When my better half brought him home I commented that he was the same color as chocolate, so the kids named him Chocolate Brown.  He always had that one ear down and the other up.  He was part Chow and the rest ????

We miss you Chocolate Brown.






















He played with my wife and kids yesterday morning.  Around 10:30am my wife put him in the pen with one of the other dogs and went to the park and to do some shopping.  When I got home a little after 5:00pm I noticed the other dog running around in the pen but didn't think anything of it.  Taking a nap isn't unusual for a dog.

About 5:30 I heard the other dog barking so I went out to ask her what was up.  I thought Choc was asleep until I noticed his eyes were open.  He would take a deep breath and let it out right away, then pause for several seconds.  He wouldn't get up or hardly move.  I couldn't see any injuries or blood.  I went in and called the wife to see if she knew anything, which she didn't, then called  the vet.  The vet said she would wait at the office for me.  I went back out to try and get Choc into the garden cart to carry him to the car and found he had died.

There was one small puddle of mostly clear liquid around his mouth and nose.  

I don't know what happened to him and I don't really have the $$$ to pay the vet to try and find out what happened, but I don't want this to happen to my other dogs.

I couldn't find any injuries on him.  He was out the night before and could have gotten into something but I don't know what he could eat one night that would have a delayed reaction like that.  I would have to check with the vet but I believe he had all the standard vaccinations.  Choc was a little more than 2.5 years old.  The other dog in the pen with him seems to be fine, as well as the other two, older dogs we have that were not in the pen, so even the idea of someone coming to my house and killing him on purpose seems unlikely.  The temperature was in the 60's yesterday so I suppose it is possible he could have found a copperhead.

Anyone know of a disease, or parasite, or something poisonous that would have an effect like what I saw?

sorry for your loss.

Beautiful dog....very sorry for your loss. Been there and understand exactly how it feels.

R.I.P. Chocolate Brown

Very sorry for your loss, Bitmap.  It's always particularly hard when it's unexpected and the little guy was so young.

By the way, it "sounds" like a possible case of either poison, or an intestinal blockage.

I'm sorry for your loss.

Many years ago I had a 1 yr old Great Dane that died under similar circumstances.  One minute he was playing in the yard the next he was let out a sigh and died in his bed.  The vet said there were signs of anaphylactic shock.  Our only theory was he might have swallowed a black widow spider.  My neighbor and I had found about a dozen in our yards over the previous few months.  

Sorry about your hound. That was a good looking buddy.

Could he have gotten into anti-freeze? It tastes sweet, and will surely kill them....

Stomach torsion / GDV ?  Usually fatal if not treated QUICKLY.

Sorry for your loss, looks like he brought a lot of happiness....

Quoted: Sorry about your hound. That was a good looking buddy. Could he have gotten into anti-freeze? It tastes sweet, and will surely kill them....

I wondered about that.  I thought anti-freeze caused a slow death.  This was such a short time between when he was playing and when he was breathing his last.

Quoted: By the way, it "sounds" like a possible case of either poison, or an intestinal blockage.

I guess it could be a blockage.  Last year one of our other dogs started getting listless one day.  The next day he would hardly come out of his house and wouldn't eat so we took him to the vet.  The vet gave him an enema and said he had a blockage of the lower intestine, apparently from a piece of bone he ate.  In that case the dog was listless for a day and a half and didn't want to play.  Maybe a blockage farther upstream might be different and quicker?

Quoted: Quoted: Sorry about your hound. That was a good looking buddy. Could he have gotten into anti-freeze? It tastes sweet, and will surely kill them.... I wondered about that.  I thought anti-freeze caused a slow death.  This was such a short time between when he was playing and when he was breathing his last.

Read This about heart problems and sudden death in large breeds.

Sorry for your loss.

Quoted: Stomach torsion / GDV ?  Usually fatal if not treated QUICKLY. Sorry for your loss, looks like he brought a lot of happiness....

GDV could be the culprit.  I googled that and found that being male, 2-4 years old, with a deep, wide chest are all higher risk factors.

Read This about heart problems and sudden death in large breeds. Sorry for your loss.

The heart problems also sound likely.  

One of our other dogs, Peanut, had heartworms.  The vet said she had a pretty severe case of them.  We gave her the medicine and she seems to be fine.  That was two years ago and she is still going strong.  I had to go out and tell her to be quite just after midnight last night because she was running around and barking continuously like a puppy.  Not bad for an 11 year old Great Dane.  She is in the background of the 3rd picture.  I guess after our experience with her and heartworms I didn't take them as seriously as I should.

It's amazing the bond we create with dogs.  My pup goes everywhere with me.  She's my hunting partner.  

I'm sorry for your loss.