My dog seemed to die, then breathed again before passing. Why?

Question

So my dog passed away a few days ago but his death startles me. I say that for he died.. Twice? When he died with me, his eyes rolled back, had a discolored tounge and all. He had no heart beat and wasn't breathing for about two minutes. My mom came and I left since I felt like fainting. The moment I left, he began to breath heavy and have a fast heart beat and stayed like this for about 20 minutes before passing. My mom's friend says her dog did this as well. Do have an idea what of occurred? Pet's info: Dog | Chihuahua | Male | neutered | 8 years and 10 months old | 9 lbs

Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS · Accepted Answer

First off, I'm so sorry Choko died! It sounds like you were seeing agonal breathing, which can occur right before death. It's a sign the body is not receiving the oxygen it needs, and is indicative of cardiac arrest. More than likely, his heart rate was pretty slow at first so that it was hard to detect, and then Choko entered his final stages of life before passing away. This can happen in animals as they pass away, and I've personally seen it myself. It can be upsetting to see, but it is considering a natural behavior if that makes sense. It doesn't mean he died twice, so you don't have to worry about that. Again, I'm very sorry for your loss, please accept my condolences.

My dog seemed to die, then breathed again before passing. Why?

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