Need advice

[maneater]

SO I havn't posted here in a while. But I need advice big time. Last night my lab snapped and attacked my chihuahua. For starters these dogs grew up together and I got them both as puppies at the same time in 2008. Last night we were sitting around a fire in my back yard and my friend had my chi on his lap and my lab was laying under my feet. Every thing was normal. Then out of nowhere my lab lunged and picked up my chi in her mouth and like bit her and shook her. Never ever has anything like this happened before. She has never shown agression towards anyone or anything before. She is very patient with my kids and I would never in 100 years see this coming. I picked up my chi, called the emerg vet line and this was abuot 12:30 am. (a vet didn't actually call me back until 10 am today) She wasn't bleeding or anything but she wasn't moving her back legs and she wasn't breathing very well. She ended up passing away shortly after. I know I have to put my lab down. I have never had to put an animal down. Do I just call the vet and tell them to put her down? Will they do it to a perfectly healthy animal? I dont' want to rehome her and risk her snapping on someone else or their dogs or children. I have kept her in her kennel all night and so far all day only letting her out to do her business. Ugh I don't know what to do. I don't trust her anymore. I don't want anything to happen again. I hate to think I would need to put her down but I don't see any other option at this point. Any advice???? Last week my other chihuahua died. She had a seizure. I can't take losing all three dogs in the such a short period.

[Loki Love]

Given this was a completely new behaviour (and seemingly unprovoked), before making the decision of euthanasia, I would have a full medical done to ensure everything is okay. Often when behaviours change it can be due to medical reasons.

I certainly don't envy your position and can understand how it must be hard to trust her at this point and it would be a very shocking sight to see - but there may be an explanation for it.

I'm so very very sorry for the loss of your other dog

[hazelrunpack]

What a terrible thing to have happened, maneater I can't even imagine...

However, I'm with LL about getting a full vet exam for your lab. There could very well be an underlying condition for such an unexpected behavior.

I'm so sorry for your loss of your chis. Good luck with your decision--I know that no matter what you decide, it will be very difficult for you.

[maneater]

Today at work a lady that does behavourial training came in and said she should see a vet first. She might have a brain disease. Or something else going on. My husband called me today at work saying that he let the lab out of the kennel and she won't eat or drink today she is just sleeping under my desk and she threw up foam. Why does tomorrow have to be a holiday. I live on a border town and some of the vets here won't see animals that have been to an american vet. Even if i have all her papers saying her shots are up to date ect. My luck one of them vets are on call this weekend. UGH. And my american vet is away and I can't for the life of me get ahold of the replacement vet. I have never ever been this upset and this confused as to what to do in my life. My chihuahua weighed 3 pounds. My lab could of easily bit her hard enough to break skin. But she didn't she just shook her. there were no puncture wounds, no bites. I have never ever seen anything like that myself my husband and my friend can't get over what happened. Never saw anything coming we didn't even realize that the lab had the chi. It took a min to register. I am sorry for rambling but I dont' have the slightest idea what could of went through her mind in that moment. She has been around children, and small dogs her whole life. SHe doesn't hunt or attack squirls ect. Once when my sons hamster got loose she sat infront of it and whined until we put it back in the cage. I just hope all your expertise can offer some insite until i can get some tests done on her. We have her in a room by herself (not locked up in the kennel) until she can be seen by a vet. My husband and I don't want to put her down but at the same time if she is sick or if she is going to start being agressive then I won't have a choice. I keep thinking. Maybe when I went to get up I startled her. Maybe If i just stayed sitting this wouldn't of happened. Maybe If I didn't decide to have fire and stayed in and watch movies I would still have my dog.

[Barkingdog]

Originally Posted by maneater

Today at work a lady that does behavourial training came in and said she should see a vet first. She might have a brain disease. Or something else going on. My husband called me today at work saying that he let the lab out of the kennel and she won't eat or drink today she is just sleeping under my desk and she threw up foam. Why does tomorrow have to be a holiday. I live on a border town and some of the vets here won't see animals that have been to an american vet. Even if i have all her papers saying her shots are up to date ect. My luck one of them vets are on call this weekend. UGH. And my american vet is away and I can't for the life of me get ahold of the replacement vet. I have never ever been this upset and this confused as to what to do in my life. My chihuahua weighed 3 pounds. My lab could of easily bit her hard enough to break skin. But she didn't she just shook her. there were no puncture wounds, no bites. I have never ever seen anything like that myself my husband and my friend can't get over what happened. Never saw anything coming we didn't even realize that the lab had the chi. It took a min to register. I am sorry for rambling but I dont' have the slightest idea what could of went through her mind in that moment. She has been around children, and small dogs her whole life. SHe doesn't hunt or attack squirls ect. Once when my sons hamster got loose she sat infront of it and whined until we put it back in the cage. I just hope all your expertise can offer some insite until i can get some tests done on her. We have her in a room by herself (not locked up in the kennel) until she can be seen by a vet. My husband and I don't want to put her down but at the same time if she is sick or if she is going to start being agressive then I won't have a choice. I keep thinking. Maybe when I went to get up I startled her. Maybe If i just stayed sitting this wouldn't of happened. Maybe If I didn't decide to have fire and stayed in and watch movies I would still have my dog.

