In this article on our site we will deal with syncope in dogs, a situation in which our friend suddenly loses consciousness. Although he does not have to be serious, it is normal for us to be scared, especially if it is the first time it has happened to him.
Syncope can be caused by multiple causes, as we will see. It is not a disease in itself but a symptom, which can be triggered in certain situations in a timely manner or be repeated as a result of a disease that the veterinarian will have to diagnose. So if your dog faints for seconds or your dog has collapsed, keep reading to understand what could have happened.
What is syncope in dogs?
To talk about syncope in dogs, the first thing is that we have a clear definition of it. Thus, we will understand syncope as the transient loss of consciousness This loss is usually caused by a decrease in oxygen in the brain due to less blood flow.
The key is loss of consciousness, which is the fundamental datum to identify syncope. We can talk about syncope or fainting in dogs, since they are synonymous terms.
Causes of syncope in dogs
We can divide the causes of syncope or fainting in dogs into two large groups, which are as follows:
- Cardiovascular origin: Syncope can occur due to arrhythmias and various diseases that affect the heart, such as dilated cardiomyopathy or pulmonary stenosis.
- Extracardiac origin: this includes neurological causes such as epilepsy, hemorrhage or encephalitis, pulmonary causes such as pulmonary hypertension, causes metabolic causes such as hypoglycemia, hypocalcemia, hypoadrenocorticism or anemia and situational causes such as cough.
The most common causes are cardiac, hypoglycaemia, that is, the decrease in blood glucose, and those related to reflexes such as coughing, urination or defecation. Syncope due to arrhythmias can lead to sudden death. Likewise, situations of high excitement for the animal, such as a fight, or great muscular effort trigger tachycardia that manages to stimulate the vagal system, which decreases heart rate and tension and causes syncope. This mechanism produces what is known as vasovagal syncope in dogs.
On the other hand, it should be noted that syncope in boxer dogs or pug, brachycephalic, is usually caused by cough. This happens because coughing increases pressure inside the chest, which affects the heart and eventually decreases blood flow to the brain, causing syncope.
Syncope in older dogs is more likely to have some disease behind it. Syncope in Yorkshire and Chihuahua dogs and, in general, in small breeds may be due to hypoglycemiathat these dogs suffer when they are stressed, when their glucose consumption increases, especially if they are puppies. In addition, these small breeds are also prone to tracheal collapse , which is an interruption in the passage of air through the trachea, sometimes leading to to syncope.
Symptoms of syncope in dogs
Before syncope occurs the dog may show signs of dizziness. If our dog shows symptoms like the following, he will be fainting:
- Sudden and transient loss of consciousness.
- Loss of postural tone.
- The dog remains lying on its side.
- Its legs are stiff.
- You can make vocalizations.
- Dog faints and pees on himself.
The syncope lasts for approximately one minute and the dog shows rapid recovery. For this reason, the most common is to observe that the dog faints for seconds. If our dog has collapsed, we must contact our veterinarian and describe all the details so that he can reach the diagnosis. It is important that we look at the behavior of the dog before and after the episode. We must also inform the veterinarian if our dog suffers from any disease or is taking any treatment. The vet's exam will focus on exploring the cardiac, respiratory, and neurological systems. Blood and urine tests are performed to detect metabolic or endocrine causes of syncope.
What to do if my dog faints? - Treatment
We have already explained that there are multiple causes behind a syncope and that this is not a disease in itself, but a symptom. Therefore, to control its appearance and treat syncope in dogs, the veterinarian must determine the root cause If it is caused by situational triggers, such as exercise, stress, excitement, fear, pain, etc., we must avoid them as much as possible. For cases involving diseases, the veterinarian will have to establish the appropriate medication.
To detect the cause and treat fainting in dogs, tests such as electrocardiogram, blood pressure measurement, ultrasound, etc.
