It's all gone Pete Tong...
Discussion
RIP Cameron
Only appeared February 2013, departed yesterday. 9 months old and full of himself. Feel a little rubbish if I'm honest (its that dust again).
The circumstances are up for debate and I (and anyone else I describe it too) am not happy. He came home from a long weekend with his siblings (also the breeders / friends / neighbours) and we were told a little bit of rough and tumble meant he'd got a sore leg. I have no problem with the breeders; they are not at fault at all. All dogs get duffed up a bit from time to time.
So we kept him off long walks for a few days to see if it got better. This was Tuesday 22nd Oct. Come Thursday 24th Oct he was still not putting much weight on his leg so he went to the vets and we were given Metacalm to get him over the weekend. If he still wasn't better Come Monday we'd bring him in for another check. This turned out to be needed. So this Monday he went back 1830 for a check where the vet did some manipulation to check for looseness in the joint and we agreed that x-rays would be the way forward (duly booked in for this morning). Now he was a big lad (28kg at 8months and not fat at all) so it took two of us to get him in the position the vet wanted so he could do the manipulation. Cameron wasn't happy obviously but we got through it. Other than booking in for x-rays no other treatment was handed out. On the drive home, in the dark, he was sick in the back of the car. I didn't attribute this to anything really because he didn't need to do any journeys really, and it was dark, so I called it car sickness.
From then on I'd say it was downhill. For the rest of the evening he whined with every breath, he was really uncomfortable, couldn't / wouldn't lie down without bounding back up again. He continued being sick right down to the bile. He walked around trying to get comfortable with a hangdog expression. So he was down to the out of hours emergency vet at 2230 who felt his abdomen and re-looked at his leg. Diagnosis; gastroenteritis. Treatment; analgesia to calm him down, antibiotics to start on the bug and a third one which I think was an anti-inflammatory (but I can't actually remember at the moment). All injections, all at the same time. He wasn't admitted, and was sent home.
On the way home this time he was calmer, but spaced out. As the vet said (same vet that did the other appointments) he would be slightly out of it for about 8hrs as it was a sub-cute injection as opposed to an intravenous job. This was about 2300. Next morning 0730, still hangdog but no more whining. Not happy, but to my eyes better. Decided to let him sleep for the morning and I would be back late am to keep an eye. We had guys working at the house (who we trust to keep an eye out) so it wasn't a big deal. Came back 1130 (yesterday, hell...) and he still wasn't happy plus he'd gone all Bambi-legs (no control and skating on his way anywhere), but I'd got a 1700 followup booked. I called the vet and described all this. The suggestion was to bring the appointment forward, the best they could do was 1500. So I took it. Any changes, they said, call them and they'd get him in. Now given he hadn't changed since 0730 I didn't call them back. 1445 came and I started to get ready to get him down to the vets, according to my wife who was just back from school runs, Cameron decided to get up and climb somehow into his adopted / favourite leather chair. He then pooped himself and started the slow pant that signalled something worse. My wife called me and said he was going. So I grabbed him, put him in the back of the car and took a Defender to speeds that I didn't think it could deal with to get him to the vets. Honestly, I think he went on the way there. At the vets (same actual vet) they confirmed Cameron had died and were actually shocked / surprised that he'd gone.
8 months is too short a life for a perfectly healthy and happy dog. Lineage wise there's nothing we could have seen coming, I don't think there's anything we could have done different up to 'close of play', but damn it something's not right. And that's my mindset right now. It's almost a Justice for Cameron stance; I gave him the best life he could have wanted, and a visit to a vet for a sore leg has resulted in me having to explain to my three year old daughter that Cameron was really poorly and won't be coming home, for something to my mind that shouldn't have happened. I've got a holiday booked in the spring to the Isle of Mull so Cameron could go belting up and down the beach. That's going to be deflated now....
Sorry, long post, complete strangers but the longer I'm a member of this forum the more I can empathise with the 'need' to just write it down and deal with the responses.
I've got only the best memories and those are the ones to keep. I now need to know why I won't have any more to add.
I need a drink.
Damn dust.
Only appeared February 2013, departed yesterday. 9 months old and full of himself. Feel a little rubbish if I'm honest (its that dust again).
The circumstances are up for debate and I (and anyone else I describe it too) am not happy. He came home from a long weekend with his siblings (also the breeders / friends / neighbours) and we were told a little bit of rough and tumble meant he'd got a sore leg. I have no problem with the breeders; they are not at fault at all. All dogs get duffed up a bit from time to time.
