Likelyhood of sibling lab killing the other

Question
I arrived home from work yesterday 11/30/06 to find that one of my labs were missing, we live on 50 acres and they pretty much stay within calling distance to the house. These labs are 10 year old and have been together since birth. Buddy (the biggest of the 2) and Levi (our Airedale) came up for dinner and Patrick (Buddy's littermate)did not come. Buddy was acting a little strange just sitting in the drive and not eating, my husband and I were already in the "look for Patrick" mode as this is very very unusual for them to be apart. Suddenly we heard a cry and we ran to the edge of the woods where we saw Patrick lying down and what look to be the insides of his stomach lying on the ground by him. As we got closer we knew that he was breathing from the hole in his side and not through his mouth. I ran immediately to the house and called our emergency vet #. By the time I got back to him he had died. The examination of our other two dogs showed that Buddy (Patricks brother) had blood on his ears and blood on his chest without any breakage of the skin. Levi was completely without any blood or marks.. I know surface what this indicates but it is somewhat beyond my belief that Buddy would do such a terrible thing. I know that it is possible but my mind just won't let me accept it. Buddy has always been the dominate one and all he ever had to do was look at Patrick and Patrick would turn away.. I just can't understand what could have made Buddy do this. We took Patrick to the vet this morning to have him examined and to possibly know exactly what happened to him. If they tell me that he was in fact attacked by a dog, then Buddy has to be the one that did it. I feel that if he did this to Patrick he will not be safe around my 2 year grandchilden, and I just can't have that, but putting him down seems cruel too. I love my dogs and Lord knows they have every good thing possible to them, I just don't understand. We searched the area and found no other animal or anything that may have done this to Patrick. If Buddy did do this and he left Patrick when he was alive, does he know that he probably killed Pat? It seems that he keeps looking for him. But if he knows he killed Patrick what are the statistics on him killing again if we don't stop it here?

Answer
Hi Renee;
Like you, I find it hard to believe he did it.
The blood could be from his trying to help the other dog.
If he did the tearing, there should be blood around his mouth and muzzle, I would think.
Could it be a wolf or coyote?
Coyotes are coming closer to urban areas now.
We are crowding out the wildlife.
Residents in Dallas have seen coyotes in the housing additions, rather close in for wildlife. Pets have run afoul of them, and been killed.
I know of no statistics that are out on this kind of thing.
The other two dogs could have come along, hearing the fight, and the coyote would have run away if two more dogs showed up. Buddy may have been trying to help Patrick by licking him.
I doubt the Vet would be able to tell if it was a coyote rather than a dog.
I would keep a very close eye on children around him anyway.
You can't be too careful.
There is another possibility that just came to my mind.
A long time ago, a friend of mine had his hounds out hunting in West Texas, and they chased some jack rabbits, and one of the hounds got kicked in the ctomach by a rabbit, and it split his stomach open. The entrails were laying on the ground and the dog died in just a few minutes.
Do you have a lot of rabbits in the area?
My neighhbor raised those pretty little white bunnies, and he tried to catch one that was headed out under the fence, and he grabbed for it and it kicked hi hand, and almost severed his thumb.
He was a surgeon, so he just went into the house to his office and sewed up his hand.
Rabbits have a whale of a powerful kick.
Charlotte