[rockymtsweetie82]

Mako was a healthy, happy, puppy at 8 months old. Lively, excited, anything you could ask for in a puppy. Such a good listener and behaved impeccably. Yesterday evening. 8pm. Showing no other signs of being sick, he started having blood come out of his rectum in place of poo. I can't even call it diarrhea because there was no poo. It was simply blood. I got him to the vet and they tested him for hookworm. Postive. But the vet refused to believe it was simply hookworm hitting and destroying a perfectly healthy 60lb Pitbull. He sent out a fecal test for Parvo. I won't get the test results until Noontime on 12-13. I don't need the results. Mako passed peacefully on my couch tonight. I'm not sure how peaceful he was as all day today he seemed like he was in pain and wouldn't even walk. Refused to eat. Drank every drop of water we gave him, but he is gone. How could it hit a dog so suddenly? So out of the blue? All my other animals are happy and healthy. I took Duckie to the vet today with Mako. He's healthy. China is utd and healthy as well. Why Mako? Why so fast??? I can only see his poor helpless glassy eyed body laying on my couch....The last bit of blood excreting from his body after his death. I'm so sad........

 

[whiteleo]

God, I'm so sorry for the loss of your Mako, I can't even imagine what I would do. He'll be at the bridge now watching over you, knowing that you did what you could.

 

[RawFedDogs]

Thats terrible. I'm so sorry for poor little Mako.

ETA: Are you going to have a necropsy done? It may answer your questions.

 

[rannmiller]

*internet hug* I'm so sorry about your poor Mako puppy!

He'll be at the bridge now watching over you, knowing that you did what you could.

Is this the bridge you're talking about?

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.
There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.
There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.
The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown...

 

[ChattyCathy]

I'm so sorry for your loss of Mako.

 

[Rexandbaby]

Oh, my honey daughter, I cried when I read your text about poor Mako!:frown:

 

[rockymtsweetie82]

His Parvo test came back Negative. The vet was shocked to hear Mako died last night. I'm getting my money back for the scripts I had for Mako since he cannot use them. No one, now, knows why he's gone. Assuming it was just the hookworms, which my vet still refuses to believe was the cause of it so fast.

 

[lorih1770]

I'm sooo sorry to hear about Mako.

 

[lorih1770]

Could it have been poison?

 

[rockymtsweetie82]

I'm not really sure what he would have had to get into to get poisoned. He's an indoor dog and when he does go out it's in a 100 sq ft fenced in yard. We clean that pen out every time it starts to stink too much and had just raked it last month due to the leaves. He doesn't get in the trash or even drink from the toilet. I keep wondering if eating up some dead skin from the iguana might have done something, but it wouldn't have been a lot. Because the iguana stays in a cage. That's the ONLY thing that's different.

 

[BabyHusky]

im so sorry....i dont know what i'd do if one of my furry munchkins got that ill....my prayers are with u and ur family. i hope you figure out what it could have been just in case your other pups get to it.

 

[TippysMom]

I'm so sorry for your loss. How awful for you to have to find him like that. Hang in there. Hugs to you & your family.

 

[rockymtsweetie82]

It truly was heartbreaking. We were out of the room for barely 5 minutes and it was like he was waiting for us to leave before he let go. I don't know if that's a silly thought or not, but it's how he acted through his entire 8 months of living...Always waiting for us to leave the room before doing something he doesn't think he should do.

 

[domari]

I'm not really sure what he would have had to get into to get poisoned. He's an indoor dog and when he does go out it's in a 100 sq ft fenced in yard. We clean that pen out every time it starts to stink too much and had just raked it last month due to the leaves. He doesn't get in the trash or even drink from the toilet. I keep wondering if eating up some dead skin from the iguana might have done something, but it wouldn't have been a lot. Because the iguana stays in a cage. That's the ONLY thing that's different.

I'm so sorry to hear about your dog, it's so sad. I hope the vet can find a cause for this.

