Could it have been hypoglycemia that killed Millie?
 

As you know, Millie died 6 days after her spay. She hadnt eaten in 7 days, and could hardly keep water down.

I said all along that I thought that she was too weak, because she hadden eaten in so long, but the vets said they had to concentrate on her keeping the water down without being sick.

Because she had two surgeries and anesthetics in 5 days, it was too risky to sedate her to put her on a drip.

I was giving her glucose & nutrical every hour, and she had picked up earlier that day she died.

Her symptoms seem common to hypoglycemia; she had a shaking head, her legs were very wobby when she walked, she was very weak and distant.

The vet was going to put her on the drip the next morning, but she died during the night.

They were still talking about it today - they cant understand it, there was no bleeding, no infections, no sign of any other internal problems from the surgery.

Do you think thats what it could of been, and is there anything I could of done differently? I was giving her glucose and nutrical every hour to get her strength up a bit for the drip.

Now I wonder if we should've just taken the chance with the drip.

She was one year old and 5lb, so not a normal hypoglycemia case.

I just cant get by this, and the what ifs and whys....

Ahh...I don't know, but I am so sorry for your loss...

Did she have any blood work done? I wonder if there was an underlying liver issue?

I'm thinking it would have been more likey a liver problem. Poor Millie. I am so sorry for your loss.

I don't know either. This is so sad. I just too had my Sophie spayed last month. The Vet offered all kinds of "pre testing" that were optional for the dog owner. I took advantage of all of them as I was so afraid..... One of them was a testing to see if she would have any problems with the isoflurane. Could precious Millie been allergic to the anesthesia?
My heart weeps for you....:(

I'm not sure if she had bloodwork done. Its doesnt seem to be something that is mentioned over here that much. Not sure if thats because it is normally done or because it isnt.

If there was nothing anatomically wrong and the vet is certain that everything looked okay the second time they went in, yes, I would wonder about hypo also.

Did the vet tell you that he couldn't do an IV with her awake?

Im not sure. I think something went wrong during the surgery. So sad this happened to a health dog. My heart hurts for you....

If it was a liver problem, would I have seen any symptoms before. Is it something that would've kicked in a some stage even if we hadnt got her spayed? Or is it something they could've treated.

I never got the option of any tests. Again, I dont know if it just that vet, or if the procedure is different in the UK, but the vets do have a really good reputation.

Another concern would be that her liver was functioning properly.
A special blood test could tell you.
Maybe she just didn't process the anesthesia properly but weren't there complications?

He said it could distress her too much if she wasnt sedated for it. He was really shocked to hear she died. He didnt think she was that bad, but she picked herself up when she went in there because I think she was on her defences. He didnt see how bad she was when she was at home, I tried explaining, but I suppose its hard to put it in context.

Well she was fine the day she came home, you wouldnt have thought she had been in surgery at all, and then day by day she became more lethargic, and they had to resort to opening her up again to see if there was anything wrong internally.

They did find some adhesions, but the vet said all along that they didnt think they were bad enough to make her in the state she was in.

Not eating for a entire week is a long time for a little dog to go without food . That would concern me . I am very sorry for your loss of your precious Millie.

Yes I was concerned too. She had to be fasted from 12 noon day before spay. She ate a tiny bit the day she came home from the spay but then had diahorrea, and then couldnt even keep down water after that. She couldnt eat, and we had to syringe her with water to keep her hydrated. She didnt want it either. She was being sick all the time. She actually hadnt vomitted from 4pm the day she died, so it was starting to look hopeful for her.

Dogs can live for quite a while without food...however death by dehydration can happen quickly. When Reese was ill....he received sub q fluids...THREE times within 1 week...even with my attempts to keep him hydrated.

I'm very sorry for your loss. I understand blaming yourself for what you should've, could've, would've done...I've been there and it just wasn't meant to be.

Thats why the vet wanted to concentrate on keeping her hydrated. And at no stage was she dehydrated, though it was because we had to be persistant and make her take the water even when she didnt want it. Hourly checks during the night.

I still think that she was just too weak to fight whatever was wrong with her.

I am so sorry for your loss! My heart is heavy for you. I know exactly how it feels to lose a baby way before her time.

