Gun Dog Forum

Posted: **Sat Oct 03, 2009 4:41 pm**

Just a few questions to those who maybe know more than me. My dog passed away this morning while I was hunting. He acted as if he was blind right before he died. He was hardly moving and acted very disoriented. I started carrying him back to the truck and set him down to rest when he went into a siezure. His eyes rolled up into his head and he went as stiff as a board. He was not thrashing around, just slightly shaking. I held him and felt his heart slowly stop beating and I knew I had lossed him. He was only 3. I am just trying to figure out what might have happened. Could he of had a stroke? Or a heart attack? Any input would be appreciated. Also it was cold and he did not have heat stroke and I searched for any sort of snake bite. He also did not act like he was in pain at all.

Thanks

Josh

Posted: **Sat Oct 03, 2009 4:47 pm**

Wow Josh, sorry to hear that man. I sure wish I had an answer for ya....maybe epilepsy of some sort....boy I don't know sure am sorry to hear of that....
Was it Beau?

Chip

Posted: **Sat Oct 03, 2009 5:24 pm**

Elkhunter, I don't have a clue as to what could have happened, but I know it had to be devastating for you. I am so sorry to hear this.

Charlie

Posted: **Sat Oct 03, 2009 5:47 pm**

sorry to hear that elk, our condolences to you and your family

sal

Posted: **Sat Oct 03, 2009 5:52 pm**

Wow Sorry to hear of your loss

Need some more info to even come close to a guess as to what happened

what was the temps you were hunting in

how long were you hunting

was the dog drinking water

Prior to his eyes glassing over was his tongue hanging out and real bright in color

has he ever shown any weird signs when you have hunted before

One of my first thoughts with this time of the year is going to say a heat stroke..this is only a guess but it is the most common hunting dog ailment at the seasons beginning

sometime it is an idiopathic seizure which comes from a bodies heat and sugar imbalance no real put your finger on it cause but a small series of things that trigger a main event

Posted: **Sat Oct 03, 2009 5:58 pm**

Im sorry for your loss Josh. From that info my guess is he had a fatal siezure. Siezures are common but not fatal ones. I would sure want to know for sure though. Have him examined if you can afford it so you can know for sure.

Posted: **Sat Oct 03, 2009 7:31 pm**

The temps were around 40 degrees, it was not heat stroke and he had been drinking plenty of water.. He just acted like he was blind, and was very careful walking. No previous health problems at all. We had been hunting for about 2 hours. When I set him down to rest thats when he died, I had just enough time to hold him and then he was dead within 10 seconds. I was 3 miles from the truck and buried him on the mountain, I figured it was better than just some dirt lot.. He was an amazing dog. It was Beau.

Posted: **Sat Oct 03, 2009 8:27 pm**

The blindness and quick death leads me to believe trauma in the brain. The blindness has to be pressure on the optic nerve caused by swelling. Just thinking out loud.

Posted: **Sat Oct 03, 2009 8:37 pm**

hmm

http://www.vetinfo.com/dsuddendeath.html

True sudden death (which seems to be what you are describing) is a fairly rare event in dogs. There are a number of reasons that this can occur and I probably won't think of all of them, but here is a partial list:

hypoadrenocorticism (Addison's disease)

subaortic stenosis (a defect in the aorta that can cause sudden death)

aneurysms

thromboembolic events (usually pulmonary) -- blood clots that lead to sudden death

cardiomyopathy (weakness of the heart muscles, can occur secondary to viruses or parasites like Neospora caninum in dogs)

supraventicular tachycardia -- this is the event that is probably most commonly called a "heart attack" in dogs, even though it is not like heart attacks as are seen in humans, ischemia of the heart muscle due to arterial blockage, which are fairly rare in dogs (although they do occur . Other types of arrhythmia are also possible causes of sudden death.

bleeding events -- these can occur for no apparent reason but we see sudden death from hemangiosarcoma tumors which occur due to bleeding induced by the tumors and it is sometimes the first sign of a problem. I think of these as being among the more common causes of sudden hemorrhage in patients six years of age or above

toxins --- usually there are some signs associated with toxins but carbon monoxide poisoning (not likely since everyone else is OK) would cause death without much in the way of clinical signs

strokes are also uncommon in dogs but do occur sometimes, especially in dobermans

parasites -- there are reports of sudden death associated with lungworm infection, Neospora caninum infection, roundworms, hookworms and heartworms in dogs.

These are the causes of sudden death that I can come up with. I am not sure that this list is all that helpful since it would take a post-mortem examination to rule in or rule out many of these problems. However, most of them are not contagious or likely to affect more than one dog in a household, so hopefully that will hold true for your household.

I don't know why bad things seem to happen in bunches but it often seems like that is the case. I hope that Kodiak has continued to improve. I am sorry to hear about Specs.

Mike Richards, DVM 11/27/2000

Posted: **Sat Oct 03, 2009 9:23 pm**

"bleep" Josh real sorry to hear that man, I know how you loved that dog man.......I remember you losing him and looking for him and then finding him...and I know you had been concentrating on him alot lately.....really really sorry to hear that....FWIW man I think you did right by the mountain...

