Searching For Answers, Any Advice Is Appreciated

[Sundrop]

I hope I am posting this in the correct place. I have been a longtime (years!) lurker of these boards but I never registered until now...

 

The past Wednesday morning (June 24) I woke up to feed our two greyhounds. Our girl sleeps with us (she will be 13 in October) and our boy (9 in September) normally hears the alarm or hears us upstairs and comes running up waiting for his breakfast. On Wednesday, he didn't do that. I went downstairs to look for him, didn't see him - so I went down to the next floor (we live in a split level) where he normally sleeps and turned the corner and there he was. I called his name...nothing. Called his name again...nothing. Went over to gently nudge him...and he was gone...died in his sleep.

 

I am so heart-broken and this is difficult to even write - but I just wanted the opinions of others who may have been in this situation before.

 

Our boy was almost 80 lbs (big guy) and we got him when he'd just turned 4. We found out upon his first vet visit that he had a heart murmur. I believe they classified it as a grade 3 and we started him on Enalapril. A year or so later, they told us his murmur was around a 4 or 5 and started him on Amlodipine and bumped up his Enalapril. We then made an appointment to take him to a cardiologist at NCSU veterinary college and had an entire work-up done for him. All in all, he had a grade 5-6 murmur, a leaky valve and hyper-tension. He also had an enlarged heart, though nothing of note since a lot of ex-racers have enlarged hearts.

 

The vets all told us to watch for symptoms to see if his heart disease was worsening -- coughing, fatigue (special intolerance to exercise), swelling of his abdomen due to fluid retention, loss of appetite were the main ones. We watched him like a hawk. We had him checked out every 6 months. We only gave him food/treats with no or very low sodium. About 6-8 months ago, the vet found that he had high protein levels in his urine - could be a sign of his hypertension damaging his kidneys...or could be because of all the medications.

 

Tuesday was a totally normal day for him. He had been balking a little at his breakfast for a week or so, but he was still eating it. Both our hounds have done that in the past and since he was eating fine at night and eating breakfast fine once he got started (we'd sprinkle a tiny bit of cheese on it) - we thought they were just getting bored and it was time to switch foods. He took his morning and evening walks that day, he was actually tugging at us to walk further (we've been taking shorter walks because of the heat and b/c our other grey is slowing down and isn't able to walk as much). He was playing with his toys -- no signs of distress at all. No vomitting, no diarrhea, not even any grass eating.

 

When I found him on Wed morning, he was still in a sleeping position on his bed. The only thing out of the ordinary was that his tongue was blue. My husband did not want a necropsy done and now it is too late as he is already at the crematorium.

 

Could this have been a heart attack in his sleep? Or heart failure? I'm just so perplexed because he showed none of the symptoms - no coughing, no fluid retention, still wanting to exercise and play, no illness, etc. and from what I have read, heart attacks in dogs are rare. Though I'm grateful that he went in his sleep and happy that he didn't spend his last days ill - I'm just so shocked. I haven't spoken to the vet yet. Does any have any experience with this? We are assuming it was his heart, as the vets have all told us his life would be cut short because of his issues. But is it unusual to be asymptomatic like this and still go because of the heart?

 

I miss him so much. I keep going over his last days in my head over & over. Sorry for the long post. I'm just grieving and trying to make sense of this.

[Guest budsmom]

I don't have any experience with this, but just wanted to say how sorry I am. It must have been a terrible shock for you, along with the pain of the loss. You've come to a great place, everyone here understands, and I'm sure someone will be able to help

[Guest greytbookert]

I don't have any experience, but I'm sure others here do and can offer their thoughts. I'm so sorry that you lost your boy!

[Burpdog]

Probably his heart just stopped. Although it was a shock, I look at it as how kind of him to save you the trauma of euthanisia

 

It sounds to me that you were vigilent, got him the medical care he needed and loved him very much. Most times, we do what we can and the outcome is not up to us--we only support as best we can.

 

I do understand. My mother and father both died in their sleep and it was unexpected. I constantly relived my last visits with them and wondered if I missed something, especially with my Mom. My dobe Chrissy died in my arms. She waited for me to come home from work one day, and then had her heart attack.

 

What I am trying to say, is that no matter how death touches us, it hurts. Most likely you missed nothing. If you did, you will recognize it the next time and be able to act on it.

