# RIP Sniper Vom Ausland



## shelms488 (Mar 7, 2011)

I hate that this is my first post. but i just now found this website. a little about myself. I owned 3 GSD's and one has passed. If your interested in knowing about the others I will post that in a more appropriate place on here. but the one I lost was 6.5 month old Sniper Vom Ausland.
I will post a picture of him with this. He was a big sweetheard and even with his short time here had found a place in everyone who met him heart. I had had him since he was 8 weeks old and I miss him alot. I guess it wouldn't hurt to explain what happened and maybe someone with have some Idea on what happened to him. 

It was Saturday 2011 January 22 and I got off work at 2 like usual and went home and picked up the pups to take them to the park because it was a unusually nice day for January, mid 60's and sunny. so we were at the park from about 3-5:30 and came home fed the dogs like normal took them out to go potty and put them in the crate so i could go get some food myself. I left for about 20-30 minutes and got back about 7 and noticed that sniper was breathing really heavy and labored so i thought he might need some water or his collar might have gotten too tight. so i went to the crate to remove his collar and left to go get him some water. i get back and he is laying in the kennel unresponsive still breathing heavily. i set the water down and open the kennel to see if he wants any and he just layed there. so i went to move his snout to the bowl to see if he might lap some of it up and that is when i noticed he was bleeding from his nose and mouth. I immediately called the vet and had him meet me at his office. he said he didn't know what it could be he thought it might be poison but couldn't tell for sure. he gave him a shot of vitamin K, atripine and somthing else I cant remember what it was. He told me to take him home and keep him separated from the other dogs and just observe him the rest of the night and if he wasn't better by morning to bring him back. So i get him home and layed a dog bed in the bathroom and layed him on it. I left the room fro approx 15-20 minutes and came back and he wasn't hardly breathing like 1 breath every 10 seconds and i could hear his heart beating really fast from across the room. i went to him and called the vet back and was about to take him back to the vet when he stopped breathing and his heart stopped at 11:22PM. It was an extremely hard night on me. and if i had known that the vet could have done a necropsy i would have had that done but by the time i found out that it could be done I had done froze him to keep the body from decaying. 

So the rest of the pertinant information is it wasnt the food because his food came from the same food that the other puppies food came from. he was either in the kennel, crate, or under my direct supervision whether it was at the park or in the car. there was nothing around the kennel they could have gotten ahold of. any thoughts.

Thanks in advance for any help or concerns that might be addressed

S. Helms

In loving memory of Sniper Vom Ausland 2010-07-02 to 2011-01-22 You will be missed.


----------



## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

i'm really sorry you found the forum this way. and i'm even more sorry for your loss. Its never easy and i cant imagine it would be especially with one so young. He was a very handsome boy.


----------



## Micky (Jan 1, 2011)

so so sorry for your loss


----------



## MikeyMerciless (Jan 15, 2011)

I'm sorry... R.I.P. Sniper Vom Ausland.


----------



## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

I am so very sorry for your loss, he was a beautiful puppy I would have done a necropsy because for me, I just would have wanted to know ..


----------



## GSDBESTK9 (Mar 26, 2002)

Very sorry for your loss.


----------



## Whitedog404 (Mar 25, 2010)

Oh, how sad. Very sorry that you lost that sweet thing.


----------



## 1sttimeforgsd (Jul 29, 2010)

Beautiful boy, so sorry for your loss. :angel:


----------



## Sunstreaked (Oct 26, 2010)

I'm so sorry for your loss.


----------



## MrsMiaW (Sep 25, 2010)

So sorry for your loss. It is always heartbreaking, but even tougher when they are so young.


----------



## RebelGSD (Mar 20, 2008)

I am so sorry for your loss, it is tragic to lose a young, seemingly healthy dog so suddenly.

I posted recently about something similar happening to my friend's dog. He stopped breathing within a minute.

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/health-issues/152447-sudden-death.html

They were also told that it was too late for the necropsy. I don't buy that, to me it sounds that the veterinarians don't want to bother. Some physiological processes may change, however, many problems can be detected after considerable time or after freezing the body. Autopsies on humans are done days to weeks after death. Knowing what happened would be very important for me to have closure. If it was poison, it would be important to know because of the other dogs.


----------



## shelms488 (Mar 7, 2011)

JakodaCD OA said:


> I am so very sorry for your loss, he was a beautiful puppy I would have done a necropsy because for me, I just would have wanted to know ..


I would have if i had thought about it before i froze his corpse. but after he was frozen the vet said it wouldn't be conclusive because freezing destroys evdience

Thanks everyone for your well wishes he was a sweet boy and he will always have a special place in my heart... I hope to be reunited with him at the rainbow bridge someday


----------



## valreegrl (Nov 11, 2009)

So sorry, he was a beautiful boy. 
Maybe bloat? I would hope the Vet would have caught that though. 

Welcome to the board, even under terrible circumstances.


----------



## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

I am so sorry your pup died. I think the big clue is the bleeding which isn't a symptom of bloat. I know it can be important to figure out so I hope someone has an answer for you.

Of course when you are ready, we'd welcome posts on your other dogs.


----------



## Stevenzachsmom (Mar 3, 2008)

I am so sorry for your loss. I wish I had some answers. I know how hard it is to lose such a young dog and not know why. 

Your pup was beautiful.


----------



## vat (Jul 23, 2010)

I am so very sorry for your loss. It is hard to loose a dog but a pup is even harder. :hugs: Give your other dogs a big hug.


----------



## emsoskar (Oct 17, 2008)

Awww. That's so sad. I'm very sorry you lost your boy. Wish I had some ideas or info to give you. :hugs:


----------



## shelms488 (Mar 7, 2011)

thanks again everyone... I did and got some pics of it just not sure where to put them wheither it be in this thread which would get it off topic or start a new one somewhere else

Also I did post on my other pups it is in the general section under introducing myself and my companions


----------



## shelms488 (Mar 7, 2011)

ok so a happy update to the situation. the breeder I got Sniper from called me on Wednseday out of the Blue. She was calling to offer me one of the puppies from the last litter she is going to have because i had told her about what had happened to sniper. so so I picked up my newest furbaby on Thursday. I haven't decided on a name yet. (any suggestions?) but he is Sniper's half Brother


----------



## poohbearsdad (Mar 24, 2008)

Sorry to hear about Sniper. Always so sad when you lose one so young. Glad to hear the breeder offered you another puppy at least. He won't replace Sniper but will bring you much happiness I think.

Rest peacefully Sniper


----------

