Ahwww Karen, thank you! You all have been so kind, generous and understanding... there is no way to express in words how much you have all helped me. Even if I don't find the answers, I find the understanding and compassion I need.. I am private and keep to myself and my immediate family. This has been a beautiful experience, communicating with all of you. It shows me that to trust and open up can still be a good thing in life, and maybe I need to let some of my guard down and let people in more...

Thank you so much you are a sweet dear person...

Cindy ;)

I think the raisins had a big part in causing Acute Renal Failure, if that is what caused this. Two other problems I see could have been his age and the previous toxic episode with the frog.

Older dogs frequently develope chronic kidney failure, he could possibly have been in the early stages. Symptoms are not seen until this disease becomes fairly advanced.... dogs can go for years before symptoms of kidney failure are evident.

The encounter with the toxic frog more than likely may have caused permanent damage to his kidneys, damage that would never be noticed, until a situation like this one arises, where the dog ingests another toxin.

Add to these situations a small 7 pound dog, who ate a substantial quantity of large raisins in relation to his body weight, raisins being concentrated and therefore even more toxic than grapes, and the possibility of pesticidal, bacterial or fungal contamination of the raisins...

I feel that if treatment had been initiated sooner, it would have prolonged his suffering.

But you say he was urinating throughout the day. Two symptoms of Acute Renal Failure are vomiting and decreased urination, so it may have been something else that caused this.

He was vomiting, did he have any bowel movements throughout the day? I think you said he was drinking, not eating, and just urinating, and a bout of liquid diarrhea towards the end.

These can be symptoms of a blockage or bloat. The skins on the raisins are tough enough to have caused this. Panting is an indication of pain, more than likely caused by gas formation. The repeated episodes of vomiting could have caused a bloat and which could only be surgically corrected. Even then there is no guarantee, and with his history with toxins, being currently toxic from the raisins, the anesthesia to do the surgery alone could have done him in.

Just speculating here... again I am so sorry for your loss.

Hi kjc,

Thank you so much for your detailed response... it is so appreciated.

Ok, so even though it was only 4 large raisins, they were not even chewed or digested in any way, you think because he was so small it could have been enough... sad... I have apologized to him a thousand times...

hmmm his age? I thought for a small dog he was still considered middle aged and not old... however, when I do the math he was in his 70's in human years and so he was getting up there...

The frog... yes, my husband and I wondered, after he died, if his system had somehow been weekend by that whole episode, it happened in 2006... Perhaps it made him that much more vulnerable to the toxins in the raisins...

Thank you for answering one of my important questions, and that was, could he have kidney problems and I not know about it. And not only yes, but he could have them and I may not know for a long time until it is much further along... I guess unless I asked, the Vet would not have noticed this in his general check ups...?

I heave a small sigh of relief when you say that getting him treatment may have prolonged his suffering. I cannot stand the thought of him suffering for any length of time, let alone longer...

He had a morning bowel movement, no others through the day. That one was partly regular and partly runny. He had no other until just before he died... :( My gosh this is so painful...

I did not know that panting was a sign of pain. I feel so bad, at the least I would have consoled him, held him and gone straight to the Vet, I have never heard this before. My poor sweet baby... Tiki I am so sorry baby, so very sorry...

I am so hurting I need another break.

Thanks again my dear, you cannot begin to realize how much I appreciate your thoughts...

Hugs,

Cindy

And to answer your questions: Acute Renal/Kidney Failure can kill a dog in a day... depending on the dogs kidney function to begin with, what toxin and how much, and the dog's previous history. So each dog will react differently, some may make it longer than others, some may pass on sooner.

I don't think it's a painful condition, I think as the kidneys quit working, the body becomes toxic and the dog feels sick and confused, due to the chemical changes going on inside.

Dogs that bloat usually only have an hour or two before they will pass from the chemical changes affecting the blood and other systems.

The only way to know a dog's kidney function when no symptoms are present is to do specific bloodwork. Most dog owners only do bloodwork before scheduling a needed surgery, or when a dog is sick.

Many Yorkie owners here do bloodwork at least yearly on their aging dogs, and every two years unless it's needed on middle aged dogs, as a preventative measure, to catch any disease states early on and initiate treatment.


The end result is usually heart and/or respiratory failure... the brain gets too toxic and deprived of the necessary chemicals it needs to send the appropriate signals to the body's organs, like the heart and lungs, and they cease to function, and death follows.


When a dog starts vomiting, food and water should be taken away for 24 hours. (most vets say this). With my small Yorkies, I withhold food and water for at the minimum 4 hours, then I offer a teaspoon or so of water. If they keep it down, I offer another very tiny drink 30 minutes later, and another drink 30 minutes after that. Then I'll offer a tiny bit of bland food, wait 30 minutes and offer a little more. Over 3-4 hours I work them up to full access to water and half their regular meal.

If they start vomiting again, they get no food or water for 6-8 hours, then I start over with the tiny amount of water again. If they vomit again, I call my vet.

