Could vet steroids cause death in an old dog with vomiting/diarrhea?

First off, I'm very sorry that Louie died so suddenly! Please accept my condolences for your loss. Pancreatitis is caused by things like a high fat diet, being overweight, trauma to the pancreas, and hypercalcemia. It's not caused by steroids. Pancreatitis can be extremely serious, and it can be fatal. Without seeing him in person, I can't say for certain that pancreatitis was the cause of his death, but that would be my suspicion given that he was suffering from it. Again, I'm sorry about your loss.

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.

I am so sorry to hear of your loss of sweet Tilly. It is never easy to lose a part of the family. It is definitely hard to say for sure as to why she passed away without knowing the whole story, any tests that were run and what happened when she passed. From what you described above, my biggest concerns would be the cough and wheezing. This could have been from heart disease, heart worms, asthma, or even lung cancer. Since she was eating and drinking normally, it makes me more concerned that something acute happened like that ruptured chordae tendineae in her heart or a pulmonary embolism. If you would like to discuss her whole history with me, then I would be glad to do a consult with you and give you my best educated guess as to what happened. Unfortunately, no one will be able to tell you for sure without an necropsy and sometimes those even come back inconclusive. I am again so deeply sorry for your loss. Stay strong Tilly would have wanted that. Hugs!

Poor Layla! Her vomiting may be caused by the antibiotics, which can cause nausea and in rare cases, constriction of the esophagus. Steroids (prednisone) can cause stomach ulcers and kidney issues in high, chronic doses. Unfortunately, the vomiting and lethargy can be caused by a number of other conditions, which can just be a coincidence, so I recommend having Layla seen as soon as possible to rule out things like intestinal obstructions or torsion.

I'm very sorry your friends lost their dog so suddenly! Without seeing him in person, I can't say for certain what caused him to pass away, but the symptoms you describe sound like he was extremely ill. He could have had a systemic illness not related to his hyperthyroidism that caused him to pass away. The only way to know for certain is to have a necropsy (an autopsy for animals) done on him to determine his cause of again. Again, I'm sorry for the sudden loss of your friend's dog.

Allow me to first say that I am deeply sorry for your loss. Dixie bear was taken way too early and I offer you my deepest sympathies. Unfortunately, sudden and acute deaths can happen to dogs and cats just like in human beings. Dogs that are completely normal one moment can suddenly have heart attacks or brain aneurysms, etc. that can cause them to pass away the next. Usually the three main causes of sudden death in dogs of her age are massive heart attacks, brain or cardiac aneurysms, or toxicity of some kind. And yes, all three of these diseases can cause an animal to exhibit vomiting right before they pass away. Sadly, the only true way to find out what an animal has died from it is by having a post death autopsy performed by a specialized pathologist. if this is something you’re interested in doing, please contact your veterinarian as to whether or not they can refer you to someone that could help determine the cause of death. This could possibly still be done even though it has been a week. I hope this helps. Again, I’m sorry for your loss.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lilly. I am so sorry for your loss. Her symptoms would not be related to feeding her chicken and rice. I suspect that she had an underlying illness that caused her initial vomiting and diarrhea. The treatment by her veterinarian and the bland diet you fed likely helped her feel better. However, I worry the disease progressed and this is why she needed to be euthanized. I hope this information brings you some peace.