Airedale Who Died Days After Being Diagnosed With Heart Disease

Reader Question

We have just lost our 12 year old Airdale, Trueman. We are obviously devastated. He had a check up about 4 weeks ago and was given a clean bill of health, apart from a back problem, for which he has been treated for some time with pain killers.

He has always been very lively and most people thought he was still a puppy! A week before his death he was playing with the children at a garden party we had. Following that party he developed laboured breathing and lethargy. He had also been off his food for many weeks which was reported to the vet at the time of his check up previously, and had grown quite thin. We put this down to his faddy eating as he seemed to enjoy tit-bits. However a couple of days before he died he did not want anything at all to eat so we took him to the vet. Initially they thought he had a chest infection and prescribed antibiotics. However, the following day he was no better and they x-rayed him and said he had a heart condition and there was nothing they could do apart from give him drugs for his heart and lungs.

We nursed him at home for a couple of days, but he grew weaker and weaker, constantly drinking and unable to stand. Eventually we called in the vet and he was put to sleep. It was only four days from the time we saw the vet initially to his death and we are still reeling from the shock. Is this a typical story? Could we have done anything more for him?

Answer from Our Team