Guinness Record Holder Zeus, World’s Tallest Dog, Dies Due to Cancer

Zeus, the world’s tallest living dog, who earned the Guinness World Record title in 2022 for measuring 1.046 meters (3 feet 4.18 inches) tall, sadly passed away due to bone cancer on Tuesday. Zeus, a 3-year-old Great Dane from Texas, succumbed to pneumonia after undergoing amputation on September 7, as reported on his owner’s GoFundMe page.

Brittany Davis, Zeus’s owner, shared the heartbreaking news, saying, “Our baby boy is gone. Our hearts are broken. He had the absolute best doctors who sat off the floor and cried with us,” Brittany Davis, the dog’s owner, said. “He fought hard, but the pneumonia was just too much. He is not in pain anymore.”

Zeus was diagnosed with bone cancer in August 2023, and doctors recommended amputating his right front leg to give him the best chance of survival. To cover the cancer treatment costs for Zeus, Davis started a GoFundMe page, raising $12,000, which fell $8,000 short of her goal. Zeus underwent surgery on September 7, and initially, it appeared to have gone well.

However, Davis received a call from the doctor three days later informing her of complications. Davis recounted, “They noticed he didn’t want to eat and was more lethargic. He had a slight fever last night, which has cleared, but he’s still lethargic. He also has some bluing around his mouth.” Further tests and chest X-rays revealed that Zeus had developed aspiration pneumonia, meaning fluid and bacteria were in his lungs. His condition didn’t improve despite administering antibiotics, and he passed away on Tuesday morning.

Davis expressed her gratitude to the doctors involved, noting that Zeus died in her arms. She is heartbroken but relieved that Zeus is no longer suffering.

 

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Zeus became a cherished member of Davis’s family after her brother gifted him to her when he was 8 weeks old, fulfilling her dream of having a Great Dane. Zeus gained attention while strolling the streets with Davis, but he became a global sensation when he was recognized by Guinness World Records as the tallest living male dog in March 2022.