# Help! Sudden unexplained dog death



## Jakes Mama (Aug 2, 2011)

A tenant who rents a room in our home has/had a dog that just died this past sunday of an unexplained death. I was not home at the time so I only have their details to go by. 
The dog is a female medium sized mix probably some sort of part terrier, probably about 35-40 lbs, probably around 10 years old. She seemed to be in normal health. 

So on sunday, all 3 dogs of the house were out in the fenced yard. They were heard barking like they normally would do if someone is walking a dog past the house. Then the one dog shrieked out in horrible pain. By the time someone got out there in there yard to investigate, the dog was pretty much instantly dead. I was told the dog had a swollen mouth and the tongue was sticking out.

I was out of town. They called the animal control who came and picked the dog up to dispose of properly.

The roommate said she thinks the dog's neck was somehow broken. Because I guess she picked up the dog and it was slumped over at the neck. But I was informed that if the dog broke it's neck somehow that it would have died instantly and would not have been able to make the shriek. 
Another idea is that it could have been poisoned somehow. Which might explain the swollen lips. But one doesn't normally shriek out and drop dead instantly from poisoning. ?? or does it?

So, I would have preferred to have paid for an autopsy just to know what happened. But I was out of town and now that is not an option. We do have 2 other dogs in the house so I am concerned that if this could happen to one dog, that it could happen to another.

The other 2 dogs: 1 is a male some sort of mix that is probably 120 lbs, he is about 12 years old, and he pretty much just minds his own business. The other is a female pit bull who is about 1 1/2 years old, she is not dog aggressive at all and the deceased dog did not have any bleeding or bite marks. The dog breaking her neck theory was based off saying my pitbull somehow jumped on the dog and caused it's neck to break. I don't think that is possible, but who knows at this point. All of the dogs have been living together for over 8 years, obviously with the exception of the 1 1/2 year old who has been with us since 12 weeks old.

So. If anything like this has ever happened to anyone, or if you have any thoughts or ideas as to what you think caused this dog's death please let me know.

Thanks!


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

Possibly an anaphylactic reaction to an insect sting or a snake bite? That would explain the swelling. And it's really scary how fast anaphylaxis can get you. I doubt the dog's neck was broken. . .if you go limp, your neck will flop when someone picks you up. It's the muscles that keep your neck "unfloppy", not the bones.

Sorry about their loss . Sudden death is always such a shock.


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## alphadoginthehouse (Jun 7, 2008)

It may not have been the dog that died who yelped. And I think an autopsy would have been the way to go. I'm surprised your tenant just had ac pick the dog up...not the way I would have handled it but that's just me.


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## dmickle1 (Jun 19, 2011)

Willowy said:


> *Possibly an anaphylactic reaction to an insect sting or a snake bite?* That would explain the swelling. And it's really scary how fast anaphylaxis can get you. I doubt the dog's neck was broken. . .if you go limp, your neck will flop when someone picks you up. It's the muscles that keep your neck "unfloppy", not the bones.
> 
> Sorry about their loss . Sudden death is always such a shock.


That was my first thought. Spider bites can do it to some dogs as well. 

Why were the dogs outside unsupervised?


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

Did they have access to any electrical lines?

There really aren't that many things that will cause sudden, unexpected death in dogs. Too bad you didn't get to do the necropsy.


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## Jakes Mama (Aug 2, 2011)

The lady who owns the dog is about 75, retired with limited income, no car and she is in poor health. So it was just the easiest thing for her to have animal control come get the dog. 
We live in Fairfax County, Northern Virginia, so we don't have venemous snakes in our area (that I am aware of)
No access to electrical lines

I have heard of people intentionally poisoning other people's dogs by throwing poisioned meat over the fence. But if that was the case, would the dog have died instantly like that? 

I didn't think about it being the other dog that yelped. possible I guess. but that just makes it even more confusing. 

The gate was locked so if someone entered the yard they would have had to climb the fence. We have windows on all sides of the house and that would be very risky to get caught. Plus, my pitbull is very intimidating looking and it is highly unlikely that a stranger would jump the fence with her right there. Plus that would have been a whole different sound of barking.

Who knows. This mystery will probably never be solved.


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## dmickle1 (Jun 19, 2011)

Poisoning would take longer than a few seconds. 

The solution is that the two remaining dogs shouldn't be left outside unsupervised.


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

I can't think of a poison offhand that would work that quickly. I'd agree with others that a severe allergic reaction to something is a real possibility here. Maybe something bizarrely random like a bloot clot in the lungs or brain, but you'll never really know unfortunately.


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## Fuzzybutts (Jul 21, 2011)

Where was this? I agree that most likely culpret was venom with anaphylactic reaction. Snakes, spiders, bees?


