Dog died suddenly even after glucose.

Dr. Marie replied:

Oh, I am so sorry that this has happened.

It will be hard for me to say for sure what happened but I can give you some ideas of some things that could cause a young dog like this to die suddenly.

If your vet gave glucose then it means that they were concerned about hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). One possible cause of hypoglycemia in a young dog is something called a portosystemic shunt. This is a condition where a dog is born with a defect in the way that blood is routed through the liver. However, most dogs with this type of condition show some symptoms throughout their life such as increased drooling, poor weight gain, confusion, or seizures.

Another possibility for hypoglycemia is ingestion of xylitol. Xylitol is a sweetener found in some sugar free gums. This product is extremely toxic to a dog's liver and can cause death.

Another possible cause of sudden death in any animal is a congenital heart problem but this should not cause low blood sugar.

I'm so sorry that this happened. Please accept my condolences.

Dr. Marie

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



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