I`m devastated, we got the results of the biopsy last night & he died from septicaemia, not a tumour which I really thought it was. I`ve looked everywhere on the net but I don`t understand how it went from torn cruciate to this. Can`t a vet tell if there is infection? Can anybody explain this to me because I just don`t understand at all. I didn`t speak to vet & now he`s away till Monday, should he have been having a/biotcs, whats happened because i don`t understand this?????

Christine, Spain.

Christine:

Septicaemia
(n.) A poisoned condition of the blood produced by the absorption into it of septic or putrescent material; blood poisoning. It is marked by chills, fever, prostration, and inflammation of the different serous membranes and of the lungs, kidneys, and other organs.

Was the torn cruciate the subject of surgery at all? I understand that septicaemia is often the result of surgery, and unfortunately it is often not picked up until too late - my husband's cousin died of it, 3 months after successful open heart surgery. Antibiotics have to be extremely strong to be effective against it, and usually by the time that septicaemia has been diagnosed, other organs are shutting down.

Don't beat yourself about this - you were not to know.
Much love
Margot

No Morgot, thats just it! We were waiting till the swelling went down & then he was going to have surgery. Vet said surgery straught away & I said let me look at options then vets were saying well...surgery will be complicated, lets get swelling down first & then it would go down, not completely but few days later back swollen again. Then on Wednesday it was very swollen, vet came, Laddie had temp & vet gave injections but each day got bigger & then we took him to Seville on Saturday. So where did infection come from? I just need to make sense of it. I`m thinking we should have done something well I think you know what I`m thinking. I just don`t know where it came from, where did it come from.

Really sorry to hear about your cousin as well.

Christine, Spain.

Sometimes it can be a complete mystery :( We had a friend who's husband died of it after many weeks of being in hospital - they even took his teeth out to see if there was a problem there. They never did find the source.

Sorry about your dog :(

Daisy

So can it just happen then for no reason Daisy, no signs of it starting nothing? He just had a limp thats all, with suspected cruciate damge & he got that, no operation, cuts or nothing & he got it.

Christine, Spain.

sorry to hear the bad news,take care,i see in the dog paper there a very nice kennels for sale in spain near your part of the woods.,

www.kennelsalespain .com. i think andrew and i should buy it and not live in the rat race over here.and come and show the f/c and swd here.

Think you can get Septicaemia as a secondary to some other condition. Understand it is common secondary to Meningitis. I had it as a child following a grazed knee that was treated with coldtar ointment, since removed from the market, have also heard of it following a bite, in this case it was a rat but think any break in the skin can let infection in.

Sorry to hear about laddie christine xx

Sorry - not a medical expert - just know what happened to this friend. He just became ill and they never found the source of the septicemia. Both my grandfather and my husband's grandfather died of it in the 1920's, but usually it is cleared up these days with antibiotics. It must be very frustrating for you, not knowing the cause - but I am sure that you did all you could for him and that it is just one of those things :(

Daisy

So sorry to read of your loss Christine. Could it have been a puncture wound that was so tiny could not be seen ? I guess you will never know now, hope you start to feel better soon, but its so hard when you dont have an explanation. Dont forget the Ignatia for your grief, it does help. Hugs coming your way. ((((((0))))))

I had septicemia a couple of years ago, the GP kept telling me I had a urine infection, luckily I went to the emergency surgery I felt so ill and they reconized it and sent me straight to hospital. My main symptom apart from feeling so ill was a really bad headache 24 hours a day, of course a dog can't tell you symptoms like this.

My point is that they never found out what caused mine, I had no wounds or anything obvious, I still don't know or couldn't even guess. I was in hospital for a week on intrevenous antibiotics and was very lucky.

I also lost a dog to a mystery virus and felt very guilty afterwards, could I have done more? Should I have spotted something sooner? It is not easy to live with, although the vet even opened him up thinking there must be a blockage but other than an inflamed intestine found nothing, he went downhill so quickly and I never found out what caused it.

It is very upsetting, I still think about it two years on but try and stop myself dwelling on it.

So sorry for you. At least he went peacefully at home you have that comfort.

Sandra

Hi all, I went for a wlk with the dogs & then sat with myself to calm my mind, its been swirling these last few wks with evrything going on.
I still don`t know what happened but, I do know but don`t understand it & maybe I never will. Grief is something we all have to go through & alone & it affects us all in different ways.
Christine Spain.

Hi Christine,

I've just caught up with this and i'm so sorry for you and your dog. You must be devastated:(
Don't beat yourself up over it - you did all you could.
take care

Ruth