Sometimes it is just very hard to tell how sick an animal is until it is too late.

If anyone is to blame here, it is your veterinarian. You are not guilty.

I doubt that your raw diet had anything to do with the loss of your dog.

Uma, I'm so sorry for your tragic and unexplained loss of your girl, Elsa. I can't offer any insight as to what caused her death, but please stop blaming yourself. It sounds to me like you did everything you could to help her, i.e., vet visits, diagnostic testing, giving meds as prescribed.

It's a shame there are people who are suggesting the raw diet was the reason. It doesn't sound like they have anything, whatsoever, on which to base that opinion (aside from personal prejudice), and anyone who would try to make you feel guilty at a time like this is being very unkind, IMO.

Run free at the Bridge, Elsa.

Uma I don't think diet played a part in death. It sounds like there was something seriously wrong with your pup and the vet was unable to diagnose it in time for treatment. Personally I am surprised your vet didn't suggest a necropsy, if only for their own peace of mind.

Both Connie and Betty said it best, this wasn't your fault. You did everything possible to help your pup. I think one thing I would check if you still can, is if the bag of TOTW was on recall. I know you started it after the symptoms but it may give you some answers if it was a tainted bag.

Hugs to you. I'm so sorry.

Uma, would you would like to make a memorial post here?

http://leerburg.com/webboard/topiclist.php?forum_id=143




I know that we would like to read about your beloved girl and perhaps see a picture. Her time with you, even though far too brief, is what she deserves to be remembered for. She blessed your life, and you blessed hers.

Uma, I'm so sorry for your loss of Elsa. You did everything for your girl.

I think that the vets failed you ....they were unable to find a reason for her death & blamed it on the raw diet in order to not have to assume any blame. Vets make errors, sad to say, but they are human & sometimes they just can't find the answers in time. I also find it interesting that they didn't want to do a necropsy, even for their own information & education.

There are many vets out there that once they find that a dog is on a raw diet blame every thing that happens to the dog on their diet. Which is just STUPID!

A properly fed raw diet is a wonderfully healthy way to feed your dog. With the way kibble dogs foods & dog treats have been being recalled for causing deaths & sicknesses in dogs over the last several years....you are at even less risk feeding a dog a homemade diet then kibble.IMO

I have had 4 GSDs in the last 10 years....3 of which I have raised from 8 weeks old on raw diets. Also all 4 had been weaned onto raw from their dams (3 of the dams were fed raw diets). Plus 3 of the sires were raw fed. That's a good number of raw fed HEALTHY dogs & that's just my dogs. My dogs are very very very rarely at the vets.

Like stated, there are risks no matter how you decide to feed. But personally I would never feed anything but a raw diet. While you do have to have a perfectly balanced diet when feeding a raw homemade diet to a puppy....you can feed a ready made raw like Bravo food & others (with the bones ground, which you might feel safer with) to a pup to be sure it is 100% properly balanced. You can also feed a homemade COOKED diet. Still better then kibble (do remember that a calcium supplement needs to be added for a proper balanced cooked diet....not cooked bones) So there are alternatives to kibble.

Pix of your new puppy would be nice to see.

RIP Elsa.

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

for other readers, you don't keep a dog on raw while giving antacids, and this is unfortunately not something many vets understand.

Hi Connie - this is slightly off-topic but can you go into that briefly for people like me who didn't know that? Is Honest Kitchen ok with antacids? (NOTE: This question is now at
http://leerburg.com/webboard/thread.php?topic_id=33163&page=1#374165 )


Uma - my sincere condolences for your loss. It sounds like a really hard situation to go through, especially with a dog so young, and then to not ever even know what happened. It's very sad. Hang in there.

Edited by Connie Sutherland (02/27/2013 05:50 PM)
Edit reason: moved part of post to new thread

Moved to http://leerburg.com/webboard/thread.php?topic_id=33163&page=1#374165


Edited by Connie Sutherland (02/27/2013 05:49 PM)
Edit reason: move topic

Uma, very sorry about your tragic loss of Elsa.

I wouldn't think her death had anything to do with a raw diet, this would include one that may have been poorly formulated. IMO, she would have had other symptoms, something amiss would have shown up in her lab values.

You stated she was on "Prednisilone"...How long was she on this for, at what point taken off? Dosage? Was she tapered off? The excessive thirst, urination, possible side effects of that medication?

Sorry for your loss.

I can only echo what everyone HERE had said. Diet didn't kill your dog.

So sorry.

she was kept on that durg like for 20 days they kept tapering the medication from 3 tabs a day to 1/4th tab a day yes side effects were a lot i used to carry her from her room to outside to relieve herself she was a very very active girl you could see the videos i have posted in videos section and some in the raw food diet page too its just i cant getover it i do have a new pup with me now but still i get some what very nervous if the new pup acts abit sick of different and hes kind of coughing