Vomiting itself can be dangerous. It can cause dehydration, which causes chemical imbalances in the system. It can be aspirated and cause problems in the lungs, from low blood oxygen, pneumonia, or even suffocation. There are drugs the vet can give the dog that make him stop vomiting, and they will put them on a schedule to get them eating and drinking again.

I am very sorry for your loss of your little one. Hugs to you and your hubby.

This article explains 'pain' better than I can:

Pain (Acute, Chronic and Postoperative) in Dogs | petMD

And many of these articles from the YT Library may help:

YorkieTalk Yorkshire Terrier Library - YorkieTalk.com Forums - Yorkshire Terrier Community

Panting can also be a symptom of heart disease/congestive heart failure.
I am so sorry for your loss.

Another possibility is the raisins may be coated with something to preserve freshness... read the label and see. It may not have been the actual raisins themselves...

I can't think of anything else right now... I'll check back later. Your post about Tiki had me in tears.... he sounds like he was one terrific little guy! My heart is breaking for you... I know the pain from this loss can feel unbearable.... but know that Tiki loves you and he knows you did your best for him. There was no way to tell this time would be any different than the other times. You did what worked before.... nothing wrong in that.

Bigs Hugs to You and your DH,
Kathy

I'm so sorry for your loss. I don't know if the raisins could add to whatever happened, but I know that my previous Yorkie (5 lbs), i use to feed her raisins fairly often. And quite a bit at a time, even in her senior years. She always loved them & I had no idea it was bad for her. I thought of it as a healthy snack. I wouldn't do it anymore, of course, since I've learned its not good for them. But she was always as healthy as can be and lived to almost 18.
Much grace to you.

So sorry for your loss. I know that you are looking for answers but the truth is in the end it can really only come down to an educated guess unless a necropsy is done and even then there might not be a difinitive answer. A little 10 year old, 7 lb yorkie that belongs to a client of my brother-in-law suddlenly passed away this past summer while they were out camping. He was running around having a good time and then suddenly died of a heart attack. He had no known health issues up until that time. It is possible the raisins you mentioned could have played a part but at 11 years old anything is possible and you can't blame yourself. You can only do the best you can do with the information you knew at the time. We are learning all the time and as someone else mentioned earlier, it may have simply been his time. That of course does not fill the hole in your heart right now.

It is so heart breaking to read of your pain and I hope that in time, you and your husband and other little dog will be able to heal and have peace in your hearts.

I believe it was the raisins. So sorry

I'm wondering if they were actually prunes .

so sorry for your loss:(, is that photo in your display picture him? beautiful dog, 11 years, thats how old my sheltie was when he died of old age,its shocking when you expect them to live for longer,i'm sure you did nothing wrong, and you shouldn't blame yourself, i'm betting that posionous frog did permanant damage to his system that went unnoticed, and at least you got to wake up and see him for the last few moments, he wasn't alone, he had you.

TikiDog, My prayers go out to You in this time of sorrow.

We recently lost Our beloved Bradley at the age of 15. He'd had a serious kidney infection at the age of 7-8 probably caused by something he'd scrounged. The Vet said that it probably did have an effect on Him passing 7 years later.

Please, oh please, do not beat Yourself up anymore. Take solice in the years of Joy Tiki brought to Your family.

I know how you feel about being 'cheated' by your beloved's early parting. When I got my whippet as a pup, I met his grandparents, aged 18 and 22. I thought that I was going to have to provide for OJ in my will, but we had to ease his way to The Bridge after a miserable few months battling congestive heart failure when he was only 11 years old. This was in September and we got Smokey a month later.

I still mourn my best friend and heart-dog and beat myself up regularly about what I maybe could have done and didnt do. I took him to a specialist, I spent a fortune on his care, I had him by my side day and night as I watched him deterioriate before my eyes. What I could have done is to have let him go before he became skin and bones and was gasping for breath. At best, all the drugs and therapy would have bought him (me?) a few more months.

If this was your dog's time and apparently, it was, then it was a blessing that it all happened quickly and with a minimum of suffering. Time heals.. you will forgive yourself for whatever you think you did or didnt do, as I am attempting to forgive myself. We are after all, only human.

So sorry to hear about your loss. I had no idea raisins were toxic either. Please try not to blame yourself, your baby had a great life with you and was very loved.

Dear Cindy;

Your posts have been a lovely tribute to your Tiki. Thank you for sharing him with us, and for your courage, your honesty, and your obvious love and care of Tiki.

I do have some suggestions/questions for you. I'm sorry but I don't know anything about the island you live on, is there actually a ER Vet and or hospital on the island? And if so, is it a reasonable say 15-20 minute drive away? If not as I suspect, is it possible to talk with this retired vet who is a friend, about proactive emergency measures you can have on hand at home, available to you?

I too am one of the ones that annually do a full blood panel work up on each of my dogs. Also urinanalysis and stool sample. I believe it is worth the investment of time, and money, for the knowledge gleaned. At the minimum you have a baseline for future comparative work ups.

I understand your fear and your desire to keep your wee girl safe, to learn from this experience everything you can.

