# Devastated



## Achielles UD (May 26, 2001)

I am devastated. Went out to the kennel this morning when I got up to get the dogs loaded to go train today. I found Hella in her kennel, gone. I am at a loss as to what could have happened. She was great in training Thursday evening, Samba and I were commenting on how good she looked. I had been having trouble keeping weight on her and recently was making a lot of headway, she was up to a great weight and healthy. Just wormed her a couple of months ago with Panacur. She was just over a week or so out of her last heat cycle. Active, healthy and her normal goofy self.

I've called the vet and asked for a necropsy. Vet on call said to put her on ice and keep the body cool, impossible really in todays weather, but I am trying. He implied he'd rather not do the necropsy and to take her up to the university over 90 miles away. 

I am heartbroken and devastated at her sudden passing. I am under contract with her breeder and I thought I knew where the contract was but I have misplaced it. So now I am concerned, too, about spending money I don't have on paying for the rest of her contract. I mean I can, but that will mean I can forget about getting another dog anytime soon. She can't be replaced really, but the grief is always easier to process/deal with if you're busy with a puppy. 

I have suspicions about what her cause of death may have been... There is a dog from her litter that had a congenital heart defect that had surgery to help correct the problem. I am wondering now, if she didn't have a heart defect we missed, too. I mean, what else would cause an otherwise healthy almost 2yr old (born in May) dog fall over dead? 

Anyway, I just needed a sounding board. I miss my hella-funny Hella. I had so many plans for and with her. It's just heartbreakingly devastating to have your young, healthy, active dog just die :teary:


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## Franksmom (Oct 13, 2010)

So Sorry about your loss!


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Wow, I am so sorry. I hope you find the answers you need.


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## DharmasMom (Jul 4, 2010)

I am so sorry for your loss. I can't imagine going through that. I would definitely get the necropsy and contact your breeder after you get the results. Maybe she will be willing to replace (not that you can ever really replace them) the pup.


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## CuriousKira (Mar 15, 2011)

I am so sorry to hear about your loss. Losing a family member fur or no fur is never easy!


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

I am so sorry. It's so hard losing young ones, especially suddenly like you experienced.


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## lizzyjo (Jan 6, 2011)

dose your vet have a freezer....surely they do to keep dogs that have passed .....


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

I am so very sorry((( I hope your vet can figure out what happened. Hugs to you all


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## GSDGunner (Feb 22, 2011)

Oh, that is so sad. I am so sorry for your loss.
I hope you can get the answers on what took your girl. :hugs:


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## lylol (Feb 18, 2009)

my heart goes out to you


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## GSD_Xander (Nov 27, 2010)

I'm so, so very sorry for your loss. 

When living at home with my family (when I was younger) we had Irish Wolfhounds...we had a very large 2yo male who, one day, we couldn't find. He had gone out in the bushes and...passed. It was a heart defect. 

Hopefully the necropsy will bring some peace for you. I agree you should contact the breeder to let them know what happened - even if not to get another puppy but just so the breeder can inform the other owners of the littermates to get their dogs checked if need be. 

(((HUGS)))


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## Wolfiesmom (Apr 10, 2010)

I am so very sorry for your loss


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## Marytess (Oct 25, 2010)

I am so sorry for your loss.
hope you find out what happened to her.

:rip: beautiful girl


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## JanaeUlva (Feb 5, 2011)

Terribly sad. Hope things work out for you, the best that they can anyhow considering the circumstances. I too would want a necropsy. Mysterious deaths are worrisome, to say the least.


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## Catu (Sep 6, 2007)

Oh, I'm sorry so much! It may be devastating to loose such a pup from one day to the other.


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## Cschmidt88 (Nov 24, 2010)

Oh my gosh, that is horrible. I'm so sorry you had to experience that. I hope you're okay.


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## Jelpy (Nov 8, 2009)

So sorry for your loss. She was a beautiful baby. 

Jelpy and the Mesquite mafia


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

Very sad for Hella's passing.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Thoughts are with you, so sad to read this. I'm glad you've opted to find out what happened, as hard as it is.
Rest in Peace Hella.