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## cshellenberger (Dec 2, 2006)

Jakes Mama said:


> We live in Fairfax County, Northern Virginia, so we don't have venemous snakes in our area (that I am aware of)
> No access to electrical lines


 
Actually you do have Northern Copperheads http://www.virginiaherpetologicalso...s/northern-copperhead/northern_copperhead.htm I've seen them in the DC metro area and nearly stepped on one in my yard in Dale City, just south of you.


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## Fuzzybutts (Jul 21, 2011)

Sorry I missed that location. Yep... we have copperheads here in Chantilly! And a bad allergy to bees can kill VERY quick.


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## jenz (Aug 20, 2010)

I've heard of Greyhounds who were fine one minute and dropped dead the next. From what I understand, they were cavorting around, then there was a moment of kind of confusion, before they became wobbly, sunk on their legs and died. I believe there was thought to be heart valve problems of some sort?

I'm so sorry!

Jen


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## Crantastic (Feb 3, 2010)

I thought bee sting immediately when I read about the swollen tongue. One of Crystal's breeder's former dogs was seriously allergic to bee stings. She bit a bee once and immediately stopped breathing and fell over. Crystal's breeder is quick; she ran into the house, grabbed Benadryl and a straw, sucked up some of the Benadryl in the straw and put it down the dog's throat. The dog recovered! But yes, they can have a reaction very quickly.


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## Polywoggy (Mar 7, 2011)

My girl has hemangiosarcoma- and has lasted a longer than usual time with it. Her tumor is very visibly large and she has wasted a lot of her body mass quite visibly too.
From what I've been reading, it sometimes happens that this can cause dogs to collapse and die quite suddenly due to a rupture- sometimes when the tumor is so small that it isn't yet causing any symptoms of illness in the dog. This can only confirmed with a necropsy.
Without a necropsy, it will likely never be known. I also think anaphylactic reaction is a likely cause- just throwing another possibility out there.

http://www.caninecancerawareness.org/html/CanineCancerHemangiosarcoma.html


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## Alice Kaye (Dec 23, 2010)

I'm definitely thinking bee sting or something similar. I could definitely see that happening. It may have bitten the bee (explains lips/tongue) and died from the allergy. Aside from the swollen tongue and lips, which are good indicators, the dog may have yelped when it got stung and died pretty quickly.

Otto got stung by a ground hornet in the spring around May. I didn't know how he would react to the sting so I rushed off to a grocer and bought baby Benadryl and some Benadryl anti-itch spray. He slept pretty much the entire day because of the meds but it brought the swelling down and he didn't have any horrible reaction. I just didn't want to take any chances. I know how bad it can be to be allergic to them as my mom, sister and I are all very allergic.


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## pugmom (Sep 10, 2008)

Very sorry for your loss

Could be a number of things......I think it also sounds like some kind of reaction to a bee or wasp sting
but would not rule out some kind of major seizure or brain aneurysm...that could cause the dog to have bit its tongue or clenched its mouth hard to cause the swelling 

how were the dogs prior to being let out?...how long were they outside? was it possible that the reaction/or issue was going on longer and just noticed once the yelping started ?

if the one dog was acting strange or in pain this could have caused the other dogs to bark and yelp?....maybe the dog was having an issue longer then you previously thought?


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## The_Monstors (Oct 1, 2010)

Polywoggy said:


> .
> From what I've been reading, it sometimes happens that this can cause dogs to collapse and die quite suddenly due to a rupture- sometimes when the tumor is so small that it isn't yet causing any symptoms of illness in the dog.


This was what was suspected that happened to my last pug. We were napping and I heard her move around a bit but just figured she was trying to find another comfy spot so I drifted back to sleep, but in retrospect maybe she was buzzing around because she felt off. Then she collapsed on the floor at the foot of the bed. her tongue was hanging out...I don't know if it was puffy. It went pretty fast because when I picked her up, I was pretty sure she was already dead even though she seemed to be twitching. The details at this point are just a blur and I rather not think about it. Just it maybe a possibility. 

I think the bite/sting is very plausible as that can take a dog out really fast that also happens to be allergic. I've seen how fast it works on a person in my school that got stung by a bee. Never thought the person face can puff up and get red that fast.


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## Polywoggy (Mar 7, 2011)

Sorry about your Pug  I just love Pugs.
Our family dog when I was a kid, she passed very suddenly. I have looked back and wondered if it was a hemangio-, it is all too common. My parents opted not to have the necropsy, saying that it wouldn't bring her back...


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## Jakes Mama (Aug 2, 2011)

Thank you for all of the input.
The dogs were outside maybe 5-10 min. The lady was out there in the yard with them but this happened over on the side of the house so she was unable to see what happened. She immediately ran over and the dog was pretty much dead instantly.
I have also heard that it could have been a heart attack or other medical condition. I guess we will never know for sure.


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