Puppy deaths

[nohea]

In mid may we bought a 6 week old golden retriever, the sweetest little girl ever. Long story short, she was with us for 7 days when she began to vomit and within 3 hours was in the emergency room where she was in liver failure. She tested negative for parvo and despite oxygen, antiobiotics, plasma and a very large vet bill she was put to sleep 24 hours after it all began. The vets thought it was a worm blockage and told us not to worry, that it would be safe to get another pup. We waited 6 weeks, and then brought home another puppy, from a different breeder some 400 miles away from the first. This time he was 8 weeks old and vet checked perfectly (as did the first) and 5 days after coming home he began to vomit, and again we went through the same ordeal. He made it 5 days before being put to rest. The vets at the emergency clinic (known all over for their excellent facility) were positive that it was mushroom poisoning. When they did the necropsy it showed that his liver was totally destroyed and whatever it was "had" to be some sort of toxin, and mushrooms are pretty much all we have around here. We didn't believe for a moment that 2 puppies who barely touched the ground outside long enough to pee could have both died with the same symtoms and have it be mushrooms.
Here is where it gets interesting....
Both tested negative for parvo, lepto, and hepatitis.
Our two other dogs who are 15 months and 2 years are fine.
**In the last 3 days two more puppies have come in with the same symptoms and died, both from different towns.**
This whole experience has been absolutely aweful and heartwrenching, but we just want to know what is causing it. The pathology dept. is now puzzled and is going back and comparing the biopsies from all of the puppies against one another. The vets are afraid that this might be a mutated strain of some virus.
Has anyone else heard of any puppies or dogs dying with symptoms like this?

[Chrisanne]

I've never heard of something like that thankfully. I am so sorry for the loss of your beloved puppies though

[DirtySouthChins]

Wow I'm sorry for your loss of both puppies, that is so baffling as I have never heard of anything like this, I hope they can find out what was (is) causing this. Best of wishes!!!

[Jade]

I'm sure the vets probably already tested for this, but it was the first thing that came to mind:
Infectious canine hepatitis
It would make sense to me that your adult dogs would be vaccinated and have anti-bodies to it, but if it were present in the environment, a young puppy with an immature immune system wouldn't be able to defend itself against it. The incubation period fits too.

I'm sorry for your loss.

[veggiegirl]

I'm so sorry for your loss. I can't imagine how heartbreaking that must have been. I hope you get some answers!

[Chinchilla_Girl]

Hmmm...that's really strange. I have no idea except to say it sounds like some sort of virus that the older dogs are vaccinated or immune to and young puppies don't have the immunities that the older dogs have and therefore more suseptible. I'm sorry you had to go throught this with the puppies and I hope they figure out what's causing it.

[Scarlette]

I am so sorry for your losses. How heart breaking. I hope they find some answers soon.

[lixx]

That is so dumbfounding. I truly hope they find the cause. I am sorry for your loss

[klburen]

wow how heartbreaking i hope you gets some answers soon

[Tilt]

Please let us know what it turns out to be, if you find out.

[nohea]

Thanks for all the kind words. I will keep you updated. They have tested for hep/lepto/parvo and all were negative. They're now comparing biopsies from the other pups. I'll keep you all posted.

[specialname]

wow, I am sorry for severe loss. we go through some strange illnesses around here to with the animals. people take there pets home they die from weird things like that with no answer. remember if the vaccine is not dosed right it can kill the puppy within a day or so. that has been a commoon problem around here, the shots are pre dosed. i reall hope you find an answer for youself for peace of mind.

[jon]

I would just like to say that it seems similar to my dogs death, we took her home, she started vomiting and then 2 days after she was put down, we never got an explanation either