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## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

What a tragedy- you must be heartbroken, I'm so sorry. You might be on the right track with the heart issue.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

OMG. I saw this thread and I didn't think it could possibly be Hella, I remember you posting about her training - she was so young, and so promising.  What a terrible shock! I lost two 4 year olds in a row, but never so suddenly and never one that didn't even make it to two years old. Halo is just 6 months older than Hella was and, I can't even imagine..... So, so sorry for your loss.


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## stacey_eight (Sep 20, 2010)

I am so sorry for the loss of your good friend.


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## Carryingon (Aug 28, 2004)

I'm very sorry for your loss! 

I can say that my six-year-old boy that I lost to cancer did not show any signs of major illness until the cancer was so far advanced he couldn't eliminate. Even then, his last night, he still wanted the ball, still "checked in" on my daughter as she slept, intemittent with groaning and obvious pain. We were all shocked and still are. 

Not that is any comfort, but may bring some perspective that these wonderful dogs can and do stay strong even while deathly ill, and there may have been nothing to see outwardly. 

Peace and comfort to you!


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## CaliBoy (Jun 22, 2010)

I am also shocked and sad to hear this news. My heartfelt condolences to you. RIP Hella.


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## Achielles UD (May 26, 2001)

Thank you all. It's been really rough today. I told my daughters and the saddest reaction was from one of my 5 yr old twins, Natalie. My twins had gone with us when we got Hella. Natalie claimed Hella as "hers". I have a great photo of Hella pulling the girls around on a sled one day last winter
(Hella & Natalie)









She was such a good dog overall. When I told the girls, Natalie was just as upset that "her" dog died. Egads it is hard to comfort a 5 yr old when I am upset too.

I am a bit frustrated too that I haven't had a call back from what the breeder wants me to do. Too late now to drive up to the University. I've tried to keep her on ice, but the day is so hot and we don't have a cool place (didn't want to bring her inside with the kids). I guess I'll try taking her to the vet tomorrow morning, here in town. He may find an answer. Not to mention, everything I am reading is that the universities don't return the body to you after a necropsy and I would really like to bury her under our tree with Achielles and Axel. She was a part of our family like they were and I couldn't imagine her not being buried here. 

If any of you are in the know... will the local vet still be able to do a necropsy even though I wasn't able to keep her cool? Even if it is a day later?


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## jkscandi50 (Nov 17, 2010)

So sorry for your loss. Awful. As far as the body - Try a bathtub and ice to keep it cool until you can have her moved.


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## vat (Jul 23, 2010)

I am so very sorry for your loss, this is just awful. Hugs to you and your family.


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## Jason L (Mar 20, 2009)

I'm in total shock. I'm so so sorry. Rest in peace, dear girl.


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

I am so sorry.


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## LARHAGE (Jul 24, 2006)

My sincerest sympathy to you, my dog is the same age as yours, I would be devastated as well, your girl was beautiful. Is there any way you can call an Emergency Clinic to see if they have a freezer?


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## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

That's what I would suggest- but her body in the bathtub with ice. I can't imagine how hard that would be for you but it's important for the rest of the litter to know what happened.


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## DunRingill (Dec 28, 2007)

So sad....I'm so sorry for your loss!


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## Jessiewessie99 (Mar 6, 2009)

So sorry for your loss.:hugs: Its so sad to hear of a dog passing so soon. I hope you figure out what happened to her.

I hope everything is alright.


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## JustMeLeslie (Sep 15, 2010)

My condolences to you. It is hard to lose any of your fur family, but one so young that just makes it a little more heartbreaking. I hope you find out what happened to her.


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## Kayla's Dad (Jul 2, 2007)

I am so sorry for your shocking loss. Hope you can get some answers as what happen to take your love one away so suddenly.


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## gracierose (Mar 19, 2011)

I'm so sad to hear of your sudden loss. Hopefully you can get some answers on what happened. Even though it will not bring your angel back, maybe there will be some comfort in knowing the truth.