So we kept him off long walks for a few days to see if it got better. This was Tuesday 22nd Oct. Come Thursday 24th Oct he was still not putting much weight on his leg so he went to the vets and we were given Metacalm to get him over the weekend. If he still wasn't better Come Monday we'd bring him in for another check. This turned out to be needed. So this Monday he went back 1830 for a check where the vet did some manipulation to check for looseness in the joint and we agreed that x-rays would be the way forward (duly booked in for this morning). Now he was a big lad (28kg at 8months and not fat at all) so it took two of us to get him in the position the vet wanted so he could do the manipulation. Cameron wasn't happy obviously but we got through it. Other than booking in for x-rays no other treatment was handed out. On the drive home, in the dark, he was sick in the back of the car. I didn't attribute this to anything really because he didn't need to do any journeys really, and it was dark, so I called it car sickness.
From then on I'd say it was downhill. For the rest of the evening he whined with every breath, he was really uncomfortable, couldn't / wouldn't lie down without bounding back up again. He continued being sick right down to the bile. He walked around trying to get comfortable with a hangdog expression. So he was down to the out of hours emergency vet at 2230 who felt his abdomen and re-looked at his leg. Diagnosis; gastroenteritis. Treatment; analgesia to calm him down, antibiotics to start on the bug and a third one which I think was an anti-inflammatory (but I can't actually remember at the moment). All injections, all at the same time. He wasn't admitted, and was sent home.
On the way home this time he was calmer, but spaced out. As the vet said (same vet that did the other appointments) he would be slightly out of it for about 8hrs as it was a sub-cute injection as opposed to an intravenous job. This was about 2300. Next morning 0730, still hangdog but no more whining. Not happy, but to my eyes better. Decided to let him sleep for the morning and I would be back late am to keep an eye. We had guys working at the house (who we trust to keep an eye out) so it wasn't a big deal. Came back 1130 (yesterday, hell...) and he still wasn't happy plus he'd gone all Bambi-legs (no control and skating on his way anywhere), but I'd got a 1700 followup booked. I called the vet and described all this. The suggestion was to bring the appointment forward, the best they could do was 1500. So I took it. Any changes, they said, call them and they'd get him in. Now given he hadn't changed since 0730 I didn't call them back. 1445 came and I started to get ready to get him down to the vets, according to my wife who was just back from school runs, Cameron decided to get up and climb somehow into his adopted / favourite leather chair. He then pooped himself and started the slow pant that signalled something worse. My wife called me and said he was going. So I grabbed him, put him in the back of the car and took a Defender to speeds that I didn't think it could deal with to get him to the vets. Honestly, I think he went on the way there. At the vets (same actual vet) they confirmed Cameron had died and were actually shocked / surprised that he'd gone.
8 months is too short a life for a perfectly healthy and happy dog. Lineage wise there's nothing we could have seen coming, I don't think there's anything we could have done different up to 'close of play', but damn it something's not right. And that's my mindset right now. It's almost a Justice for Cameron stance; I gave him the best life he could have wanted, and a visit to a vet for a sore leg has resulted in me having to explain to my three year old daughter that Cameron was really poorly and won't be coming home, for something to my mind that shouldn't have happened. I've got a holiday booked in the spring to the Isle of Mull so Cameron could go belting up and down the beach. That's going to be deflated now....
Sorry, long post, complete strangers but the longer I'm a member of this forum the more I can empathise with the 'need' to just write it down and deal with the responses.
I've got only the best memories and those are the ones to keep. I now need to know why I won't have any more to add.
I need a drink.
Damn dust.
digger the goat said:
What a terrible shame... My thoughts are with you.
You are from Livingstone yes ? Co Durham is experiencing a rising number of Seasonal Canine Illness..
Had you been walking in forests prior to illness ?
Just a thought..
Best wishes..
Livingston yes, forests, not sure. He'd not had any walks since coming back from his holiday and from looking it up on the Beeb, 24-72hrs since walkies before impact would say no to SCI, but most of the symptoms would apply bar the diarrhoea. Thing is he was perfectly fine prior to visit 2, then plummeted from then on. You are from Livingstone yes ? Co Durham is experiencing a rising number of Seasonal Canine Illness..
Had you been walking in forests prior to illness ?
Just a thought..
Best wishes..
Jasandjules said:
So sorry to hear that. I can't bear considering what you have been through as I look at my 9 month old puppy at my feet.
I know it is a terrible time for your but will you undertake a PM to discover what really happened?