I lost my little Olive this past Jan. 15, while under anesthesia for Spay surgery. Her little heart stopped beating. Losing a little baby before their time is just too tragic.:cry8:

My thoughts and prayers go to you at this very sad time. Fly little angel, Millie! Until you and your mommy meet again! :rbyorkie:

It could have been if she went that long without eating but I think there was also an underling health problem since she wasnt eating

By the way, I am sure you are all fed up with me posting about Millie and the questions I have! :( but I am so grateful to have somewhere to express my feelings, and I thank each and everyone of you that have commented and consoled me the last few weeks.

I am a emotional wreck at the minute. I am trying to get over Millie, contemplate getting another pup, and feeling guilty. And so many of you have experienced the same.

NO ~ NO ~ NO :) YOU ARE VERY WELCOME HERE and you CAN post any questions or concerns that you have about Millie, and future pups, heck you can even post about the weather :p

I am so very sorry you lost your precious baby. I know you are sad, hurt, confused and feel you have no control. You are grieving and you do need to grieve. She knows that you love her and that you were only trying to do the very best for her. I don't know what happened to her or why it happened, and you may never know the real reasons, but this isn't your fault. You loved your baby enough to safe guard her health by getting her spayed. I do believe this is the route to go, but in her case, something completely out of your control took over....She isn't in any pain or discomfort, she is happy and playing with all the other babies, and she will greet you with her warm kisses one day again :)

First off, I am SO sorry about your baby Millie:cry: I know that you are heartbroken, as I have lost a baby too, way before her time:(

PLEASE don't ever feel that folks here will get fed up with your posting about Millie. We are all here for you, and it's GOOD to get your feelings out, somewhere safe and where others know and understand how you're feeling:unlove: It's especially hard to lose a baby and then to not really know why, so it's understandable that you are full of questions and "what ifs". I'd want to know why too.

I wonder why the vet didn't give her fluids under her skin if he didn't want to do an IV?:confused: It's just a quick jab. That's what they had to do for my little Luna when she was so sick.

Did you ask for a necropsy on her? That's really the only way to even maybe find out what happened.

My heart just breaks for you. Please know that you and Millie are in my prayers. I'm sorry for your loss:(

OH! About getting another pup---don't feel guilty. Your Millie would have wanted you to share your love with another furkid:love: You'll know when the time is right. No one here (okay at least not me) will judge you for wanting to love again.

When my baby Starr died (she was only 3), my husband forced a puppy on me the very next day! I was so angry with him for doing that to me, at first. I swore I'd never love another dog, EVER! Well, it really was the best thing he's ever done for me, seems that he knows me better than I do, I guess:laugh: Luna helped me to heal, and since she was so very ill, I had to care for her 24/7 at first, and we bonded like crazy. Of course I still grieved for my Starr, but I had Luna to take care of and love, and I feel like she was sent to me by Starr. There's not a day that goes by that I don't think of Starr, only now I can do it with a smile, remembering all the crazy stuff she used to do, and how beautiful she was:love:

Time heals all wounds, give yourself time to grieve, and just let it all out!

At the time I couldnt bear the thought of putting her through a post mortem. It wasnt going to change anything. We buried her that morning. I wouldnt want to exhume her now, but maybe I should've thought more about it at the time, even just for my own piece of mind.

Here's the last video we have of Millie.

I am so glad I have it, but cry every time I watch it.

When my Pixie was spayed at 13 months, I asked for her bloods to be checked before surgery..my vet said it wasn't usually the norm in a dog so young:confused:..but i insisted, and didn't mind paying the extra cost...so it was done.
I'm so so sorry for your loss. Kindest Regards, Kerry.

I am so sorry for your loss :( Sweet Millie knows you loved her!!

I am wondering if by any chance she was on pain meds/nsaids such as Metacam? during her decline? Was she on any meds after the surgeries that could have contributed to her condition?

I am so sorry for your loss, I know how devastating the loss of a pet can be. When we are grieving, especially in the beginning, it is normal to go thru all the "what ifs", and "why and how come", we tend to blame ourselves. The truth is, you did what we all do with our baby girls, we have them spayed. You did nothing wrong and nothing to beat yourself up about.
It certainly sounds like you did all you could for her. Sometimes things just happen. I know that's not any comfort but my prayers are with you.
Charlotte

I don't have guess as to what it might have been but I wanted to say I'm very sorry for your loss. :( Stories like this just break my heart. She was SO young!!!!!!!!!

I felt the same way when Starr died, and didn't do it, it wouldn't bring her back:unlove: We may never know exactly why our babies died, but we'll see them again someday.

I just want to offer my condolences. I feel so sad for you. Here you are trying to do something "good" for your baby, and you lose her. It just doesn't seem fair.