For female Yorkies, here are some of the checks you can do monthly. Is she spayed by the way?
Her nipples (all of them should be palpated), just like giving yourself a breast exam. This gives you knowledge of what her normal anatomy is. And visually examined. Any unusual color changes,sores, bleeding, etc = immediate vet trip. Any unusual lumps or bumps = immediate vet trip.
Spaying your female (if she is not spayed) will significantly reduce the risk of mammary cancer but not necessarily eliminate the risk. Continued on next post


Suggested Other Tests:
Hypothyroidism; Spay/neutered dogs - there have been studies and health surveys for various breeds that show a three fold increased risk of hypothyroidism compared to intact dogs. The liftime risk of hypothyroidism in breed health survey was found to be 1 in 4 in Golden Retrievers, one in 3 in Akitas, and one in 13 in Great Danes. To date www.YTCA.org has not done a full health survey on the Yorkshire Terrier Breed.
How-ever it is one test that many responsible breeders do prior to breeding - get the full thyroid panel done. It is a specialized blood test. Dr Jean Dodds has a very good protocol for this test. You can find out more information here www.hemopet.org

Sorry about your loss, i cant imagine losing him so suddenly after such a long life. We all make mistakes but we also learn from them and grow. Time will heal

Cont'd Monthly

Teeth: Yorkies are prone to having bad teeth. Many of us here brush their teeth at least wkly, and some even daily. I like to examine my dog's mouths at least once a month - I'm looking for tartar build up, any chipped teeth, evidence of gum problems,etc. Also your dog's breath shouldn't smell bad - bad breath is a sign of something not right - either in the mouth - or digestive system.
There are also addivities you can put in their water to help with tartar buildup. Here I wouldn't start any of those additives without talking to my vet first. Also I only start those things after puppy is an adult.

Ears: Visual check inside and out - also there should be no smell at all from a healthy ear. Ear canal should always be kept open. I don't need to pluck my Yorkies hair from inside his ears, but some owners do need to.

Pyometra: Infection of the Uterus:
Affects mostly unspayed females. Rarely a spayed female can develop what is called stump pyometra

So if your female is intact, you need to observe her heats, and obviously keep her safe from any mating. I always keep her area washed, and if you use panties, the sanitary napkin, is changed very frequently. I will will take the panty off when I take her out for her bathroom breaks, and change liner when we return.

Any discharge other than normal heat discharge is cause for concern. Any fever coupled with discharge is immediate trip to vet.

Pyometra can be deadly to females and from infection onset to death can be as little as 24 hours.

Flea and Tick Prevention

Talk to your vet about this one. I don't know what he/she will recommend for use on a 3.5lb female.

Lymes Disease:

Again vet discussion as to how prevalent this is in Belize. This needs to be offset with risks associated with the vaccine, particularly given the small size of your girl.

Annual Vaccinations

Please see article by Dr Jean Dodds in our library with respect to vaccination protocols for toy breeds.

Skeletal and Muscular

I always and it is a pleasure to do so, just part of our normal grooming routines, massage my dogs from toe to toe:)
This will give you their normal feel of muscle bulk. Also if there are sensitive areas.
It will give you the feel of all their boney areas and how freely their legs, knees, hock joints etc move.

Does your little girl have LP? Luxating Patella? If so is she on any joint preventatives? Another speak to your vet area. LP is very common in toy breeds.

Monthly Heartworm Preventative

Likely she is on one, but if not speak to your vet about this.

Eyes:
Yorkies like a lot of other breeds can suffer from PRA. That is progressive Retinal Atrophy.
They can also get cataracts and eye ulcers.
Any unusual eye discharge, redness, weeping, crusting, etc and again a vet visit is in order.


There are many wonderful articles here found in our library.

I didn't mean to write a book, just wanted to responds as throughly as I could about keeping your wee girl safe.

I'm so sorry for your loss, you sound heartbroken. I hope you can find some answers that help you in the healing process.

Since this was around the holiday, did you have a poinsettia in the house? They are toxic to dogs...they don't normally cause death, but I just thought I'd mention this.

I'm so sorry for your loss and I pray that time heals and you have good memories of your furkid...

Marines are ALWAYS right!!! Steve, you are right on with this one. Semper Fi.....

I really haven't even thought about it honestly. Why would somebody post something so sad if it wasn't real?

Perhaps to spam the forum?

Why? Why do people make false claims in general? WHy did a former President not have Sex with that lady? Why did the Secretary of Statre claim she ran under gunfire for the plane to the hanger? Why are there so many pretend Seals and Green Berets? Why do people lie in general?

Ok, I need to take a break for a minute. I am just too emotional typing out this reply.

I just don't get people I guess. I really don't understand why people lie and make up terrible things.

It is very sad if she is lying :( Her story broke my heart.

I did a google search. It was pretty easy to find. Sure, the OP might not be that person, but that was certainly some quick work if someone else stole her identity just to come here and make up a story that sounds reasonable.

I'm very sorry for your loss.