My golden retriever, Levi, was in his outside play-yard this morning and when I went out to give him a pail of fresh water he was acting just like his normal playful self. As I was leaving the yard he slipped and didnt get up. I went back to investigate and he wasnt breathing I tried CPR and checked his airway but nothing seemed amiss. He was up-to-date on all his shots and flea\tick preventative. There was no blood and there is no swelling anywhere that would indicate any bites or stings from any posious animal. My first thought was a brain anyerism but they are supposedly very rare in dogs..... Is there any other cause that would have killed a healthy dog so quickly and without any apparent cause??
2007-06-10 04:19:59 · 18 answers · asked by star g 1 in Pets ➔ Dogs
I'm so sorry for your loss...
It could be a lot of different things, but sounds a lot like a stroke or heart attack. You could have your vet perform and autopsy, but it's probably not worth the cost at this point...
Just remember the good times you had with him.
2007-06-10 04:24:18 · answer #1 · answered by Yo LO! 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I am very sorry for the loss of your friend.
There are too many things that could have happened, and a lot have already been mentioned. I do not think it would have been something he injested. He would have shown some sypmtoms (lethargy, vomiting, shaking / seizure, etc. depending on the poison). The only way to know the definate cause would be a necropsy (animal autopsy). An aneurism may be a good guess. The fact that they are rare and not impossible in dogs should not rule it out.
Edit: Kudos to Chalice. I'm tired of people guessing and leaving misleading answers to people when they are looking for real, honest answers!
2007-06-10 04:36:25 · answer #2 · answered by nxzema_grl 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Oh God, how horrible. Very sorry to hear it.
I think a heart attack would be the most likely cause. I've seen it happen in even very young animals (fairly common in boxers, they're prone to heart problems). Heart attacks are by far the most likely cause of sudden death in an apparently healthy animal, and this is certainly what this sounds like, it can be very quick indeed in animals. I think it fairly likely the dog had a congenital heart condition, it's very easy for them to go undetected.
My condolences, this must be one of the worst ways to lose a pet, so sudden with no warning.
Chalice
EDIT: eating chocolate or any form of poisoning does not cause sudden death with no warning like this. I really wish people who don't have a clue what they're talking about would just stay away, how can they possibly think they're being helpful?
2007-06-10 06:26:15 · answer #3 · answered by Chalice 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
someone dumped a beautful Golden Retriever on us. He did the same thing ! We believe it was a seizure, and that THAT was the reason someone dumped him. That's what some people do. If they think the dog isn't "good enough for breeding, they discard him. We knew that at least his last 2 months with us, were happy months. We all played with him. This dog would jump and do flips in mid-air ! But, all of a sudden one day, he started acting drunk, and falling all over the place. He would "come out of it", walk a few steps, and start "convulsing again. It was so hard to watch, and within a few minutes, he died on us.
2007-06-10 04:48:04 · answer #4 · answered by Scorpius59 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm so sorry for your loss. How devastating. I am going with your first thought - brain aneurysm or sudden cardiac arrest. Posioning happens much more slowly as do bee stings and allergies - given the time frame of your post. Perhaps he had an undetected heart murmur, which can cause a sudden arrest of this kind. These thing are rare, but it doesn't matter when it happens to your dog. Call your vet and see what might have happened.
2007-06-10 04:32:24 · answer #5 · answered by ? 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Golden Retriever Died Suddenly
2017-01-14 04:21:12 · answer #6 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is a heart condition, I believe, in Golden's that can cause sudden death. The Golden Retriever Club here where I live hold clinics for breeders to check for hereditary conditions such as cataracts and hip dysplasia. They have also had a clinic to check their heart. I'm not sure what it is called, but I have heard other stories such as yours and it was caused by some sort of congenital heart condition. My sympathies to you for the sudden death of Levi.
2007-06-10 04:35:31 · answer #7 · answered by ♥ Liz ♫ 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The dog could've had a heart attack. It usually happens when they overexert themselves while running about. In your dog's case it may have been brought on by a blow to the chest when he fell that disrupted the heart rhythm and caused it to fail.
If your dog had been playing then he had an elevated heart rate. The impact from the fall caused it to stop, and the heart doesn't have a way to correct itself, so the poor dog died.
2007-06-10 04:43:36 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Some dogs have congenital heart problems that can cause sudden unexplained death.
One of my co-workers adopted a dog like this. The Cardiologist we worked with performed an echocardiogram on him and warned her of this problem.
Two years later while walking her dog it just stopped and fell over dead.
Brain aneurysms and blood clots to the heart or lungs could potentially cause sudden death.
Sorry to hear of your loss.
2007-06-10 04:29:51 · answer #9 · answered by Buddha13 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I am so very sorry for you!
The leading cause of sudden death in Golden's is an undetected heart problem or a tumor that suddenly just bursts. Causing them to bleed internally and very rapidly and they die.
I know this doesn't make you feel any better but the only sure way to know is to have a necropsy done by your vet to determine exactly what happened.
Again I am very sorry for your loss.
2007-06-10 04:34:19 · answer #10 · answered by ♥Golden gal♥ 7 · 4⤊ 1⤋