Why did my 9-year-old Chihuahua die suddenly after becoming blind?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am so sorry about Chandelle! There are many possible causes as she was a senior dog. Heart failure, a seizure that caused aspiration or non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema, choking, a severe allergic reaction, twisted stomach or an internal bleed. With out an autopsy we will never know. Again I am so very sorry for your loss!

I'm very sorry to hear about your loss of Bert! It's always very hard to lose a pet, especially due to an unknown illness. Unfortunately, it's impossible to say what might have happened as these are very vague symptoms that could be caused by many different things. He may have had some type of serious systemic illness like liver or kidney disease, a neurologic problem of some kind, or may have ingested something toxic. The only way to know for sure what caused his death would be to have an autopsy done, called a necropsy in animals - but if he passed last week, it's likely too late to have this done now. If he was treated by a veterinarian before he passed away, you could ask him/her if they have any idea what might have been wrong based on his physical exam and any testing that was done. Again, I'm very sorry for your loss.

Oh no, how horrible for you to experience! I am so sorry for your loss! She could have had heart problems, cancer, liver failure, or possibly something toxic you didn't realize Bella got into during the day. Without seeing her in person, I can't say for certain what caused her to pass away, but I do recommend taking her into a vet for a necropsy. This is an autopsy for dogs, and it may give you some answers on what caused her to suddenly pass away. Again, I am so very sorry for your loss, please accept my condolences :-(

There is no way to know for sure but diabetes, an infected uterus, kidney disease or a possible brain lesion are all options. Diabetes can cause cataracts which leads to sudden blindness along with drinking excessively and vomiting when they ketoscidosis from it. It usually requires days to weeks of hospitalization when that advanced. Kidney disease also causes drinking a lot with vomiting but unrelated to blindness. Since she is not fixed, her uterus can get an infection called a pyometra which allows it to fill with pus. It requires emergency surgery to fix. This too can cause drinking a lot and vomiting. I am sorry you lost your baby and hope this helps bring you comfort.

I'm so sorry for the loss of your dog! Unfortunately, the only way to know why she died would be to have an autopsy performed (called a necropsy in animals), either by your veterinarian or a veterinary pathologist if you have one nearby. Since it sounds like it happened quite suddenly and she was bleeding from her eyes, she may have had a bleeding disorder (this can be caused by ingesting rat poison, or by some hereditary or immune-mediated diseases), or she could have suffered a head trauma of some kind. But I'm afraid there's no way to know for sure without a necrospy. Again, I'm so sorry for your loss.

I am so sorry for you. loss. What a sweet face your ChiChi had. From what you are describing I am suspicious that ChiChi had a brain tumor. Brain tumors can cause dogs to circle and have seizures. Especially in an older guy, that would be my guess. A number of other causes are possible--a tumor somewhere else, a severe electrolyte disturbance, liver failure of severe disease of the GI tract, low blood sugar as a result of a tumor in the pancreas, as well as countless other possibilities, but again my first thought is that he had a brain tumor. Again, I am so sorry for your loss. It sounds like ChiChi had a long, wonderful life with you! Take care of yourself, and please reach out if you have any other questions.

Pictures can be deceiving but it looks like she may have developed cataracts and i recommend a full vet check as soon as possible to rule out medical causes such as diabetes and other hormonal conditions. Surgical removal is often possible to restore vision