 

[TheFullHouse]

It could have been his heart, like Burpdog said or it could have been a stroke or almost anything. It sounds like you took excellent care of him and did everything for him. You can second guess yourself and never find an answer, just know you gave him the best life possible and that he was loved so very much.

 

I'm so sorry for your loss. It's never easy losing one of our babies.

[Guest SusanP]

I'm so sorry. No advice, but I hope someday I can go in my sleep like that. Please be at peace and remember the happiness he had in his life because of you.

[Anne]

I'm so sorry, no matter how it happens, death hurts.

I think you were probably very lucky to have him for so long with his heart murmer and in great shape and a dog who was loving life. It sounds to me as though you did all that you could and everything right for him.

Many years ago I had a saluki, he was a wonderful boy and one night late he was snoozing next to me on the couch and when I went to get him up to go to bed, he was gone. He went so silently and easily that I never heard or saw anything at all. It was hard because I didn't know he was sick and he didn't act it ever, not even as he died. I'm grateful he had an easy death, but it was heartbreaking none the less.

I've put two of my greyhounds down in the last 3 years, that hurts a lot too, it just plain hurts when you love them so much and they have to leave.

[Guest Energy11]

I am VERY sorry for your loss!

 

With the history you described, it was most likely his heart. He probably had a massive heart attack, while sleeping. Yes, this happens. As a retired paramedic, I have seen this a lot in humans, too.

 

My good friend, lost a SIX year old grey to heart failure two years ago ... it was undiagnosed. She had a heart attack, and then, it all got worse, and she died.

 

Unfortunately, these things happen to those who are too young! I am sure your baby was loved, and that is what mattered the most.

 

Love, hugs and prayers ... Dee and The Five

[Guest ctgreylover]

I am so sorry for your loss.. I would think since he was in a sleep position, that it was a peaceful passing and his heart just stopped. Please keep the happy times in front of your thoughts. He sounds well loved and cared for.

[Guest knitkass]

so sorry for your loss. You are a most excellent Greyhound Mommie, and if you want to get together, I'm in NC, near NSCU. Less than 15 minutes from it actually.

 

(eta: I'm going to be out of town this weekend, so don't worry if I don't reply to a message)

Edited June 26, 2009 by knitkass

[krissn333]

I'm so sorry for your loss, as others have said, I'm sure you didn't miss anything, and it was just his time. I can only hope that my babies will leave me while peacefully sleeping...

 

[Sundrop]

Thank you so much, everyone. I cannot tell you how much it means to me to read all of your responses -- I would've done anything for him and even asked the vets at NCSU if would could get his leaky valve replaced, but it wasn't an option. He was my big goofy boy and the house is so quiet without him...(he was a talker, too). Our other grey keeps walking from room to room and sniffing the air - it's just heart-breaking to watch.

 

I've read so many of your posts throughout the years and I knew this would be a community that could offer good advice. I very much appreciate it. To lose a dog that was so happy and full of life is horribly bittersweet...

[grey14me]

I'm so sorry

[Guest Pipi5]

It could have been his heart, like Burpdog said or it could have been a stroke or almost anything. It sounds like you took excellent care of him and did everything for him. You can second guess yourself and never find an answer, just know you gave him the best life possible and that he was loved so very much.

 

I'm so sorry for your loss. It's never easy losing one of our babies.

 

I agree, I lost Pegasus at 10 1/2...he was in fantastic shape. Had run & played the night before with the others. Never ever had any health problems. He woke me up at 2:30 in the morning, falling on me (he slept on the bed) I let him outside & as he was going through the doorway, he fell again. He always ran with his tail circled over his back, but this time he didn't. He came inside, went to one of the crates & collapsed.

I'm so sorry for your loss....

[Guest VirginiaGreys]

I'm crying for you and your boy! Can't add to anything that others have already said, but I think that you did everything that you could ...as did the vets, but sometimes...it's just their/our time.

[Guest westexhound]

[silverfish]

My beloved Jim, my first greyhound, went just like this. We found him in a sleeping position on his bed one morning and I was really glad for him that he'd died at home, in his own bed, and suddenly - not after a long and distressing illness.

 

The difference is that he was elderly (thirteen and a half) but he too had a heart condition which was being treated by a cardiologist. He didn't cough and he didn't have fluid retention. He just became less able to exercise, but at thirteen, why wouldn't he? I honestly can't remember what made us go back to the cardio for a recheck after being told when he was younger than yes he had a murmur but it wasn't a problem at the moment. It may have been that he was just a little wobbly, or just that our vet said the murmur was getting worse.

