Zeus is being mourned by his owners. Photo / Guinness World Records
The world’s tallest dog has died after a battle with cancer.
Zeus, who won the Guinness World Records title last year, died this week after he developed pneumonia following surgery to amputate his right front leg.
The hulking great dane measured 1.046 metres tall but, on his hind legs, stood at a whopping 2.1m tall.
His owner, American Brittany Davis, broke the news of his death on a GoFundMePage.
“Our baby boy is gone. Our hearts are broken,” a devastated Davis wrote.
“He had the absolute best doctors who sat off the floor and cried with us,” she said. “He fought hard, but the pneumonia was just too much. He is not in pain anymore.”
Zeus was diagnosed with cancer just last month and Davis set up the fundraiser to help pay for his treatment.
Surgery to remove the leg took place on September 7 and Davis was initially hopeful.
“He did so well,” she wrote on GoFundMe page the next day.
“He’s awake from the anaesthesia and on a bunch of pain medicine. He will stay for the weekend, but he’s doing very well, and everyone loves him already.”
But days later he was struck with fever and vets discovered he was battling pneumonia.
He died on Tuesday “in his mom’s lap”, the family shared on social media.
“Zeus was a truly special dog. He was gentle, loving, very stubborn but always happy to see his family and many, many friends on his adventures around Dallas and Fort Worth,” Davis told followers online.
“Zeus packed a lot of life into three short years and was primed to beat cancer’s butt.”
The gentle giant would often steal food off the kitchen counter and drink directly from the sink, with the New York Post reporting that Zeus ate up to “12 cups of food a day with the occasional fried egg for a snack”.
Zeus’ three years is tragically short, even for a breed with a comparatively short lifespan.
The American Kennel Club notes: “These gentle giants sadly tend to live just 7 to 10 years — though they will certainly fill those years with several lifetimes worth of love.”
The item is described as 'perfect for relaxing after a long day of work'.