  V445 Puppis, the only known Galactic helium nova, is a unique test-bed to
verify supernova (SN) theories in the single degenerate channel that involve a
white dwarf (WD) accreting matter from a helium-rich donor. An estimate of the
mass of the helium shell on the WD is crucial to deciding whether or not it
will undergo a SN detonation. In this context, this study estimates the dust
and ejecta masses in the 2000 November eruption of V445 Pup. Subsequent to its
outburst, the star became cocooned in a dust envelope. An analysis of the
spectral energy distribution (SED) of the dust using infrared data shows that
V445 Pup produced at least $10^{-3}$ solar masses of dust which is
unprecedented for a classical or recurrent nova. The SED can be explained by a
combination of a cold dust component at 105 +/- 10 K, mass (1.9 +/- 0.8)
$\times 10^{-3}$ solar masses, and a warm dust component at 255 +/- 10 K, mass
(2.2 +/- 1.2) $\times 10^{-5}$ solar masses. For a conservative choice of the
gas-to-dust mass ratio in the range 10--100, the mass of the ejecta is
0.01--0.1 solar masses. Such a high mass range raises the question: why did
V445 Pup not detonate as a Type 1a SN as is predicted in certain
double-detonation sub-Chandrasekhar supernovae formalisms? We re-examine the
nature of V445 Pup and discuss its role as a potential SN progenitor.