 

Anyway. The cardio said that Jim had an enlarged heart, calcification of the aorta and mitral valve problems. He told us that with valve problems, the ligament that suspends the sections of the valves can just snap - that he was likely to go suddenly, possibly in his sleep.

 

It's a terrible shock when a young dog goes like that, but I would still take that over the traumatic losses we've had since, with cancers and embolisms and having to make That Decision.

 

Hugs to you. Don't blame yourself - you got him the care he needed, and it was most likely just his time to leave.

[Beckylpa]

My girl Vee was 6 years old when I came home from work at lunch time to take the pups out and within 30 minutes of me arriving home she was dead. After a necropsy our vet thought it was sudden cardiac failure. She was perfectly normal that morning, but I too questioned if I missed something. She was a very healthy, spunky girl that lived life to the fullest every day.

 

It sounds like you were very on top of things with your boy. I am so sorry you lost him.

[CaliforniaGreys]

I am so sorry, I know the pain and the emptiness

Even when we do everything medically possible, sometimes we just don't win. And even when we know deep down that we did everything medically possible, we still end up questioning ourselves.

All part of the process I guess.

You're in my thoughts

[macoduck]

I am so sorry you had such a sudden loss. Could you share his name with us? I'd like to tell my angels Comet and Oliver to greet him on the other side....

Edited June 26, 2009 by macoduck

[greymomnc]

I'm so sorry to read about your boy.

 

I will share with you the story of the late Miss Magic. Magic had kidney disease. She also had very similar heart issues to your boy. Her murmur was graded as 5 to 6 and she had sub-aortic stenosis. During the last year of her life, she was treated at NCSU as well. She was on Enalapril and Amlodipine too. We would have to do weekly BP checks at my local vet to make sure the Amlodipine was not making her kidney disease worse.

 

If you had read her initial report/findings after her visit to NCSU you would have thought they were going to bring her out on a stretcher. She had spent the night there and when they went to get her she came running down the hall like she had been away at camp. All of the vet students listened to her murmur and she just ate that up. I told them they wouldn't need to sedate her for her ultrasound and I was right. She just lay there wide awake and people were walking by stunned that she was so compliant. She loved to ride in the car so the two hour trip each way was no problem---just another one of Magic's most excellent adventures.

 

Magic passed away from complications of pancreatitis a year after we started taking her to NCSU. Who would have guessed that? Her diet was very strict due to the kidney disease and we did not vary from that at all. If she had been in good health otherwise she probably would have pulled through, but the toll on her kidneys was just too much. In the end, her creatinine was over 8.0 and her BUN was up over 100. We brought her home hoping she would start to eat, but I knew she wouldn't. She never had a problem eating ANYWHERE. I knew the end was near and a couple of days later we had to let her go at our local vet's office. She has just turned 13 six days prior to this.

 

Up until the pancreatitis, Magic NEVER showed any symptoms of being ill. She never coughed or showed signs of exertion. Her appetite was great the whole time. She was her usual bossy, fit-throwing self.

 

I learned a great deal from this experience. The body (human or canine or other) is a complex machine. Many times, medications to treat one ailment can end up compromising another vital organ. That's where the balancing act begins. Medicine is not an exact science.

 

Please don't second guess yourself or think you missed something. It sounds like you took wonderful care of your boy and watched him closely. Unfortunately, this is how it happens sometimes. It sounds like his last day was a happy one. That's all any of us can hope for.

 

Sending prayers for your hearts to heal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest Tuxsmom]

I am very sorry for your loss. I've never found one of my dogs like this..but I did find my horse curled up in his stall dead one morning. Not a mark on him, no signs of struggle. Vet said probably massive heart attack.

 

:grouphug

[Houndtime]

I am so very sorry for your loss. Your boy left knowing he was well loved.

[Guest Becky__R]

I'm so very, very sorry. Don't second guess yourself. Your time with your greyhound was a special gift. It doesn't matter if it was for three years, or for fifteen. Don't try to diagnos his cause of death, or if you could have done anything differently. You sound like a wonderful puppy mama and I know your boy was lucky to find you.

[Guest TurnerMiller01]

I'm so sorry for your loss.