Just wishing Ben the best! Give him some hugs from PA!

Thanks for the information. So very sad.

Thanks, will do.

This happened to my Meg too about 3 months before her 15th birthday. She was walking through the living room and just collapsed and I was sure she was dying. It was 11pm at night and I called my sister, don't know why I didn't call the vet. Anyway, we sat with her and talked to her, I pphoned work to say I wouldn't be in the next day and waited. She was out for about 30 - 45 mins, then all of a sudden she raised her head and looked around as if she was surprised to see us there! Frightened me half to death.
She was never really right afterwards though and the next day I had to help her up to go out holding her upright, she did manage to walk solo again but was always very slow and only as far as the garden. Never did know wht it was and unfortunately i lost her 3 months later.
Sending Ben best wishes and hope he makes good progress. It's so hard watching them age.

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"Wherever a golden soul has been
remains a trail of beautiful memories"

I am glad Ben had a good night and hope he has this happen again!

My last Golden would have small seizures occasionally and they seemed to similar to Ben. They never figured out what caused them. I had valium tablets to give him afterwards. They only lasted a few minutes. The main symptom I can think if right now is that his jaw would lock - you could not even pry it open until the seizure passed. He would take a day or two to completely recover.

Good luck with your guy.

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Copper's Mom (always )

No medical advice, but am sending lots of warm, healthy thoughts and prayers. Please give that sweet boy an ear rub from us.

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Betty and the Dallas crew


“Until one has loved an animal a part of one's soul remains unawakened.” A. France

It could easily have been a small stroke, though I hope it was really just a case of an old man straining to poo and having a spike and drop in blood pressure.

When a Golden is 15, my reaction to that kind of situation would be different than with a younger dog. I'd make sure he was comfy and might have some bloodwork done, but I wouldn't put him through sedation for an x-ray unless there was a health crisis.

If you're sure he was slowing down in the few days leading up to the faint, it may be that something more serious is going on, but after a consult with the vet, I'd just spoil the old guy rotten and see what happens, rather than beginning a heroic medical intervention.

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Thanks again for all the thoughtful and helpful replies.

Re possibility of a seizure and the slight defacation- there were no muscle tremors, stiffening of the legs, clamped jaws, etc and he was also walking when it happened so he wasn't trying to go to the loo either. He basically just went down on his back legs then over onto his side with no apparent warning.

Now he does suffer from arthritis, in his rear legs especially, so it's tempting to think that his back legs gave out due to the arthritis, but then that doesn't explain why he was unresponsive for a few seconds - my wife thought he was dead at first, but it looks like he may have just passed out. Unless of course his rear legs gave out and he went over and banged his head, but he was on soft, thick grass at the time. Then again maybe he was just shocked/stunned.

Very hard to say as I didn't see it and it's a bit of a blur to my wife (plus it was dark and the torch wasn't that bright). We'll closely monitor him of course.

This happened to my Zeus. I had him in a kennel outside, and was bringing him in the house, holding onto his collar, when he collapsed. He just laid there lifeless, I thought he was dead. I had my other GSD by the collar in my other had, and ran in the house with her. When I came back, he was just starting to come back, I picked him up and carried him into the house (don't know how - I was 9 months pregnant and he was 80 lbs!) He then started to walk around and then tried to go upstairs, and fell. He was though able to walk around, and I fed him to make sure he would eat.

As I was waiting for the vet to open, he did not want to go outside, so I had to take him out on his leash. He peed blood.

When I called the vet, they had me check his tongue and gums, they were white, not one bit of pink.

The reason he collapsed was because his blood was not getting any oxygen, he was essentially suffocating and internally bleeding. I had to put him down later that day, before any of the blood work came back to determine if he had cancer or not. According to the x-rays, and the in house bloodwork, it was pointing that direction. He showed no signs before that day, except maybe slowing down a little bit, but that could have been from old age too.

I would keep an eye on the color of his tongue and gums, and possibly even watch his pee.

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That's terrible, so sorry to hear that.

When I phoned the vet she got me to check his gums and they were fine. I'll keep an eye on the rest.