My senior dog vomited for a month, then passed. Was it cancer?

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am sorry your dog passed away, it is always hard to go through that. From your description, it sounds as though your dog had a gastric dilitation volvulus (GDV) or 'bloat.' This is where the stomach flips upon itself. it is a life threatening condition that requires surgery in attempt to fix. Sometimes, the signs that occur when this first happens can be subtle and it goes unnoticed for some time before being treated. When the 'flip' happens, it causes a large amount of inflammation that the body must contend with and unfortunately, a good outcome doesn't always happen. It sounds like you did everything you could for your pet. Of course, it is hard to know tell what happened for sure based on your description. Since you are asking this question a year later, you may still be grieving. It may be of benefit to speak to the veterinarian who took care of Patch to discuss what happened. There are also counselors who work with grief over pet loss in your area that also may be of benefit to you.

Oh no, I'm so sorry that you suddenly lost Minnie Mae Pearl! How horrible for you, please accept my condolences for your loss. Please keep in mind I can't say for certain what caused her to pass away, but I can offer some guess. It is possible that she had cancer. It's common in senior dogs, and it can be festering for a while before the dog sudden becomes ill. They can't tell us when they are sick and are pretty stoic with pain, so oftentimes when we notice something is wrong, it's very late in the disease. That happened with my own dog last year. He seemed perfectly normal, and then one night he appeared to crashed. I rushed him into the clinic for treatment, and he had an abdomen full of fluid likely from a ruptured splenic tumor. He had shown no other signs of illness before then, and unfortunately I had to let him go, so I completely understand how hard it is to suddenly lose a beloved pet and feel devastated. Her death could have also been caused by liver disease, pancreatitis, or a number of other illnesses. I wish I could say for certain to give you some answers, but I can only offer my guesses and my sincerest condolences for your loss :-(

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I’m so sorry for your loss! How old was your dog? A few things are possible: toxin, bloat, perforation from a blockage or an ulcer, severe pancreatitis, brain tumor. Again I’m very sorry!

I am very sorry to hear about your loss of Libby. Unfortunately as dogs get older they are more likely to have heart issues and organs that do not work properly. Without testing I am not able to tell you exactly why Libby passed. I know it is difficult to deal with a loss.

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.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Since Timberblynn is an older girl, I would be worried about the possibility of some type of cancer causing her clinical signs. She may have a mass causing enlargement of one or many of her abdominal organs, such as her liver, and leading to her feeling sick and vomiting. I recommend making an appointment with your veterinarian to have her seen. Your vet can perform an exam and see if he/she can palpate any masses or organ abnormalities. Your vet may also recommend bloodwork and/or imaging to see any changes in her abdomen. In the meantime, you can try offering her a bland diet suck as boiled chicken and rice, however I feel strongly that she should see your veterinarian. I hope this is helpful!

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.