I need Answers please

I'm new to this site today. I lost my baby on Saturday and I am hurting so much. I don't understand why it happened and can't help thinking I should have been able to stop this from happening. I really need answers.
About 3-4 weeks ago I woke in the morning, took mince downstairs to toilet and he went out but just stepped out a few steps then without crouching down, he just wee'd all over himself. He then stood outside stairing into space for about 10 mins. He was out of it as if he didn't know what was going on. He was also making a wretching sound as if he wanted to throw up, and was breathing heavy and his stomach was bloated.
I took him to vets straight away at 7am but had to wait 2 hours at the vets until they opened. The vet said he had suffered a stroke and that he had pneumonia, due to him throwing up during the stroke and swallowing it back into his lungs. He injected him with antibiotics and sent me home with 6 different types of antibiotic tablets and said to come back at 5pm to the vets to monitor any change. The vet said not to expect him to last the day.
I took him back at 5pm, he had got a little stronger, the vet asked me to come back the next morning but again the outlook was not good.
I took him back the next day and he was a lot stronger, again I took him at 5pm and he was nearly back to complete self.
The next day I took him again to the vets and he was completely fine, barking his head off and bounding around like a pup again. The vet did bloods for Cushings disease and thyroid cancer and Kidney damage as Mince also suffered the obvious signs (weight loss but pot bellied appearance, hair loss, listless) all tests came backcompletely clear. The vet sent me away with a course of antibiotics and did not want me to come back.
Mince had his last antibiotic on Thursday tea time. On friday he was absolutely fine bounding around like a pup. He had his tea at 6pm, I went next door to feed their cat at 10pm and came back at 11pm, Mince was making this wretching/coughing noise and panting again. I laid him on a duvet with me downstairs and massaged his stomach as it was bloated again. He threw up at approx 3am, I cleaned it up and stroked him again untl I must have drifted off. I heard him about 6am trying to wretch again, I don't know why I didn't immediately shoot up awake but when I did it was 7am and he had moved off the duvet and was laid at the other side of the room in a pool of water, wee and mess. I tried to revive him but his tongue was blue and it looked too late.
Was I too late? Could I have brought him back? I am in so much pain right now. I just thought he'd eaten his tea a bit quick and I'd take him to vets in morning if there was no change but now he's dead I can't take it back. I just wish I'd done something immediately. It didn't look serious now I've lost my baby.
I called the vets in the morning and he said he probably died of bloat but why did the vet not check for this when I brought him 3 weeks before, the symtoms were the same. He said on the phone there was no evidence of bloat when I saw him and that these things are hard to tell. But when he saw him 3 weeks ago his stomach was swollen and he was wretching in front of him and when the vet touched his stomach he was groaning in pain (is this not evidence of bloat) the vet was insistant that he'd had a stroke but also told me it would be weeks of rehabilitating him and possibly this stroke would show signs of other organ failure and I may need to put him down but it was literally 2 days and Mince was back to completely normal behaviour like he'd never had a stroke.
Did the vet mis-diagnose a stroke, did Mince have bloat a few weeks back? I don't know what to do right now, I really need answers, please help .......

[Su-C]

Hi,

Welcome to the forum - and sorry its under such sad circumstamces. I sympathise entirely with you on your loss, having lost a shep to it several years ago. That was my only 'contact' with the dreaded bloat and I therefore will leave other people who have more knowldege of it to try and answer some of your questions and hopefully set your mind at rest.

I really just wanted to say hi, and sorry for your loss.

Sue

[elfshimmer]

im sorry too for your sad loss.

Thank you, I just feel like my hearts been ripped out. He was 11 years 7 months but I know it wasn't his time yet. I'm very angry and hurt, I just don't understand why the vet never picked this up. I don't know whether I should have continued to try to resussitate also or is it too late when they have releived their body fluids, I don't know, just need some answers xx

[elfshimmer]

could i put your story on my other site i visit because they be able to help you find answers for you sweetie.xxxxgod bless you

[h.bradshaw]

the only way you are going to have definitive answers is to have an autopsy.

you are hurting and angry at the moment and feel you need to blame someone, if not someone else then yourself.

Nothing will bring Mince back, maybe you could make an appointment with the vet that treated him, write down your questions so you don't forget anything.

Maybe his answers will help you to come to terms with your loss, but you will still need to grieve for as long as it takes.
we have all lost a dog, myself personally in very tragic and similar circumstances to yourself, I needed answers too, but I chose not to go for an autopsy.
Now, 5 years later, I still mourn Barney, he was only 5, But I am grateful for the happy five years he had with me, Hopefully in time you will feel the same.

In the meantime, we are all dog lovers here and we understand, so please talk to us, we are here to listen.

REST IN PEACE MINCE

[lauraburns]

I cannot give you any answers I am afraid, but I just wanted to say that my thoughts are with you. It must be so awful for you. I'm sure that there is little else you could have done for mince. I am certain he would have been happy to have you with him. I know it is hard, but please don't blame yourself! RIP Mince, running free over rainbow bridge, happy and free of pain!

[Stuart]

This is really a very sad story, and I truly feel for you, so sorry it has all happened to you.

Was this your normal vet?, and do you think you have had good service in the past?,..I cant comment on how good or bad the vet might be, only you can judge

The pain you are feeling is something very hard to deal with, we all know that, if its easier to vent your anger and pain here,..then at least we understand

[elfshimmer]

your pics are lovely stuart

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by elfshimmer

your pics are lovely stuart

Thank you..x