This is so sad. It sound like your chihuahua neck was broken . I was thinking your lab may have a brain tumor or something like EEE . What are the symptom of EEE in dogs? I hope you can get some tests done on your lab to see what is wrong with her. I sorry to hear about your chihuahua dying. when my standard poodle had cancer in his kidney he started to act
difference and start growling at me. He never did this before . He came looking for me and starting growling at me .He did this two times and I knew the cancer was making him really sick and I could not risk him going after my grandchild so had to put my hearing dog down.

[hazelrunpack]

maneater, it does sound as if there's some underlying cause if your dog is not eating or drinking. I do hope you're able to contact a vet soon, especially if you can't get some fluids into her.

Meanwhile, please don't blame yourself. There is nothing you could have known to do to prevent this and there is no blame to be assigned. Put that out of your head, k?

[Choochi]

It's possible she's not eating or drinking because she is depressed from her friend not being around (not that she necessarily understands what happened) and also all of a sudden her being put away like this and her entire routine being turned upside down.

There are all sorts of medical conditions that can cause sudden aggressive behaviour that isn't necessarily explainable. She could have even had a seizure.

I hope you find out what's wrong and maybe she can be helped with medication. This is so sad, I'm very sorry you went through this

[Marty11]

I had a mastiff actually grow up with my siamese cat and one day decided she was gonna kill this cat and actually had the cat in her mouth. Luckily my husband acted fast, grabbed something and smacked her on her head and she dropped this cat. Never to trust her again. I noticed the behaviour came on after her first heat. (She was on a breeding contract with the breeder, that's the reason she wasn't spade) So sorry about your Chi, I know what that's like, I've owned 2 high prey drive dogs. See a vet and a dog behaviour specialist.

[Rgeurts]

I'm SO sorry to be reading this. What a terrible tragedy
I can't even imagine losing all my babies in such a short time frame. Hopefully you can get some answers regarding your Lab. As everyone else has said, it sounds like an underlying medical issue. One thing that can cause sudden and unprovoked aggression is Thyroid issues. I know this because I have dealt with it as well. One of my babies (2.5 yr old Malamute) has immune-mediated Hypothyroidism, grand mal seizures and several other issues. Since being on the medication he is back to his lovable and happy self, no more aggressive behavior. Certain types of seizures can also cause this behavior. This is a great link that gives some medical reasons for sudden aggression:

http://www.petplace.com/dogs/medical...ogs/page1.aspx

Here are a few paragraphs from that page, in case you don't want to read through all of it. It's particularly interesting in your situation:

Aggression is also sometimes associated with partial seizures. In this type of seizure the dog does not go into convulsions but remains relatively lucid and yet can display aberrant behavior.

Behavioral seizures
Partial seizures occurring in a region of the brain that controls aggression (e.g. hypothalamus or limbic system) can result in sudden unprovoked aggression. Certain breeds of dogs are known for this sudden, haphazard, and sometimes violent form of aggression. Included are: Springer spaniels, cocker spaniels, Chesapeake Bay retrievers, bull terriers, poodles, and golden retrievers. The clinical signs of seizure-related aggression are completely different from any of the other types of aggression mentioned above. They are as follows:


A mood change just before the seizure.


Sudden violent aggression for trivial or no reason.


Signs of autonomic discharge (salivation, dilated pupils, and evacuation of anal sacs).


Aggressive posturing, more or less continuous during an attack lasting several minutes, hours or even days.

Following a bout, affected dogs often appear depressed and lethargic, unresponsive to commands, and may stare at a wall or simply sleep. An electroencephalogram (EEG) will often demonstrate abnormalities. Some dogs with this type of aggression may respond to treatment with anti-convulsants (e.g. phenobarbital).

I hope you find out what's wrong with your Lab and that it will be an easy fix. If that's the case, I also hope you can see to forgive, giving what happened and what you have lost.

Robyn

By the way, Labs are prone to both Hypothyroidism and Epilepsy. If you google Lab health issues, you will find many websites with good information.

[saintfan]

That is an awful, awful thing to happen and so suddenly too. I am very sorry to hear about this difficult time for you. Like everyone else has said, there could be a lot of health issues with your lab which might be treatable. Right now your pup sounds sick and possibly depressed. Let us know what the vet says and my thoughts are with you.

[Loki Love]

I hope the OP will come back to give us an update.