Why did my 10-year-old Labrador die suddenly with heavy panting?

Again, I'm sorry you lost Honey suddenly. One thing that comes to mind to me is a splenic hemangiosarcoma (tumor on the spleen). The dog acts completely normal while this tumor is growing (or shows only very subtle signs of illness), and then suddenly crashes and dies when the tumor ruptures (which they do). It appears to come out of nowhere. This happened to my dog. He seemed completely fine, then one night out of nowhere, he was panting and having trouble breathing. I rushed him into the clinic, and he had a stomach full of fluid. There was nothing I could at that point in time. Another option is she got into something toxic. I wish I could give an exact answer, but without seeing her in person, I can't say for certain, but I hope this helps.

There are many things this could be: * laryngeal paralysis * congestive heart failure * severe pain * hypothyroidism * pulmonary thromboembolism * pneumonia * bloat * many more possibilities.... He really needs to get to the vet for an exam and possibly some blood testing and/or x-rays so you can get a diagnosis. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of your dog! I know how hard it is to have a pet pass away suddenly like this, without any warning. From what you're describing here, I would be suspicious of a sudden cardiac arrhythmia, or a tumor in his heart or abdomen that may have ruptured suddenly - both of these are relatively common causes of sudden death in middle-aged or older large-breed dogs. With either of these problems, there is usually nothing anyone can do - even if it happened in the lobby of your vet's office and they were able to start working on him immediately, it's unlikely that this would have made any difference at all. So try not to feel guilty. It sounds like you did the best you could, and I don't believe it would have changed the outcome even if you had left immediately for the vet's office. Again, I'm very sorry for your loss. If you think it would help you to have piece of mind, you could ask your veterinarian about arranging for an autopsy to be done (called a necropsy in animals). This would be the best way to determine what the cause of death was.

Hello. I am so sorry for the loss of your beloved pet. He, unfortunately, suffered a severe cardio-pulmonary event, either from the presence of heartworms, cancer, or severe cardiomyopathy. He was probably sicker than you realized, & also sicker longer than just the past 6 weeks. We all try to do the best we can for ourselves & our pets & sometimes we just run out of time to do anything. I know you feel bad, but you have to be honest with yourself & know that even if you had the money, he may have been too sick to do much for him. If you loved him with all your heart up to that last day, then he had a very good life. Please accept my condolences on your loss. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I'm sorry Roxy has been so sick lately! Her symptoms could be caused by cardiac disease, respiratory disease, or even cancer. Unfortunately, cancer is always a possibility in a senior Lab. I would have her seen by a vet in the morning for a physical exam, blood tests, urinalysis, and x-rays. Using these tests, the vet can diagnose what is causing her symptoms and can discuss treatment options with you.

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!

First off, I'm so sorry you recently lost Meg! How horrible for you, please accept my condolences for your loss. Old age isn't a disease, and based on your description of her symptoms, I would say something was definitely wrong that could have ended her life even with treatment. From the picture, it appears she could have petechiae, which are small, pinpoint spots on the skin and mucus membranes. That can be caused by rat poison (something toxic), trauma, heat stroke, infectious diseases, DIC, or bone marrow cancers to name some of them. Without seeing her in person, I can't say for certain, but you could request a necropsy (an autopsy for pets) is done to determine the cause of her again. I hope this helps Chris, and again I'm sorry for your loss.