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Dog was limping and death.

Species: Dog
Breed: Heeler mix
Age: 1-2 years
My dog was favoring his left front leg and he is an outside dog with lots of energy, always playing with the goats so I thought he may have gotten bucked. I kept him inside for the day and when I got home he was ok but still favoring his leg. Later that night, he was laying in the kitchen and I herad a thumping noise. I ran in there and he was laying there drooling and his body went stiff. My husband was able to get him to snap out of it and he was back to his normal hyper self! The next morning he was playing with the other dogs as normal so I left him out and went to work. When I arrived home that evening, he was not there to greet me as usual and my heart sank!! I saw 2 piles of throw up and started calling for him. We found him under the house and he would not come to us just looked at us with a blank stare. We could not get to him so I put some water and treats to try and coax him out but he would not budge. We decided to leave him be as he may have just been feeling sick but this morning he was deceased?? Any Ideas?


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Oh, I am sorry to hear that this happened.

The symptoms that Jack had have me a little puzzled. There aren't a lot of medical conditions that would cause limping and then death.

The most likely explanation is some kind of trauma. By trauma I mean that he may have been kicked or rammed by one of the goats, or possible hit by a vehicle. This could cause some pain in his leg. But, it could also cause internal damage to perhaps the liver or spleen. It is possible that he had bleeding into his abdomen which caused the death.

If we take the limping out of the equation (as it is possible that this was an unrelated problem), other causes for relatively sudden death in a young dog would include a congenital heart problem, exposure to something toxic to kidneys such as certain plants or antifreeze, exposure of something toxic to liver such as xylitol (a sweetener in some sugarfree gums).

I am guessing though that this was related to trauma. I am so sorry for your loss.

Dr. Marie.


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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.