Why does my puppy suddenly collapse when playing with other dogs?

It is quite possible that your dog is suffering from congestive or another type of heart failure or condition. When she exercises, the heart may not be able to pump enough oxygenated blood to the brain and then she would faint. I suggest you take your dog to a vet for an exam. If there is a heart condition present then medication can make your dog feel much better and prolong her life.

I'm so sorry that happened! That is so scary and stressful. It may be a good idea to talk to your vet about having some chest X-rays taken. If her heart is enlarged, an echocardiogram (sonogram of the heart) would be indicated to see if she has heart disease. Other things we may find on chest Xray would be possible concern for cancer. Since Tally is 8, she is at an age where that has to be something on our list of concerns. Even without a heart murmur, she may have some heart dysfunction that lead to collapse. Additionally, though her ECG was normal, sometimes arrhythmias are not persistent, and a cardiologist may recommend telemetry (wearing an ECG for an extended period of time). Its even possible to have a significant arrhythmia abnormality without an enlarged heart on Xray, so if a cardiologist consult is in your budget, you might talk to your family vet about a recommendation. Please watch her closely at home. If she is vomiting or is not eating, if she seems very dumpy and lethargic, or if she is having a hard time breathing or is breathing very fast at rest, please have her seen today instead of waiting until Friday. I hope she is doing well today; thinking of you guys. My best to Tally!

I am sorry to hear that Max isn’t doing well. Collapsing events are commonly associated with heart disease, but other problems such as anemia or cancers could cause similar signs. I would highly encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian as soon as possible. X-rays and/ or Blood work may be recommended to help define the diagnosis. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Hello. I am so sorry for your worries with your pet. There are any number of medical reasons that might explain this, but the most likely would be a seizure (not all are classic grand mal), or a heart issue. The best way to determine the cause is to let your veterinarian do a full exam & blood work to rule out any metabolic or otherwise obvious reasons for the episode. Then, if any treatments or medications are indicated, your veterinarian can discuss all options with you. Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello, sorry to hear about Shiloh. It looks like she is an older pup and the potentials for what is causing her to collapse can vary greatly (anything from neurologic in origin to orthopedic in origin). In older pets, severe muscle loss, heart problems, or other metabolic problems can contribute to their weakness and collapsing episodes. In a dog with a cough however, I would be most concerned with an underlying heart problem, then a neurologic or orthopedic problem. I would recommend seeing her veterinarian to have her evaluated and check her for any underlying heart problems, neurologic or orthopedic problems. Hope this helps and best of luck.

I recommend to have both your dogs examined by the veterinarian. Just like humans, many diseases can have the same clinical signs and so it is impossible to know the cause without a physical exam and likely some diagnostics. Being unbalanced and collapsing is extremely concerning for an issue with the heart, blood pressure or the brain. Other conditions can also cause collapse. Fatigue can be seen with many conditions as well and it could range from internal parasites to an autoimmune condition. Have both pets seen within the next day. Diseases tend to have the best outcome if they are dressed early. I hope this helps.

It is great you are trying to walk Sophie. However I would be concerned that she could have underlying disease that is causing her to collapse. This could include but not limited to heart diseae, heartworm disease, arthritis, lung issues, allergies, and weight. I would recommend taking her to a veterinarian for a good physical exam.