As I had the task of flying the car to the vet I was the one offered the option of a PM. My gut feeling was that I shouldn't as at that time it was bad enough. I didn't want to open the option of being the catalyst by leaving something out that contributed to or directly caused his death. However, after driving home and talking with The Boss, we decided that the whole sequence of events made no sense. I know a PM could be inconclusive or come up with a cause that was completely unavoidable. But, my wife and I are scientists and trained to be enquiring-minds, so we phoned back and changed over to having a PM done. Part of me thinks the vet missed something (or worse), part of me is just unsure. We will see. Either way; it's not fair.I know it is a terrible time for your but will you undertake a PM to discover what really happened?
That's so sad, he looked like a lovely dog and it's heartbreaking losing them at a good old age let alone not even a year 
It sounds like he has picked something up either from another dog or from a walk and the sore leg was just a coincidence? Possibly picked something up at the vet? Have you spoken to the breeder who had him while you were away? Have any other dogs there at the time been ill?
Such a shame, but you gave him the best life you could and I'm sure he knew how much you loved him.
It sounds like he has picked something up either from another dog or from a walk and the sore leg was just a coincidence? Possibly picked something up at the vet? Have you spoken to the breeder who had him while you were away? Have any other dogs there at the time been ill?
Such a shame, but you gave him the best life you could and I'm sure he knew how much you loved him.
I'm so so sorry, there are no words.
It's difficult to know what happened, bizarre as well. Did he have a general anaesthetic for his xrays I couldn't tell? My gut feeling would be that actually something more serious happened relating to his original injury, but to be honest it's impossible to say and sadly we may never know.
Believe me your vets will be just as devastated (esp if they're anything like where I work) and may well be going over and over what may have happened. My vets have sleepless nights when case takes an unexpected or worrying turns.
My thoughts are with you all
It's difficult to know what happened, bizarre as well. Did he have a general anaesthetic for his xrays I couldn't tell? My gut feeling would be that actually something more serious happened relating to his original injury, but to be honest it's impossible to say and sadly we may never know.
Believe me your vets will be just as devastated (esp if they're anything like where I work) and may well be going over and over what may have happened. My vets have sleepless nights when case takes an unexpected or worrying turns.
My thoughts are with you all
Anonamoose said:
That's so sad, he looked like a lovely dog and it's heartbreaking losing them at a good old age let alone not even a year
It sounds like he has picked something up either from another dog or from a walk and the sore leg was just a coincidence? Possibly picked something up at the vet? Have you spoken to the breeder who had him while you were away? Have any other dogs there at the time been ill?
Such a shame, but you gave him the best life you could and I'm sure he knew how much you loved him.
We don't live near anyone else, out in the sticks. Picking up from the vet would be possible if their waiting room wasn't disinfected at the time of visit (end of the day, so possible, but not necessarily acceptable). Breeders are friends and came round the evening it happened. The guy who is semi-retired and trains the dogs as guns dogs had to cut the call short when he spoke to my wife as he was standing on Edinburgh's Waverley Station blubbing. They are absolutely gutted as its the first they've lost. They feel partially responsible but we don't / won't blame them. No other dogs have been ill.It sounds like he has picked something up either from another dog or from a walk and the sore leg was just a coincidence? Possibly picked something up at the vet? Have you spoken to the breeder who had him while you were away? Have any other dogs there at the time been ill?
Such a shame, but you gave him the best life you could and I'm sure he knew how much you loved him.
bexVN said:
I'm so so sorry, there are no words.
It's difficult to know what happened, bizarre as well. Did he have a general anaesthetic for his xrays I couldn't tell? My gut feeling would be that actually something more serious happened relating to his original injury, but to be honest it's impossible to say and sadly we may never know.
Believe me your vets will be just as devastated (esp if they're anything like where I work) and may well be going over and over what may have happened. My vets have sleepless nights when case takes an unexpected or worrying turns.
My thoughts are with you all
No, he never got as far as the X-rays, that would have been today. The analgesia was an injection to calm him down for that evening on the premise that it was a gastrointestinal upset.It's difficult to know what happened, bizarre as well. Did he have a general anaesthetic for his xrays I couldn't tell? My gut feeling would be that actually something more serious happened relating to his original injury, but to be honest it's impossible to say and sadly we may never know.
Believe me your vets will be just as devastated (esp if they're anything like where I work) and may well be going over and over what may have happened. My vets have sleepless nights when case takes an unexpected or worrying turns.
My thoughts are with you all
Oh I see sorry .
I wish I could tell you what happened but I don't know, all I can say is, though I know it won't bring him back, I hope you feel you can talk to your vet and maybe get some clarification from them as to what they think may have happened (and talk to the breeders again). Just know that you did all you could.
.I wish I could tell you what happened but I don't know, all I can say is, though I know it won't bring him back, I hope you feel you can talk to your vet and maybe get some clarification from them as to what they think may have happened (and talk to the breeders again). Just know that you did all you could.
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