What caused my litter of newborn puppies to die suddenly and swell?

I am so sorry. I know that must be hard. Unfortunately, without a necropsy (autopsy), I can't tell you what could have happened. Many causes of sudden death in pediatric pets is due to a congenital heart disease.

I'm sorry to hear about the passing of Penelope. Unfortunately, without an necropsy (autopsy), there is no way to know for sure what happened. A few things that can happen could include a bad heart, an outpouching of a large blood vessel that ruptures internally or an aneurysm. Try to focus on the positive memories you made with her. It's so hard to lose them. My condolences.

I'm sorry for the loss of this puppy. Unfortunately, without a history or a post mortem exam, it would be near impossible to determine cause of death. In an otherwise healthy pup though, congenital defect would be suspected. The sad truth is the cause may never be determined.

I am so very sorry to hear about your kitten. If this kitten was outdoors depending on your location I may worry about a snake bite if this came on very suddenly. Other possible causes would include trauma which could cause swelling if the leg was broken and head trauma could cause shaking and death with increased pressure building up in the skull. If you want to find out the cause of death, a necropsy can be performed by a veterinarian. If you decide to pursue that option, it is best to keep the body in the fridge (not freezer) and get it to the veterinarian ASAP.

I am sorry to hear about your puppy. In a puppy that size we do worry about hypoglycemia, which can present with these symptoms. A severe liver shunt, a cardiac defect, and a toxicity would also be suspected. If you have other puppies I would recommend getting a necropsy done on the puppy who died to try to help identify the underlying cause in case it is something you need to monitor in the other puppies.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am so sorry!! It is very hard when puppies are this young. The most common cause of illness and death in puppies are infections and congenital issues. Common infections that can affect the respiratory system and or the neurologic system are: Herpes, distemper, bordatella, influenza. Sadly I recommend doing special testing on the next puppy that dies to find out the cause. I would request PCR swabs to send off for a respiratory panel and biopsy any abnormal tissues on autopsy. Sometime we can not save them when we do not know what the disease is. If you can not get to the Vet in town go to a specialist or local Veterinary school. It is important to know what is going on. I hope this helps and I am very sorry this is happening. I suggest that the 3 currently ill puppies be seen at a more specialized hospital. I wish you the best!

I am so very sorry that you lost your dog. The only way to find out why your dog died would be to send him in for a post mortem. If you would like to do this you have to put him in a cold place, preferably either under ice, or in a fridge (not freezer) and then take him to your vet to be sent to a pathology laboratory or you can take him to a pathology lab yourself tomorrow. Here are two labs in Edmonton: http://www.companylisting.ca/Central_Veterinary_Pathology_Laboratory/default.aspx http://www.ibegin.com/directory/ca/alberta/edmonton/vpl-veterinary-pathology-lab-8131-roper-rd-nw/ Give them a call first to find out where to take it. I am so sorry you had to go through this trauma. Your dog likely did not suffer as he was unconscious.