My Eleven Year Old Dog Collapsed?

Question

My 11 year old dog collapsed this morning. He is a lab mix and is pretty large, 110 lbs and he's tall enough to rest his head on my kitchen countertops. With help from the neighbors I was able to get him loaded in the car and over to the vet. When we got there they said his temperature was 104.9 which is high. I explained to the vet that I had let him out the back door and he was standing in the yard seeming confused, when I called him to come back inside he was at the bottom of the stairs when he just crumbled and didn't get up. I sat with him while I tried to figure out what to do (it was 6am and I was a little panicked) but has anyone ever heard of or been thru anything like this? The vet has him on IV's and when I just called they said he was standing up which was a good sign because he was shaking so much before that he couldn't stand up on his own. I am concerned about siezure or stroke but the Vet didn't speculate, they just took him and told me they were going to run tests and get back to me. I hate to speculate myself, but I can't stop worrying, of course...

Answer 1

Your dog is in the right place. There is no point in speculating. The tests will give you the answers you need. No harm in saying a prayer though which I'm happy to do.

I hope it's nothing serious.

Answer 2

This is getting elderly for a Lab. He may well have had a seizure, or a stroke. Some vets say dogs don't have strokes but they're wrong; I live in the shadow of Mich Stat'e vet school, and know first-hand that yes, dogs can and do have strokes. He may have had a blood clot that went to the brain. All the things that happen to humans can happen to a dog, with very similar overt symptoms. I hope it's something simple and he recovers but to be candid, at his age, it might not be something simple.

Answer 3

  I just want to say thank you for taking to vet, its refreshing to know some people do. I can't help you, but I feel for you. I will pray for your dog.

Answer 4

At 11 years old it could be a number of things. Let us know if the vet finds any abnormalities of the heart.

If your dog hadn't eaten yet and had been exercising it could have been a low blood glucose level problem. I guess speculation is all anyone here can do.....

Answer 5

Good job for taking him to the vet. I don't know what it could be, but it might have been a stroke, i hope he's okay, good luck :)

Answer 6

just try to clam down and wait for the vet to call you. for all you know its nothing. but remember labs normally live to 10-12yrs and your dog is 11. so prepare yourself for the worst. im sorry i hope he is ok.

Answer 7

Well I was thinking it sounded like stroke, but your vet will have to tell you what the test results say.  It could be 100 different things.  Most vets don't like to give bad news over the phones.  Keep us posted.