Heart Broken

by Nadia
(South Africa)

Good Morning

We had a Basset Puppy named Shana she was 8 weeks old and we had her 23 days, she was our little baby, she ate well played she was a healthy little puppy..... well so we thought...

on Saturday the 26 November 2011 she was still playing licking our toes and being her little self. she did a poo in the house we picked her up and took her outside she carried on making her poo and the next minute her front legs just collapsed.

she fell down we picked her up but she
just collapsed again, I picked her up checked her mouth if she swallowed anything but it was clear
her eyes rolled back she gasped for air a couple, of times she urinated on me and her heart just stopped.

why does this happen?...... we are so heart broken and the tears are just flowing my son has now lost 2 little dogs and my husband is just as torn up as I am.

hope you can help.

Nadz






Hi Nadz
I can't tell you how sorry I am for what happened to your puppy, I know from personal experience how terrible and shocking a sudden death like this is - especially in a seemingly healthy little pup.

I'm afraid there's no way to know what happened and why your pup died this way, I'm not a veterinarian and even if I were, there are lots of possibilities. You will never know why and I totally understand your grieving and sense of loss, it will ease given time though. You won't ever forget your little girl, but you'll be able to think of her with less heartbreak.

We lost a seemingly perfectly healthy 5 month old Olde English Bulldog suddenly and without warning, one minute he was fine - the next he was gone. He was my daughters 21st birthday present and the love of her life, it was devastating. We had a full autopsy done on him but there was no sign of why he died, everything seemed perfectly normal with no deformities, disease, toxins etc.

The reason I'm sharing this is to show that there sometimes IS no reason for this type of situation, it just happens and we have to deal with it.

You loved your puppy and even though her life was short it was a happy one and she knew that you loved her. You couldn't have done anything to prevent her death and you did everything you could to take care of her.

When you eventually decide to add another puppy to your family, do make sure to choose one from a responsible, reputable breeder and do not take a pup who is less than 8 weeks old. They are at greater risk of problems, both physically and emotionally when they leave their momma too early.

Again, I'm so sorry for your loss and hope that your hearts heal and that you find room in them for to give another pup a loving home one day.