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DogsPet parentAugust 31, 2026

Dog death

Hello, my 13-year-old terrier passed away 6 days ago. The veterinarian told us she was in the terminal stage of a spleen tumor and ascites, and her hind paws were also swollen. In her last days she was immobile, in diapers, and on her last day she was refusing even water. My question for you, since I am very troubled by one moment—a few moments before death (I am not sure exactly, but no more than 1 minute to 2)—I squirted between 5-10 ml of water into the corner of her mouth through closed teeth using a syringe, because the day before she drank a lot of water and that day not at all. Shortly after, she passed away, and it troubles me whether I could have caused her some suffocation or if I caused her death with that amount of water (I am not even sure all of it went into her mouth because it's possible it leaked out the side). I have an OCD and situation is very hard for me. Thank you

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2 replies

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PPPet parentAug 31ASKED THIS

Text addition -I watched how she turned her head to the other side and completely relaxed her body, after which she made two slow twitches in my arms with her mouth open, and that was it

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MMichaelAug 31PAWSRX TEAM

I'm sorry about your girl. I'm not a veterinarian, and I can't tell you what happened in those last minutes. But the question you're carrying has a real answer, and the person who can give it is the veterinarian who treated her. They knew her case, they told you what stage she was in, and they can tell you specifically what those minutes were. Veterinarians have this exact conversation with grieving owners more often than you might think, and they don't find it strange. You could call and read them exactly what you wrote here, including the part you added. One general thing, from the guides veterinarians themselves write for owners about the end of life: the body relaxing and brief slow movements in the final moments are described there as part of how death itself happens. Whether that is what you saw is exactly the question for her vet, and it is a fair one to ask. Some university veterinary schools also run free pet loss support lines, staffed by people who understand the questions that circle afterward. Your vet's office will usually know the nearest one.

This reply is from the PawsRx team, not a veterinarian. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or treatment, and it is not intended to establish a veterinarian-client-patient relationship. For guidance about your pet, ask a verified vet or book an appointment.

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