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Puppy died and had fluid in lungs.

Species: Dog
Breed: Anerican Bully
Age: 3-6 months
Hi Dr. Marie,
My case is probally irrelevant now since my 14 weeks puppy(american bully breed) just passed away all of sudden. I wasnt sastified with the explainations from the vet and animal hospital gave me.He was perfectly fine until yesterday, i noticed his breathing was very strange like he struggled to breath and he didnt seem to respond at all. I called up the vet nearby to check him up and all the vet gave me was internal bleeding, but from what? The puppy didnt have any kind of accidents or abused! Since the vet didnt help my puppy in any ways. I took him to the animal hospital, by the time i reached the hospital my puppy started to have seizures, they tried to help my puppy but after couple of hours his nose started to bleed and he was choking on something, the doctors at the hospital told me that they did everything they could and the puppy will live no longer than an hour or 2. I couldnt stand and watch him suffer so i asked them to put him to sleep. I asked them about what were the problems. They told me that they need to do an autospy to find out. I agreed, a week later they called and told me that his lungs were filled with water. I wasnt sure if that really caused his death.
Im just trying to find out the reason! Im very grateful if you can help me out
Thank you very much,
Quan Doan


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

I'm very sorry to hear about your dog.

I won't be able to tell you why Bo died, but I can give you some thoughts.

It certainly is possible that he did choke on something such as a toy or a piece of food. When a dog is choking it can cause fluid to build up in the lungs. You would think that an object that causes choking would turn up on an autopsy but it's possible that he managed to expel the object, but still had fluid in the lungs which was the thing that killed him.

Another possibility for fluid in the lungs is if he was born with a heart problem. It's sometimes hard to diagnose that, even on autopsy, especially on a young animal.

Another possibility is if he had had some type of electrical shock. If a dog, for example, chewed an electrical cord it can cause severe pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs.)

Ultimately we will never know, but I think the most likely explanation is that he was choking on something.

Again, I am so sorry for your loss.

---This question was asked in our Ask A Vet For Free section.---


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Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

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Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.