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 ignores that his puppy may suffer from certain syndromes or diseases, since he mistakenly thinks that they are exclusive to other species, and this neglect can result in poor management of the eating or physical habits of his dog. best friend.
In this article on our site, we will talk about the stroke in dogs, a very popular pathology in humans, which is often the guardians of canines ignore.
What is a stroke in dogs?
Stroke is defined as a interruption of blood flow to a specific area of the brain. Because brain oxygenation is compromised, the cells of that organ are affected and in some cases may stop working. There are two types of stroke that we must learn to differentiate in order to better manage 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, limiting partially or completely the 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.
Something very similar is Heart Attack in dogs - Symptoms and what to do.
Stroke symptoms in dogs
The presentation of this pathology usually causes great concern to the guardian of the pet, since it has very characteristic signs and symptoms that appear abruptlyThe 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:
- Seizures.
- Paralysis.
- Muscular weakness.
- Difficulty maintaining correct posture.
- Ataxia.
- Head turns.
- Vestibular syndrome.
- Fever.
- 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 may be directly to blame for a stroke. Among the most frequent causes we have:
- Neoplasias: is defined as an abnormal formation of tissue, which can be malignant or benign tumoral in nature. A neoplasm is capable of causing both blockages and clots that can travel through the bloodstream and compromise brain oxygenation.
- Endocarditis: the condition of the pericardium, which can become a bacterial infection, can cause clots that end up reducing effectiveness to the cerebral blood flow, resulting in a stroke.
- Migration or embolus of parasites: some parasites (such as dirofilaria or heartworm), are capable of migrating through the bloodstream or form an embolus if they clump together, thereby obstructing the path of shunted blood to the brain.
- Formation of post-surgical clots: On some occasions, blood clots may appear after the patient undergoes surgery.
- von Willebrand's disease: is a hematologic disorder that slows clotting due to a lack of certain proteins. This condition could facilitate a hemorrhagic stroke.
- Thrombocytopenia: refers to low platelets in dogs, which can result in hemorrhagic strokes because 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 a stroke. In this same line we can also name chronic kidney disease or arteriosclerosis, since they are pathologies associated with high blood pressure.
If you suspect that your dog is not feeling well, you can consult this other article on our site about Symptoms of a sick dog.
Diagnosis of stroke in dogs
Being such a serious condition and with so many possible causes, the veterinary practitioner will be practically obliged to carry out all or almost all of the existing complementary tests in order to gather as much information as possible. First of all, you must diagnose the type of stroke that the dog is suffering, 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 gather important information (the platelet count could come in there). A blood culture will never hurt, especially when you want to rule out a septic embolus. It is also appropriate to measure coagulation times and perform endocrinological tests that can guide the veterinarian to the cause of the stroke. It is mandatory to perform hemodynamic tests such as blood pressure measurement, echocardiogram and electrocardiogram, as well as X-rays and ultrasounds to rule out any neoplasm that may be the guilty of the stroke.
In this other article we also explain how to interpret a blood test in dogs?
Stroke treatment in dogs
This pathology does not have a specific treatment to be reversed. Most of the time the therapy that is performed is supportive, while the type of process that is occurring in the patient is diagnosed with certainty. Support therapies in this case are not a protocol and must be adapted to each patient according to the needs that he or she needs to supply.
Prevention is the best way to combat such an event. The guardian of a pet who has survived a stroke, should take the necessary considerations and improve the habitsof her best friend to reduce the chances of this happen again. Similarly, the guardian of a puppy that has not suffered from this disease, should be informed to give your pet a better quality of life. The proper diet, frequent exercise and regular visits to the veterinarian are the basis of these habits that can save the life of your canine.
To improve their diet, we recommend you opt for a natural feed like the ones you will find in The best natural feed for dogs.
Can a dog recover from a stroke?
Prognosis is based on the areas of the brain that may have been affected, the type of stroke, and how severely the damage was to the brain cells. The strokes that have the best prognosis are the ischemic ones, while hemorrhagic strokes tend to have an obscure prognosis.
In some cases, when we talk about the puppy already recovered, it may have permanent sequelae or run with luck and the early care of completely back to normal.
