Is it normal for a dog to pee, poop, and get stiff after death?

Hello. I am so sorry for the loss of your beloved Eppie. Many changes happen during the dying process. The heart slows, blood pressure rises & then falls, & oxygen is redirected away from limbs & muscles to the brain & internal organs. Often there are strange & abnormal movements, but these are totally involuntary. It is very, very unlikely that Eppie was aware at this point, so there was no conscious effort to control things, & blessedly, pain & discomfort disappear. Please accept my condolences on her passing & thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

These are the typical signs of a dog dying, The twitching may just be reflexes, and the mouth opening and closing is the unconscious brain which is not getting oxygen (because the heart already stiopped beating) telling the lungs to breathe. But, at that time the dog is already dead. I am sorry for your loss.

I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your pet. I am not sure how old she was, but losing a pet no matter how old or young is still hard to cope with. Over time it does get a little easier to cope with this lose and you should always cherish the good moments you had with your pet. As a side, you do have the option of getting any pet a necropsy (examination of the body rigth after they pass) to hopefully determine the cause of death. It is impossible to know for sure what caused her demise based on the symptoms you described but it is possible she may have had a stroke, an underlying heart condition or cancer. Again I am so sorry for your loss and send my deepest condolences to you and your family. Take care.

I'm really sorry to hear this and for the loss of your dog. Unfortunately, what you are describing is not specific to any one disease, so I cannot tell you exactly what happened. In order to tell for sure, I would have to get more information about his case, examine the body and send samples for testing. However, considering how soon he died, this indicates that he either had severe organ damage, or a severely altered blood chemistry. This can happen in cases of certain infections and in cases of poisoning. There are also many other preexisting conditions like cancer, heart/vascular disease and parasitism that could also cause their to be a sudden decline in health. I know that didn't fully answer your question, but I hope that helps you to understand what may have happened. For more information, you may consider asking the veterinarian that gave the treatment, or ask another vet doctor in your area to review the case.

Sometimes the pressure of defecating can stimulated the bladder, and if he is relaxing himself to poo he could concurrently be relaxing his bladder schinter muscle. It is certainly a nuisance but can happen. In a young dog I wouldn't worry too much about this but it would be a good idea to have him examined to ensure that nothing is causing unnecessary pressure in his back passage, such as a large prostate or full anal glands.

Black stool could indicate blood in the stool. Vomiting, and black stool could be caused by parasites, change in diet, toxin ingestion, infectious viral diseases, blockage in the intestines caused by ingestion of a foreign body, or a mass/growth in the gastrointestinal tract. In the case of an unspayed female dog , pyometra (a potentially fatal infection of the uterus) is a possibility as well, and this is very concerning. Please have Cassie seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible, as vomiting and possible blood in the stool can lead to dehydration and anemia, and can be very dangerous if left untreated. I recommend taking in a fecal sample from Cassie to your vet as well, as that may aid them in making a diagnosis. Good luck, and I hope she feels better soon!

I’m so sorry for your loss. It’s not unusual for their mouth to be in a variety of different positions at death, and depending on their skin type and breed, some dogs will appear to have their eyes closed. So the way you found her isn’t terribly out of the ordinary. I am so sorry for your sudden loss. Let us know if there’s anything else we can help you with.