My young Spaniel died unexpectedly yesterday

jbass

jbass

Joined
Dec 26, 2009
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My five and a half year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel died unexpectedly yesterday morning. He was his normal happy, exuberant, friendly self until less than 24 hours before he died. He was lethargic on Sunday and we called his vet. She thought that he probably had a dog virus that is going around our area. We had an appointment for 8:30 Monday morning but he died sometime during the night. Turns out he had a liver disease that had been going on for a while but he was so energetic that there were no symptoms until the very end and then the symptoms mimicked a virus.

My wife and I are devastated. I have just had my first food in the past 48 hours. I had no idea how much I loved that little guy. I am at a loss about how to cope with this loss.
 
Sorry to hear that Jbass. Cavs have always been my favorite small dog. NEVER met a bad one. My condolences.
 
jbass I am very sorry for your loss. It really is losing a member of your family. I had a dog also die unexpectedly in the middle of the night, no symptoms at all. It is extremely sad. My condolences go out to you, take care and try to remember happier times with your pup
 
Terrible loss, so sorry to hear this.

Hang tough, things will get better when the time is right.


-X
 
I just read this to my fiancé. She has a King Charles (Cowboy) and he, too, is about 5. I...make that we...are so very sorry about your dog. What was his name? We are dog lovers to the core and I, in particular, have lost several over the years for a variety of reasons and at many ages. It doesn't matter how many dogs I've lost, though, because each one was unique and each one was special. The King Charles is a hard dog to resist falling in love with. My fiancé is wondering what his symptoms were (aside from lethargy). Once again, our condolences :( .
 
I have been there. Lost 2 pugs that were my buddies. Went through a lot of tough times together. I know this sounds crazy right now, but it will pass, and there is another dog out there that needs your love. When you find them the good memories of your spaniel will remain. Sorry for your loss.
 
91a2jettavr6 said:
I just read this to my fiancé. She has a King Charles (Cowboy) and he, too, is about 5. I...make that we...are so very sorry about your dog. What was his name? We are dog lovers to the core and I, in particular, have lost several over the years for a variety of reasons and at many ages. It doesn't matter how many dogs I've lost, though, because each one was unique and each one was special. The King Charles is a hard dog to resist falling in love with. My fiancé is wondering what his symptoms were (aside from lethargy). Once again, our condolences :( .
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Thanks for your kind words. His name was Mike. We called him Big Mike because of his oversized personality. He acted like we had been gone forever whenever we came back to the house even if we had been gone for just a few minutes. He greeted anyone who came to our house like they were long lost friends. If we were outside he would run over to greet the neighbors if he saw them. He had to always be touching us whenever we sat on the couch or in a chair. He slept next to my wife every night.

Unfortunately Mike's lethargy was the only symptom. No temperature, no abdominal pain, no vomiting or diarrhea. Since he was not taking any medications, not showing any symptoms and was such a young age his liver enzymes were only checked when he had his yearly physical. They were normal at his last physical six months ago. Liver cancer is not something that Cav's usually suffer from. They do often have heart problems in the form of mitral valve disease.

I have another small spaniel named Pete who is half Cavalier and half Havanese. Because he is taking pain meds for bad hips (he is about 6) and because of what happened to Big Mike, Pete is going to the vet to tomorrow for a blood test to check his liver enzymes and they will now be performed at least twice and maybe four times a year from now on.
 
Oh man, you have my condolences. That is so sad. Even losing your buddy at an old age hurts really badly. At a young age and unexpected is just awful. If he was energetic and happy up until the end at least you know that he didn't suffer. Keep him alive in your heart.

There are a lot of great rescue dogs out there that need forever families. Open your heart to one of them as soon as you are ready.
 
Shann said:
Oh man, you have my condolences. That is so sad. Even losing your buddy at an old age hurts really badly. At a young age and unexpected is just awful. If he was energetic and happy up until the end at least you know that he didn't suffer. Keep him alive in your heart.
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Yeah, that. :(

~ P.
 
I am so sorry for your and your wife's loss, my thoughts and prayers go out to the both of you. Having to say goodbye to a loved one, pet or otherwise, is never easy.
 
I am so sorry about the loss of your Big Mike and understand what you say. It hits us all so hard.

My daughter has two Cavalier King Charles spaniels, Emma and Bennie ... and she tells me she could never bear the loss of either one ...

We spoke of the eventuality ... it comes. We are never prepared.

I thought I would get some 'inoculation' against the hurt, having lost so many of my dearest human family and the dearest of my companion dogs, held from puppy to decrepit old age. Not entirely so, but eventually it does get easier.

They are worthy of our love and they are worthy of our mourning. Yup, it hurts. A lot.
 
Very sorry for your loss. Its a really tough thing. I wish I could say you will have days in the future where you don't think of them but its rare. I keep my pets who have passed at least the ones dear to me like family and think of them everyday whether I want to or not.

Its better to hold on to he happy memories of them for certain. Someone's Bengal cat passed yesterday and I was not only sad for his loss but it reminded me of my first cat and pet out of college. I had her for almost 14 years when I had to put her down.
 
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