Sudden Death of a Puppy (rottweiler, vet, breeder, wound)
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My daughter's friend bought a rottweiler puppy from a breeder last week. He was a sweet little guy, friendly, playful, etc. A couple of days ago, she was playing with him and he suddenly collapsed. He had no heartbeat but when the owner shook him a little he gasped and started breathing. She immediately took him to the vet, who did all kinds of tests but could find absolutely nothing wrong with the pup. They put him on a ventilator, but he died soon after.
Does anyone have any idea what could have happened? Why would a puppy with seemingly nothing wrong just suddenly pass away?
If you want to know the cause, you can pay to have a necropsy done.
If the pup was from a reputable show breeder, contact the breeder immediately. The breeder might want to have a necropsy done to try to find the cause of death.
It could be the heart. It could be that the pup ate something toxic. It could be an endocrine failure. Brain aneurysm..... any number if things.
A friend of mine had a dog die like that from a foxtail in the lungs.
The vet is very unlikely to do the necropsy. The body will be shipped to a veterinary university.
Idiopathic heart conditions are a not infrequent cause for such sudden deaths in young animals. They are hard to detect in routine exams and frequently unnoticed until a catastrophic heart failure occurs. IHSS is a known leading cause for heart failure … and it shows up in horses along with humans, too.
We had a dog, who we got from foster, die very suddenly. In less than 24 hours he went from normal, to coughing, to dropping dead.
The vet did an exploratory exam, not a necropsy, and he said the heart was enlarged, so it was most likely heart failure. He had been treated for heartworm, before we got him, so I always wonder if there is any lasting damage after that.
I imagine, even with a careful breeder, it’s possible to have a puppy with a congenital problem.
Thank you for your thoughts. I don't think they had a necropsy, they just took the pup home and buried him. The breeder has been told, and is giving the family a new male puppy as soon as one is available. They paid quite a sum for the dog in the first place. I just hope this is a reputable breeder and not a puppy mill.
I know it's true that there can often be an underlying, unknown health issue no matter where an animal comes from. We adopted a stray kitten last year that was the sweetest little guy, and he died rather suddenly. I guess you can only hope for the best and be vigilant.
Thank you for your thoughts. I don't think they had a necropsy, they just took the pup home and buried him. The breeder has been told, and is giving the family a new male puppy as soon as one is available. They paid quite a sum for the dog in the first place. I just hope this is a reputable breeder and not a puppy mill.
I know it's true that there can often be an underlying, unknown health issue no matter where an animal comes from. We adopted a stray kitten last year that was the sweetest little guy, and he died rather suddenly. I guess you can only hope for the best and be vigilant.
We have now adjusted our expectation with pets from rescue. We give them love and care for as long as they are with us, but we dont expect them to necessarily live to old age. We have a dachshund from rescue now, who seems healthy and seems like someone loved him and trained him, so we’re cautiously optimistic.
My daughter's friend bought a rottweiler puppy from a breeder last week. He was a sweet little guy, friendly, playful, etc. A couple of days ago, she was playing with him and he suddenly collapsed. He had no heartbeat but when the owner shook him a little he gasped and started breathing. She immediately took him to the vet, who did all kinds of tests but could find absolutely nothing wrong with the pup. They put him on a ventilator, but he died soon after.
Does anyone have any idea what could have happened? Why would a puppy with seemingly nothing wrong just suddenly pass away?
You need to contact the breeder if you haven't already. Any "good" breeder will want to know what happened as it can impact the health of their lines. They may also provide you with a replacement puppy.
Sometimes there are severe, even fatal, reactions to certain vaccinations as well as certain flea/tick meds. Whatever the cause, it is heartbreaking to lose a young puppy.
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