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Two dog owners have warned other pet parents to look out for symptoms after their 4-month-old puppy died suddenly.

Moose, a St. Bernard puppy, went to live with owners Stephane and Julia on their 10-acre homestead in Canada on June 10, but just weeks later they were forced to say goodbye.

Moose died of pneumonia after he drank his water too fast and had to be rushed to urgent care when he started exhibiting strange symptoms.

"One morning, Moose woke up lethargic. He only ate half his breakfast and wasn't himself. He also had a runny nose," Julia told Newsweek. "We brought him to urgent care that morning and the vet found a high fever and wheezing in his lungs—likely pneumonia."

The puppy's owners remembered a few days earlier when Moose had drank his water too quickly and started coughing.

"But it soon passed and he was back to his normal playful self," she said. "In hindsight, we realize now that over the next few days the pneumonia was silently spreading through his lungs without obvious outward symptoms."

Aspiration pneumonia occurs when a dog inhales foreign material, including water, into their lungs. This is more common where a dog's gag reflect is compromised.

When puppies and dogs drink too much water, something called water intoxication can occur. Water intoxication occurs when a dog consumes excessive amounts of water in a short period, causing a dilution of essential electrolytes in the body, especially sodium.

Last summer, a dog owner warned others after their 18-month-old Border Collie died from water intoxication after playing in a children's paddling pool.

Water intoxication and aspiration pneumonia do not have a direct link, but inhaling large amounts of water into the lungs could have resulted in Moose's condition.

"Even the day before he passed, he was playing tug of war and was excited to eat all his meals, as was normal for him. The vet informed us that morning that pneumonia in a puppy as young as him was very serious and could be fatal," said Julia. "She gave him a 60 percent chance of survival."

Moose was immediately hospitalized and aggressively treated with several IV antibiotics and fluids, but blood work and x-rays showed that the pneumonia had spread very quickly and was almost through his entire lungs.

"By 3 p.m. his lungs began to fail. He was put on oxygen. By 4 p.m., his heart became irregular indicating sepsis," said Julia, who explained that their beloved dog died shortly after.

Heartbroken, Moose's owners shared his story on TikTok where the video telling his story has been viewed over 360,000 times.

"The vet informed us that puppies and dogs aspirating water or kibble is quite common, but for it to become life threatening pneumonia so quickly is more rare," said Julia. "Moose ate his food very quickly, so we bought for him a slow feeder bowl which helped slow him down and reduce the risk of choking on kibble. But he had a normal water bowl."

What Are the Symptoms of Aspiration Pneumonia in Dogs?

Aspiration pneumonia can occur in dogs of any age but is particularly dangerous in young puppies and older dogs.

Symptoms of aspiration pneumonia include persistent and often moist-sounding coughing, difficulty breathing, gagging or choking, lethargy, fever and nasal discharge.

Some dogs may also have a loss of appetite and blueish coloration of the gums due to poor oxygen levels.

If you notice any of these symptoms and are concerned about your pet it is always essential to consult a veterinarian for a diagnosis.

"We were absolutely shocked and heartbroken to lose Moose so suddenly and so young," she said. "We loved him so much and miss him dearly."

The owners waited over a year for their new St. Bernard puppy, and are heartbroken to have lost him so soon. By making a video about Moose's story, they hoped to raise more awareness.

"It became so heart wrenching having to tell everyone he passed away that we decided to make a video to share what happened so the people in our lives would know," said Julia. "We also did not know much about aspirated pneumonia and how dangerous it could be for puppies. We hoped sharing our story would help raise awareness and perhaps prevent another tragedy like this from taking place."

Aspiration pneumonia is sometimes referred to as a "silent killer" because symptoms can be well hidden until the condition is serious, but Julia and Stephane hope that by sharing what happened to Moose other owners may able to save their pets.

"Owners may be able to get ahead of it if they take their puppy to the vet within 24 hours of them coughing on any water or kibble," said Julia. "Even if they seem absolutely fine after, if you catch pneumonia in its early stages there is a much better chance of antibiotics being able to cure the infection and save a life."

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

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