Chip

Posted: **Sat Oct 03, 2009 9:24 pm**

I'm very sorry to hear this...i know that i would take it very very hard if it happened to me.... keep us posted if you find anything else out

Posted: **Sat Oct 03, 2009 9:46 pm**

I am so sorry for your loss

Posted: **Sun Oct 04, 2009 12:19 am**

"bleep" Josh- That's a real bummer. Take peace in knowing that leaving him on the mountain was the right thing to do. It's what he would have wanted.

He died with his boots on, doing what he loved to do, with you at his side. What more could a dog want?.

God's speed to you and your family.

Doug

Posted: **Sun Oct 04, 2009 6:03 am**

Josh
I am not mmuch help except to express my condolences. That really sucks. I hope you find the answers you are looking for.
Sincerely
Brian

Posted: **Sun Oct 04, 2009 10:04 pm**

Every time I hear of a young dog dying I imagine what it would be like to go through that loss... except that I can't really imagine it. I'm sure it hurts like losing any loved one. I'm sorry to hear this news.

Posted: **Mon Oct 05, 2009 6:20 am**

I am really sorry to hear that, you must be devastated i kow i would be.

Jerry

Posted: **Mon Oct 05, 2009 6:32 am**

My condolences.

Posted: **Mon Oct 05, 2009 6:47 am**

As someone already said, he passed away doing what he love most, Hunting , and being with you.

Will keep you in our thoughts and prayers.

Posted: **Mon Oct 05, 2009 6:56 am**

Very sad news.

Condolences to you and your family.

I'm sure he will be missed.

Posted: **Mon Oct 05, 2009 8:55 am**

Josh it sounds like a stroke to me from the symptoms and how quickly he died, possibly an anyeurism also. No matter what I know how you feel I held my 9 year old girl in July as she died much the same way at the house, the necropsy showed it was an anyeurism. My condolences.

Posted: **Mon Oct 05, 2009 10:39 am**

Thanks for the comments, I spoke with my vet this morning and he said it was most likely a stroke.. It keeps running through my mind watching him die, he was alot of fun. Thanks for the nice comments I appreciate it.

Posted: **Mon Oct 05, 2009 11:58 am**

My condolences.

Posted: **Mon Oct 05, 2009 12:03 pm**

Condolences

............... markerdown

Posted: **Mon Oct 05, 2009 12:07 pm**

Terrible news! My condolences.

Posted: **Mon Oct 05, 2009 12:37 pm**

Sorry to hear this. Very sad story.

Best of luck.

Posted: **Mon Oct 05, 2009 12:56 pm**

Hey man I'm sorry to hear that,it really tugs at my heart strings.Never easy to loose one but even worse in that case.

Hang in there things have to get better.

Posted: **Tue Oct 06, 2009 5:02 pm**

Very sorry for your loss.

Posted: **Tue Oct 06, 2009 5:33 pm**

Any chance the dog got into blue algae? This is the season for it. It is rampant in the Mid-West and Ontario right now, plus other areas. Death is fast and the dog is often found near the pond. That's as far as he gets. Nerves are paralyzed so co-ordination, paralysis appears.

http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department ... endocument

Posted: **Wed Oct 07, 2009 8:58 am**

What a punch in the gut. So sorry for your loss. I can't even imagine what you must have felt. Heartfelt sympathies. Hope you find some closure.

Joe

Posted: **Wed Oct 07, 2009 9:37 am**

We recently lost two of our dogs as well. Its tough to deal with. Time has a way of healing that void. I am sure sorry to hear about your loss.

Posted: **Sat Oct 10, 2009 11:09 pm**

I'm sorry to hear about your loss. My previous family dog died at the age of 6 by getting bit by a rattle snake. Sudden deaths are very hard to get over. The way we solved the problem was going out and with in the next week finding a dog to bring home and focus on. Hope that helps.

Posted: **Wed Oct 28, 2009 6:46 am**

I am so sorry for your loss. What a tragedy. Of course without a necropsy you won't know what happened but FYI...usually a young dog like yours that's healthy that basically drops like that...its usually cardiac related....................

Take care and Godspeed to your buddy

Judy

Posted: **Wed Oct 28, 2009 9:25 am**

Elkhunter wrote:Thanks for the comments, I spoke with my vet this morning and he said it was most likely a stroke.. It keeps running through my mind watching him die, he was alot of fun. Thanks for the nice comments I appreciate it.

I lost a six month old pup to a freak accident last Spring. Still it haunts me and I can not get those last moments out of my head. But I am starting to come to terms and accept it, though I will never forget that little guy, or love him any less. A dream dog that didn't get his chance. It is just really hard to watch, completely unprepared, and completely helpless. So sorry. You are right, he was doing what he loved, and he didn't have to go through a long illness or suffering like so many do. My thoughts are with you.

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