Lost my GSD girl yesterday

Re: Lost my GSD girl yesterday

les punton — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:13:50 GMT

aw im so sorry for you, hope pm results shed some light but by the sounds of it you couldnt have done anything else x thinking of you x

Re: Lost my GSD girl yesterday

Caro Laithwaite VN — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:47:08 GMT

I agree with the ruptured spleen, very very common in gsd over 8 years old. Hard to spot till just before crisis. She may well have had a slow bleed over a few days that was not noticed and wouldn't be noticed they never are when she hit crisis was just to late. Had you got to her sooner it is only about 50% if that if you could have helped her as they have often have mets to the liver and beyond.

Re: Lost my GSD girl yesterday

Karen S — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 09:28:48 GMT

Oh Diane, i am so so sorry. I just dont know what to say, and having lost Bella on Sunday morning the only thing that seem to coming to me is tears, tears and more tears. I just dont know how i am going to get through this Christmas, with her birthday on Christmas Eve. I keep thinking about her roast chicken i was going to pick over for her (well all of them), her white chocolate bar, her stocking... the list goes on. Its all still there. Although half hour ago i did manage to wrap her collar around her fav soft toy and place it in the big box with my late Grannys stuff. I am so sorry for your loss. I guess just talking about it helps somewhat.

Re: Lost my GSD girl yesterday

Diane Westwood — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 09:17:35 GMT

My gsd Sheena was put to sleep in October 2008 5 months after having a splenectomy as a mass had grown back in her abdomen. It is heartbreaking but I agree with everything that has been said. It certainly sounds like a ruptured spleen to me.

My 3 year old Bengal cat Lucan was pts on friday after an ex lap where we found pancreatic cancer. His pressies are under the tree also.

Re: Lost my GSD girl yesterday

Saskia Quinn — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 07:28:27 GMT

aw Karen, speaking from experience, it will get easier, it will just take time and you must allow yourself time to properly grieve. You seem to be doing that anyway.

I do hope you get closure with the result of the pm. But regardless of what that result may be, please bear in mind that it all happened so quickly - there was absolutely nothing anyone could have done to save her.

Put your energy into your other 4 dogs and give them lots of love and tlc - they will reward you with their great unconditional love.

Be content with the fact that Bella had a great life with you and was very much loved I am sure. xxx

Re: Lost my GSD girl yesterday

Karen S — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 07:16:57 GMT

Hey guys

Thank you all so very much for the support and well wishes. I have just spent two hours solidly crying my eyes out. The tears are relentless and will not stop for love or money. The house is empty without her, the dogs are lost, we are lost and now feeding four dogs instead of five is a major adjustment. Our Lab is lost as Bella was her alpha mummy and my boy is lost as Bella was his sister for the past 10 years. He turns 10 in April so they were only four months apart and we had them both from young pups. Just everything is odd, everything is quiet as Bella was a bulshy pushy girl and we called her our "spatzo girl" as she always had major anxiety issues all round.

Now it is all gone. And its horrible.

I phoned the vets yesterday as i thought they did the PM there, but they have sent her off to a pathologist for the PM. They said they do not do PM's there (even though this is a huge clinic) as they are not experienced enough and do not have the facilities and nor do they have the means to do further testing if required. Which is fair enough, i am happy they have sent her off for a professional PM. I hope i will have an answer by the end of the week as it might be my only hope of putting this to rest.

Re: Lost my GSD girl yesterday

Saskia Quinn — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:43:58 GMT

Very sorry indeed to hear your news Terribly sad when our pets are taken from us so quickly and without any prior warning.

My thoughts are with you. xxx

Re: Lost my GSD girl yesterday

albatross — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 20:54:48 GMT

as others have said, you shouold wait for the PM.

Also we aren't vets, and even if we were, all animals are different and we did not see your gorgeous girl.

However, I have lost one GSD boy to a ruptured spleen tumour and it brought tears to my eyes reading your description.

I also lost his sister to a probable cardiac tumour rupturing, and the symptoms were different enough to indicate (after discussion with various vets, and because she had a year before a spleen,liver and intestinal scan which was clear) where the problem lay.

Even if my boy had been on the operating table at the time, the odds of saving him were minute, and if he could have been saved then prognosis would be guarded (I was told most dogs who have successful splenectomies usually die from other tumours in about 1-6 months, because there are likely to be masteses).

I too wanted to know why I couldn't save my boy (at 4am on the kitchen floor with phone in hand trying to stabilise him and perform CPR, but he fitted due to hypovolaemic shock and passed away before my eyes), and I really feel for you right now.

I tell all my GSD pals about hypovolaemia, and what to look for, and just three months after my beloved Louis died, my friend's GSD exhibited the same symptoms, but in this case he made it to theatre for a splenectomy, as she knew what signs to look for - however due to metasteses he was given sleep.

RIP dear GSD, go and play over the Rainobw Bridge with all the other Shepherd's and wait for us all to join you.
Sending you a big hug -just message me if you ever need to talk.

Re: Lost my GSD girl yesterday

Rachel Jayne — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 20:06:19 GMT

So sorry to hear your news

I echo other people, as I was reading it I was saying to myself...splenic mass...

It's so tragic when they go so quickly & unexpected like that.....

Re: Lost my GSD girl yesterday

Claire Cameron — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:20:08 GMT

So sorry to hear about your little girl but agree with the rest of the guys, sounds like a ruptured spleen

So sorry

It's never easy losing a loved one, especially when it's so unexpected and sudden

Thinking of you X

Re: Lost my GSD girl yesterday

Emma Bartlett — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 10:28:36 GMT

Sounds like ruptured spleen to me too.....i have 11 year old gsd who lives with my parents and i am constantly aware that this seems to be a problem with the breed and my girl is getting older

My thoughts are with you, i hope the PM results help you along the path of coming to terms with losing your girl. Its never easy X

Re: Lost my GSD girl yesterday

Louise B — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 10:17:44 GMT

Hi Karen, I am so sorry - what an awful time for you It sounds like a ruptured spleen to me too. x

Re: Lost my GSD girl yesterday

Nicola Smith — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 09:39:18 GMT

Hi, it sounds like a splenic bleed to me too. Very common in german shepherd dogs. It can be very acute and there is nothing you could have done. Sending you lots of love, it will be hard but you will get through it.

Re: Lost my GSD girl yesterday

Sal the 1st — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 09:20:47 GMT

what you describe does sound like it could be a rupture spleen, but the pm will tell you more. You did everything you could, you did the best by her by getting her to VS so quickly.

Re: Lost my GSD girl yesterday

Mac Feather — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 08:52:23 GMT

So sorry to hear your news Karen.

I always think in this profession we really do beat ourselves up over our own pets- like in some way we should have seen more,done more etc. But the truth is you did everything you could, not that this makes it any easier.

And I think loss seems extra acute at this time of year. Im so sorry Karen.

Re: Lost my GSD girl yesterday

Vicky RVN — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 08:25:31 GMT

I am so sorry to hear that Karen, what an awful experience for you. It does sound like some major internal bleeding was going on. Maybe something like a ruptured spleen?

You did everything you could for your girl. Thinking of you x