I just learned more about what happened with Alice. The results of her spinal tap were negative at first glance (they do these before the mylegram) so they did the test and then the surgery. The vet who did the surgery couldn't figure out why she didn't come out of what seemed a routine surgery. The next day, her spinal fluid came back with clear indications of Granulometous Meningioencephalomyelitis(GME), a brain inflammation that would have eventually killed her (most likely in weeks or months at best), in a much more horrid way than the reasonably dignified way that she left us.

And I can stop feeling guilty that it was my fault for bringing those big dogs into our family.