6-Year Old Dog Died Instantaneously - Why??

Question
Hi -

Our healthy dog (pit-terrier mix) passed away suddenly / instantaneously this morning and I'm hoping to learn reasons why this could have happened.  I was walking her this morning off the leash and she chased after something and I lost sight of her for maybe 15 seconds.  When I found her, she was laying on her side, mouth open, tongue out, and was totally lifeless.  What could have caused this??  It's so strange that my wife and I are just so devastated by the sudden loss of her so unexpectedly.  We live in Israel if that helps.  Could it have been a snake bite to the face?  Heart attack?  There were absolutely no symptoms beforehand and she died instantaneously and was completely gone when I found her (not moving at all).

Thanks for any help you could provide.........  

Evan

Answer
OH Evan,
I am so sorry for your loss! How devastating this can be. I can only give suggestions as to what might have happened, but you could take her in to the vets and have a necropsy done on her to find the cause of death.

Since I do not know of your types of snakes over there I can't really say if it was a snake bite, but it certainly is a possibility of course.

Most deaths of this nature are cardiac in origin, or the dog has an aneurysm or blood clot, to the lungs or in the brain, just like a human does. If she had heartworms and you didn't know she could have died from the worms exiting the heart suddenly and that will cause a massive coronary episode, or heart attack.

She could have been hit by a car and had a vessel rupture deep in her chest. That can happen by being hit hard on the side.  

It sounds more likely that she had some sort of sudden death like a coronary or embolism.
No matter what the cause I know that this is very, very hard for you both.

Please accept my deepest condolences and prayers for your peace. She didn't suffer but you are left with the pain and suffering of her loss.

If you are unable to live with not knowing for sure, I suggest you get her into the vets right away and have them do the necropsy (like an autopsy).

Again, my deepest sympathies are with you.