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## duttlyn (Mar 30, 2011)

Oh gosh, I am so sorry for your loss. It is just terrible that she went so young and so suddenly and my heart breaks for your little girl. I'm the mom of almost 5 year old twin girls, too, and I just don't know how I would explain such a thing. I wish you and your family strength and comfort.


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## CarrieJ (Feb 22, 2011)

I'm sorry.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

So sorry for you loss . That was a beautiful picture of the dog and the young child playing in the snow. Looked and sounded like this was a special member of your family. 
Carmen
Carmspack Working German Shepherd Dogs


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## blehmannwa (Jan 11, 2011)

What a shock. I'm sorry.


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## GSDBESTK9 (Mar 26, 2002)

I'm so sorry about your loss.   RIP Hella.


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## bianca (Mar 28, 2010)

I am so sorry :hugs:


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## Rosa (Sep 18, 2010)

Sorry for your loss how heartbreaking 

Rip sweet girl.


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## Rylee (Mar 14, 2011)

I am so sorry and will keep you and your children in my thoughts and prayers. I hope the vet can find out the "problem" so you don't have to go with unknown answers.


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## Achielles UD (May 26, 2001)

Just returned from the vet. I caught him early this morning before he went out on his farm calls. While he doesn't have the equipment that the university would have had, I just needed to have an idea of what may or probably happened.

I can't recall his exact terminology. I stayed for the exam. Her GI tract looked fine. Though the spleen was slightly rotated to the left, but he doesn't believe it torsioned or she would have bled out. Examination of the chest cavity was that her pericardial sac was ill-fitting and loose. Examination of the heart "It doesn't feel right" was the first thing he said. It felt wrong to him and "mushy" I think was oe of the things he said. There was some bruising he mentioned on something ear/connected to the heart(?) but I cant recall the terminology he used.

His suspicions with what he found and knowing what he knows about her litter mate, he believes she had a "cardiac event".

Nothing I could have done. Nothing I caused. Nothing I could have seen beforehand. 

Well, now my suspicions are also suspicions of the vet with a physical exam to go along with it.

I miss her terribly already. I buried her when I got home next to Axel and Achielles under the "dog tree".








This is the tree in winter. In the spring and summer it is just gorgeous.

RIP Hellacious


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## GSDBESTK9 (Mar 26, 2002)

I hope this news gives you a piece of mind. She was a lovely girl. Hugs to you.


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## Roxygsd (Sep 8, 2010)

So sorry for your loss.


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## kiya (May 3, 2010)

I am so sorry for your loss. So sad, my heart goes out to you.


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## CaliBoy (Jun 22, 2010)

Oh my goodness. I just have such a heavy heart. That tree is majestic, even in the winter. Such a beautiful scenery to lay your dear Hella to her place of rest. How hard it must have been to dig her grave and to lower her in there with your own hands. But at the same time, when you do it yourself, you know that she is being laid to rest with all the dignity, honor, and respect she deserves. 

A grave seems like even more of a sacred ground when the soil is blessed with the tears that drop from loving sorrow.


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## rjThor (Mar 27, 2011)

I am so sorry for your loss, no matter how hard or healthy we keep our pups or grown GSD, their is no gaurantee the legnth we will have them with us, that's my biggest fear, every morning and every evening I try to look for signs, maybe just a lil paranoid, but when I wake up and I see him with a sandle or a shoe in his mouth, I just laugh, and thankful for having our lil Thor for another day. I am so sorry this happened to your Hella, she is beautiful, and I'm sure will be missed. My prayers go out to you.


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## koda00 (Apr 27, 2009)

This is so sad  so sorry for your loss. She was a beautiful young pup:hugs:


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## Sunstreaked (Oct 26, 2010)

I'm so sorry for the loss of your beautiful girl.


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## 1sttimeforgsd (Jul 29, 2010)

So sorry for the loss of your dear Hella. She was a beautiful girl who for a short time had a very loving and caring home. Just keep in mind that someday she will be waiting for you at the rainbow bridge, run free sweet girl.


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## clearcreekranch (Mar 18, 2010)

Hugs and prayers from Texas.


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## Achielles UD (May 26, 2001)

Thank you so much everyone.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I am sorry for your loss.


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