Stroke in dogs: symptoms, causes and treatment
It is important to know that certain diseases or conditions that often affect humans can also affect dogs. Most of the time, the owner of an animal does not know that his puppy may suffer from certain syndromes or diseases, because he mistakenly thinks that they are unique to other species, and this carelessness can lead to mishandling of his best friend’s eating or physical habits. .
- In this article by Animal Expert.
- We will talk about a very popular disease in humans.
- Which dog owners often ignore.
Stroke is defined as an interruption of blood flow to a specific area of the brain. Due to impaired brain oxygenation, organ cells are affected and, in some cases, may stop working. There are two types of stroke that you should learn to differentiate yourself to better manage the situation:
Another very similar condition is the heart attack in dogs: symptoms and what to do.
The presentation of this disease usually worries the animal’s manager, as it presents very characteristic signs and symptoms that appear suddenly. Neurological signs a dog may have with a stroke will be closely related to the affected area of the brain. Signs and symptoms of stroke in dogs include:
A good clue for the tutor is that, in embolic strokes, signs appear abruptly and quickly reach their maximum expression, unlike hemorrhagic strokes, in which they usually begin and delay development.
Many causes may be responsible for this pathology in dogs and humans. Any condition capable of generating a blood clot large enough to compromise brain blood flow can be the direct culprit of a stroke. Among the most common causes, we have:
If you think your dog is not well, you can consult this other Animal Expert article about the symptoms of a sick dog.
Because it is such a serious disease and with as many causes as possible, the veterinarian will be forced to do almost all or almost all of the existing follow-up exams to collect as much information as possible. First, you must diagnose the type of stroke the dog suffers, and the first clue of this alleged diagnosis will be obtained in history. The most recommended follow-up evaluation for definitive stroke diagnosis is CT scans.
During the investigation of the cause of the stroke, the veterinarian will likely perform a haematological, blood and urine test, seeking to collect important information (platelet count may be part of it). Blood culture is never bad, especially if you want to rule out a septic embolism. It is also useful for measuring clotting times and conducting endocrinological tests that may guide the veterinarian on the cause of the stroke. You should perform hemodynamic tests, such as blood pressure, echocardiogram, and electrocardiogram measurements, as well as x-rays and ultrasounds to rule out any neoplasms that may be responsible for a stroke.
This disease does not have a specific treatment to reverse. Most of the time the therapy that is performed is supportive, while the type of process that occurs in the patient is diagnosed. Supportive therapies in this case are not a protocol and should be adapted to each patient according to the needs present.
Prevention is the best way to combat this event. The owner of an animal that has survived a stroke should take the necessary considerations and improve the habits of his best friend to reduce the chances of this happening again. Likewise, the owner of a dog that has not suffered this disease should be informed to give more quality of life to the animal. Good diet, frequent exercise and regular visits to the vet are the basis of these habits that can save your dog’s life.
To improve your diet, we recommend that you rely on a natural diet
The prognosis is based on areas of the brain that may have been affected, the type of stroke and the severity of brain cell damage. Strokes with better prognosis are ischemic strokes, while hemorrhagic strokes usually have a dark prognosis.
In some cases, for dogs that have already healed, they may have permanent sequelae or, hopefully and early attention, return completely to normal.
This article is for informational purposes only, in Animal Expert.com.br we cannot prescribe veterinary treatments or make any kind of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case of any type of condition or discomfort.
If you would like to read articles similar to stroke in dogs: symptoms, causes and treatment, we recommend that you visit our Neurological Diseases section.
Wessmann A, Chandler K, Garosi L. (2009). Ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke in dogs. Veterinary Magazine.