beautiful Spirit and Soul...
Connie
Your dog knows how much you love him.
I know you are wondering what the lab results might suggest was wrong with him. Surely, based on the lab work, the vet must have offered an opinion of what may have been wrong....?
If she didn't, I would suggest that you call and ask her why she thinks your dog died.....You will feel better about it if you have some type of answer from her.
If you want to talk with her in length about it, make an appointment.
I would also suggest that you get a copy of the dogs lab work for yourself.
There are many websites that can help explain some of the reasons why dogs lab values are increased or decreased. If you have a copy of the lab work, you can at least get some kind of idea of what may have been wrong.
You may never know for sure what was wrong with your dog, but the Vet should be able to look over the labwork and give you her professional opinion.
I'm sure that is something she would do for you.
Please talk to her, it will help you put your mind to rest .
Let us know what you find out.
Once again...I am sorry for your loss..
Please accept my heatfelt sympathy.
May God Bless your Dogs Beautiful Spirit and Soul...
Connie
What you described happens everyday to good people like you who have a family and love their dog. I'm so sorry she left you so soon. 11.5 years is not really too bad for a larger dog to live, since 12 is normal. My dog Jack had
a death warrant from the day he was born. I did not realize it, when we rescued him when he was 4 months but he was always sick with something and when he was 2 they found he had liver shunt and he died Nov 27th almost exactly as your story. Jack was almost 5 after I looked over his records the other day, so I guess we did our best. Jack often went into these
fits like you describe with your dog, he would vomit, then start walking around and drinking water. He finally settled down, so Lynn took him
into the Vet the next morning and he went into shock and died after the Vet brought him back once...he just past on. I feel terrible you were not there,
but let me tell you your dog knew you love her very much and you did
everything you could do. Regardless how long we keep our friends, there is a day they will pass on. This is so with our family and friends. I think we feel such extreme guilt with our pets is they are totally dependent with us.
They also love us unconditionally, which makes them so wonderful. I think that is another reason we suffer when they leave us. People just don't love us like this other than Jesus Christ. People struggle all their lives to find happiness, the find it from time to time and love changes I know we love our children and our family, friends, but pets just love us period. They are always there. So when they leave us, especially as we grow older, it hurts
us and leaves a hole in our heart. I feel so sad each day, I understand what you are going through, but all I can say to comfort you, is your dog loved you and you did everything you could for her. You are good and person who obviously is hurting now and you have come to the right place. there are a lot of good people here who will let you know you are not alone and everyone has been where you are, I am right now. May God Bless you.
Mark
a death warrant from the day he was born. I did not realize it, when we rescued him when he was 4 months but he was always sick with something and when he was 2 they found he had liver shunt and he died Nov 27th almost exactly as your story. Jack was almost 5 after I looked over his records the other day, so I guess we did our best. Jack often went into these
fits like you describe with your dog, he would vomit, then start walking around and drinking water. He finally settled down, so Lynn took him
into the Vet the next morning and he went into shock and died after the Vet brought him back once...he just past on. I feel terrible you were not there,
but let me tell you your dog knew you love her very much and you did
everything you could do. Regardless how long we keep our friends, there is a day they will pass on. This is so with our family and friends. I think we feel such extreme guilt with our pets is they are totally dependent with us.
They also love us unconditionally, which makes them so wonderful. I think that is another reason we suffer when they leave us. People just don't love us like this other than Jesus Christ. People struggle all their lives to find happiness, the find it from time to time and love changes I know we love our children and our family, friends, but pets just love us period. They are always there. So when they leave us, especially as we grow older, it hurts
us and leaves a hole in our heart. I feel so sad each day, I understand what you are going through, but all I can say to comfort you, is your dog loved you and you did everything you could for her. You are good and person who obviously is hurting now and you have come to the right place. there are a lot of good people here who will let you know you are not alone and everyone has been where you are, I am right now. May God Bless you.
Mark
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