It is important to know that some pathologies or conditions that frequently affect humans also appear in dogs. Most of the time, the guardian of a pet is unaware that her puppy may suffer from certain syndromes or diseases, since she mistakenly thinks that they are exclusive to other species, and this neglect can lead to poor management of her eating or physical habits. Best friend.
In this article, we’ll talk about stroke in dogs, a very popular pathology in humans that canine guardians often ignore.
What is a stroke in dogs?
Stroke is defined as an interruption of blood flow to a specific area of the brain. Because brain oxygenation is compromised, the cells of this organ are affected and in some cases they can stop working. There are two types of stroke that we must learn to differentiate in order to have a more adequate management of the situation:
- Ischemic or embolic stroke: we are in the presence of an ischemic stroke when an artery is obstructed by a clot or an embolus, partially or totally limiting blood flow, which results in a decrease in the amount of oxygen that reaches the brain.
- Hemorrhagic stroke: it is produced when a blood vessel breaks, resulting in a cerebral hemorrhage.
Symptoms of stroke in dogs
The presentation of this pathology tends to greatly concern the pet’s guardian, since it has very characteristic signs and symptoms that appear abruptly. The neurological signs that the dog with stroke may present will be closely related to the area of the brain that is affected. The signs and symptoms of a stroke in dogs are as follows:
- Muscular Weakness
- Difficulty maintaining correct posture
- Ataxia
- Head turns.
- Vestibular syndrome
- Nystagmus
A great clue for the tutor is that in embolic stroke the signs appear abruptly and quickly reach their maximum expression, unlike in hemorrhagic stroke, in which they usually have a delayed onset and development.
Causes of stroke in dogs
There are many causes that can generate this pathology in both canines and humans. Any condition that is capable of generating a blood clot large enough to compromise cerebral blood flow could be the direct culprit of a stroke. Among the most frequent causes we have:
- Neoplasms: it is defined as an abnormal formation of tissue, which can be malignant or benign. A neoplasm is capable of causing both obstructions and clots that can travel through the bloodstream and compromise the oxygenation of the brain.
- Endocarditis: the affection of the pericardium, which can become a bacterial infection, can be the cause of clots that end up reducing the effectiveness of the cerebral blood supply, bringing a stroke as a consequence.
- Migration or plunger parasites: some parasites (such as heartworm or worm heart), are able to migrate through the bloodstream or form a plunger if they are grouped, thus obstructing the passage of blood derived brain.
- Post-surgical clot formation: on some occasions, blood clots may appear after the patient undergoes surgery.
- Von Willebrand disease: It is a hematological disorder that slows down clotting due to a lack of certain proteins. This condition could facilitate a hemorrhagic stroke.
- Thrombocytopenia: refers to low platelets in dogs, which can lead to hemorrhagic strokes as coagulation is compromised. In this case, we can mention a very common disease in dogs called canine ehrlichiosis, which sometimes causes thrombocytopenia.
- Arterial hypertension: dogs that tend to have higher than normal blood pressure values are candidates for having a stroke. Along the same lines, we can also name chronic kidney disease or arteriosclerosis, since they are pathologies associated with high blood pressure.
Diagnosis of stroke in dogs
Being such a serious condition and with so many possible causes, the veterinary practitioner will be practically obliged to perform all or almost all the existing complementary tests to collect as much information as possible. First of all, you must diagnose the type of stroke that the dog is experiencing, and the first clue about this presumptive diagnosis will be obtained in the anamnesis. The complementary evaluation that is most recommended to definitively diagnose a stroke is computed tomography.
When looking for the cause, the veterinarian will probably proceed to perform hematology, blood chemistry and urinalysis, seeking to collect important information (the platelet count could enter there). A blood culture will never hurt, especially when you want to rule out a septic embolus. It is also appropriate to measure clotting times and perform endocrinological tests that can guide the veterinarian to the cause of the stroke. You must perform hemodynamic tests such as blood pressure measurement, echocardiography and electrocardiogram, as well as X-rays and ultrasound scans to rule out any neoplasia that may be the culprit of the stroke.
Treatment for stroke in dogs
This pathology has no specific treatment to be reversed. Most of the time the therapy that is carried out is supportive, while the type of process that is occurring in the patient is diagnosed with certainty. Supportive therapies in this case are not a protocol and must be tailored to each patient according to the needs that they need to meet.
Prevention is the best way to combat this event. The guardian of a pet who has survived a stroke must take the necessary considerations and improve the habits of his best friend to reduce the chances of this happening again. In the same way, the guardian of a puppy that has not suffered this disease, should be informed to give his pet a better quality of life. Proper diet, frequent exercise and regular visits to the veterinarian are the basis of these habits that can save your canine’s life.
Can a dog recover from a stroke?
The prognosis is based on the areas of the brain that may be affected, the type of stroke, and how severe the damage to brain cells was. The strokes with the best prognosis are ischemic ones, while hemorrhagic stroke tends to have a dark prognosis.
In some cases, when we talk about the already recovered puppy, it can have permanent sequelae or run with luck and early attention to completely return to normal.
