How did my dog die?

[Anonymous]

My dog passed away a few days ago and had to be put down. He was 13 and was a Siberian husky malamute mix. He had nerve pain due to disc and back issues and he couldn’t walk as well because of that. We tried giving him steroid medication to help with the pain and it didn’t work. But his tumor on his leg didn’t spread to his lungs but it burst a few days before he passed. Could we have done anything to prevent his tumor from bursting? The vet said that his back issues were hereditary. He was able to function after we took him home from the vet after we found out he had genetic back issue but his tumor bled. What do you think caused his tumor to burst and bleed a lot? Was it our fault? What do you think he died from?

Updates

3 mo

He couldn’t even move or get up to walk or eat a day before he died. But eventually the tumor stopped bleeding. Only half the tumor bled. You think it definitely was the genetic back issue that caused him to pass away? I still am grieving and upset about all this.

[RavVid]

Very sad for you that your dog has passed. Tumours can be very quick growing; once diagnosed my cat passed in a week. There really nothing you could have done to resolve the tumor. If it was bleeding externally then it was probably bleeding internally as well I imagine and would spread.

I don't see the genetic back issue could cause him to pass away but both people and animals can lose the will to live and I think more to do with that. His time had come..

[Asker]

Aww ok. Yeah it was his time and isn’t suffering anymore. But the last few days that he passed away he couldn’t walk at all. You think it was from the back issue that caused his tumor to burst?

[RavVid]

I think that would be unlikely unless he was struggling a lot to get up. If there was an infection I guess it could have been a septic shock that overwhelmed him. When it bleed was there any pus or foul smell about it? If so that would indicate infection.

[Asker]

No there was no pus or foul smell. It was just a lot of blood. So what caused it to burst out of the blue? He had the tumor for a year.

[RavVid]

That puzzles me also as I have not heard of tumours bursting. So I was thinking perhaps it was a cyst. Given it was just blood that is not likely. Best to ask the vet who last saw him; I think they would do that free of charge over the phone.

[RavVid]

Thanks for a mho and again sorry for your loss.

[Anonymous]

He got old and died, don’t try to find fault in yourself.

[Asker]

Aww I know ok it just sucks he was fine a month ago 😢 It was the back issue?

[Abbycado]

That’s old for that breed.

[Abbycado]

I mean, like you answered your own question really.

[Asker]

So basically old age or the tumor?

[Abbycado]

Yep. You’re lucky for a big dog to live 13 years. Enjoy the memories and good thoughts. Sorry for your loss.

[Asker]

Yeah you are right. He lived a long time! Thank you so much

[slatyb]

That's a good age for a large dog.