When you mentioned the bleeding I wondered if he got into rat/mouse poison somehow, or got a hold of a rodent that might have been poisoned and ate it at night when you didn't notice. The poison they use for rodents causes them to bleed to death internally and it can do the same thing to our pets. Do you have any nasty neighbors who don't like pitties who might have tossed something over the fence that your dog could have eaten?

 

[rannmiller]

That's a good point. Some people are total monsters and will do horrendous things to animals, especially if they believe the animal is dangerous. Since you had that one woman confront you about China that one time, it might be a possibility. That would be so terrible!

 

[rockymtsweetie82]

That very well could be a possibility but even lately when we're not home I've let them stay in the house because it's so cold outside. And when they're outside, they're only out there long enough to do their 'business' and that's it. We don't have mice so we don't put down any poison for that, unless one came from the neighbor's house and they're treating? I'm not sure. And I was going to say "Wouldn't China be sick too?" But, Mako was a hog and always made sure he had anything foodlike before China did. (Always had to feed them in separate rooms). I'm starting to think that the hookworm did do this to him, but since it hit him so fast, I still have my doubts. The closest vet that will do a necropsy is 2 hours away and of course charge obscene amounts of money. I don't think knowing will make his death any easier. But I'm keeping an extra careful eye on my neighbors and the rest of my animals. Thank you all.

 

[domari]

That's a good point. Some people are total monsters and will do horrendous things to animals, especially if they believe the animal is dangerous. Since you had that one woman confront you about China that one time, it might be a possibility. That would be so terrible!

We have a neighbor who got really mad when we moved in and put up a 6 ft fence between our yards. His little dog doesn't like other dogs and has a fit when we let ours out. They throw stuff over the fence and my dogs find it so I have to be careful of what the dogs pick up when they're outside. Someone once told me they were putting out bowls of antifreeze to kill stray cats and dogs. Yes, some people are monsters and when a normally healthy animal just dies quickly it's one of the first things I think of.

 

[domari]

That very well could be a possibility but even lately when we're not home I've let them stay in the house because it's so cold outside. And when they're outside, they're only out there long enough to do their 'business' and that's it. We don't have mice so we don't put down any poison for that, unless one came from the neighbor's house and they're treating? I'm not sure. And I was going to say "Wouldn't China be sick too?" But, Mako was a hog and always made sure he had anything foodlike before China did. (Always had to feed them in separate rooms). I'm starting to think that the hookworm did do this to him, but since it hit him so fast, I still have my doubts. The closest vet that will do a necropsy is 2 hours away and of course charge obscene amounts of money. I don't think knowing will make his death any easier. But I'm keeping an extra careful eye on my neighbors and the rest of my animals. Thank you all.

When I read your first post I started searching for info on hookworm and rectal bleeding and yes, it seems possible, but I really wonder if it could be something else.
Also, if Mako has hookworm, wouldn't your other dogs have it too? Hookworm is almost impossible to get out of the soil, it doesn't even die off in the winter. So your other dogs would probably have it too.
One of my dogs got hookworm last year and had no symptoms at all, we didn't know it until he went to the vet for something else and we brought a stool sample. We had to treat him for it, and treat all the other dogs too.
If Mako had hookworm, how infected with it was he? Did the vet see a lot of it or just a little?
I also thought hookworm causes dark stool because the bleeding is farther up in the intestinal track so it wouldn't be bright red.

Knowing why he died won't erase the pain and sadness you feel now, but it might help a little in the long run.

 

[rockymtsweetie82]

The vet said he was probably born with the hookworm (we got him from a backyard breeder so we have no real background on his parents or anything), but I'm treating my dogs for it anyways.

The blood was dark. Really dark that I didn't know it was actual blood until I got down to clean it up.

The vet didn't specify how many he exactly saw, he said "I saw a few hookworms".

 

[TippysMom]

My dog did the same thing - waiting until we left the room to do something ....your wonderful doggie knew it was his time and he didn't want to see you be hurt or sad.

We still don't know what took our Tippy - I don't think it would help anything. It won't bring him back.