If you know the risks, signs and symptoms of your pet's stroke, you can provide him with all the proper care and put him as comfortable as possible. Although all dogs can potentially suffer from a stroke, older ones, those who are overweight or those who have certain health problems are more likely to have one. If you know what to look for and what to do, you can be able to stay calm and see a vet more quickly. Although it is undoubtedly important to comfort the animal during what is probably a terrifying experience for him, if you know how to recognize and treat a possible stroke you can save his life.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Recognizing the Signs of Stroke
Step 1. Identify the most common symptoms of stroke
They can be multiple, from the sudden loss of balance to an altered state of consciousness. Check what the symptoms of a stroke are and monitor your dog if you suspect he is having one. You need to be able to recognize some of the main symptoms.
- Extreme weakness: You may notice neurological weakness in the limbs. This means that the nerves do not work and do not convey the right information to the paws to support and support the weight of the animal. Although the muscles are strong enough to allow the dog to stand, they do not receive the necessary nerve stimulation; for this reason your furry friend appears extremely weak and unable to support himself.
- Nystagmus: it is a medical term to indicate a rapid and uncontrolled movement of the eyes, as if the animal were watching an accelerated tennis match. This is a typical indicator of stroke, although it can also occur for other causes, such as meningitis. Keep in mind that once nystagmus begins, it can last for days. Among other things, the animal feels a sense of nausea, because this continuous movement of the eyes stimulates a form of motion sickness. Because of this, the dog may vomit and lose interest in food.
- Sudden loss of balance. Monitor the dog closely, if you notice that he is unable to coordinate his limbs.
- Altered state of consciousness: when the stroke is severe, some dogs may experience seizures or convulsions, while others may lose consciousness. This means that they are unable to understand what is happening around them and do not respond to their name or other stimuli.
Step 2. Learn to tell the difference between the symptoms of a stroke and those of other health problems
Stroke is a sudden event that you should think about if the animal did not show any signs of discomfort until a few moments before, while now it has a sudden difficulty in getting up. If the dog is in trouble because he feels dizzy, which happens with some heart diseases, the situation should resolve in a few minutes once the animal has recovered to normal breathing and is able to get up and walk. If, however, your faithful friend has had a stroke, he will be disoriented for hours or even days.
- Keep in mind, however, that this symptom also coincides with inflammation of the inner ear which can alter the balance mechanism.
- Furthermore, weakness is classified according to different degrees of a reference scale, based on the severity of the stroke. Sometimes, if he is in light form, the dog can stand and walk slowly, as if he were drunk, other times he is absolutely unable to move, lies on his side and is barely conscious.
Step 3. Remember that the duration of stroke symptoms is essential for obtaining a correct diagnosis
For the problem to be classified as a stroke, technically, the symptoms must persist for more than 24 hours. If it clears up before this time, but you still have a strong suspicion that there may be a brain problem, then it's called a transient ischemic attack (TIA). This is a strong warning sign that a stroke is about to occur and that allows you to seek prompt intervention from your vet so that he can correct the causes and reduce the risk of it actually happening.
Step 4. Be aware that problems other than stroke can also cause similar symptoms
Since these are very different pathologies, the treatments will also be different. However, you don't have to worry too much about naming what is happening to your dog, but about seeking immediate veterinary help.
Step 5. Contact your vet if you suspect your furry friend is having a stroke
There are many symptoms that can indicate whether the dog has suffered neurological damage of this kind. However, do not focus too much on getting a specific diagnosis at home, as this is a simple definition for its own sake, which certainly does not improve the condition of the dog. The really important thing to do, in case you notice one or some of these signs, is to contact your vet urgently to intervene.
Method 2 of 3: Caring for a Dog if You Suspect It Has Had a Stroke
Step 1. Stay calm
If you are concerned that your faithful friend has had a stroke, the first thing to do is to remain calm. The dog needs all your help to survive, so you need to keep a positive attitude and focus on helping your puppy.
Step 2. Make sure the pet is comfortable and at ease
Put him in a warm and quiet environment, and make him in the most comfortable position possible by laying him on a cushioned bed and moving the furniture around to prevent him from getting injured.
- If your dog is unable to stay on his paws, turn him over to lie on the opposite side of the body every half hour to reduce the risk of pneumonia due to blood stagnation in one part of the lungs.
- Keep a bowl of water near your furry friend so he can drink without having to get up. If he does not want to drink for a long time, rub his gums with a wet cloth so that he can hydrate a little.
Step 3. Call the vet and ask him to make an urgent appointment
If the problem occurs over the weekend or late in the evening, call the veterinary emergency room. If you do not get an answer, it may be necessary to take the animal to an emergency veterinary clinic.
Make a note of your dog's symptoms so that you can report them to the vet over the phone. It is important to know the intensity and duration of the symptoms in order to correctly communicate the seriousness of the situation to the doctor
Step 4. Know what actions the vet will take for your four-legged friend
Among the priority treatments for a dog victim of stroke is to minimize cerebral edema and maximize the delivery of oxygen to the brain. All this can be achieved with drug therapy and medical interventions. In addition, the veterinary clinic will be able to manage and deal with other problems of a secondary nature, such as keeping the dog hydrated and at ease.
Method 3 of 3: Assess if the Dog is at Risk for Stroke
Step 1. Understand the basics of a stroke
Stroke is caused by an interruption of blood flow to a part of the brain. A sudden onset is typical of this event, due to the equally sudden nature of the thrombus which blocks the blood supply to an area of the brain. The exact symptoms depend on which area of the brain is affected by this breakdown of blood, but there are many common signs, regardless of the location of the clot.
- Stroke is almost always caused by a blood clot that enters a blood vessel and causes its obstruction, but sometimes it can also be due to a cholesterol plaque that detaches from the veins and reaches the brain; at other times it can be caused by a lump of bacteria in the brain.
- For many years there has been a great deal of debate among veterinarians as to whether or not animals can have a stroke. But this question has now been largely resolved and it can be said with certainty that strokes can happen, as sophisticated imaging techniques, such as magnetic resonance, have produced images of brain obstructions.
Step 2. You need to know if your faithful friend falls into a "at risk" category for stroke
The most likely dogs are older dogs and those with pre-existing health problems, such as heart disease, high blood pressure or Cushing's disease. Some vets who have come across these cases report that dogs with underactive thyroid gland have a higher risk of stroke, but there is not enough scientific evidence to support this claim which, for the moment, is only anecdotal.
Step 3. Assess other risk factors
There may be other problems that predispose a dog to a stroke, such as heartworm disease, as the larvae can spread and start circulating to the brain causing a possible blockage. Specimens that have a previous history of clotting problems, kidney disease, high fever or cancer are also at risk.
The dogs that have the lowest risk of having a stroke are those that are young, healthy and without health problems who regularly undergo treatments for heartworm disease
Step 4. Keep in mind that dogs differ from people
Be aware that a stroke in these animals manifests itself differently than it does in humans. In fact, a person can suffer motor damage along only one side of the body and lose the ability to speak, while these characteristics are not present in dogs. Symptoms in animals are those described in this tutorial.
