Why did my 11-year-old Westie suddenly pass away with no warning?

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!

I'm very sorry Lizzy passed away today! Without seeing her in person, I can't say what caused her to pass away, but common causes of death in senior dogs include heart disease, organ failure, and cancer. If you want to know why she passed, you could bring her into the vet for a necropsy (an autopsy for dogs). Again, I'm very sorry for your loss.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. It is difficult to say for sure what the primary cause of her passing was. There could have been a primary infection that led to her untimely passing. She may have been suffering from a primary neurological condition or infection in her brain as well. It might be best to speak with the veterinarian that had been treating her to see what his / her thoughts were on what was going on so you can get some closure. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

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 :-(

Hello. I am so sorry for your loss. You must be heartbroken. There are so many things that could have lead to Fifi's death, including infection, inflammation, organ failure ( kidneys, heart ), heartworm disease, & cancer. It does not sound like she was in any pain or discomfort, so it sounds like she passed quietly. Without a necropsy, an exact cause will never be known, just be glad she did not suffer. Please accept my condolences on your loss & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I'm sorry to hear about the passing of Penelope. Unfortunately, without an necropsy (autopsy), there is no way to know for sure what happened. A few things that can happen could include a bad heart, an outpouching of a large blood vessel that ruptures internally or an aneurysm. Try to focus on the positive memories you made with her. It's so hard to lose them. My condolences.

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.