- It was once thought that strokes only occurred in humans,
but small animal cerebrovascular accidents,
are being diagnosed more often today,
due to increased availability of pet MRIs.
It turns out that strokes are pretty common in dogs.
So it's important to recognize the symptoms.
Just like in people,
A stroke occurs either when blood flow
to a part of the brain is obstructed,
which is an Ischemic stroke,
or when a blood vessel bursts,
which is a Hemorrhagic stroke,
and this deprives nerve cells and their pathways of oxygen,
Strokes in dogs occur suddenly,
without any proceeding warning signs,
they should be non-painful,
but cause an abrupt and severe onset of symptoms,
neurologic symptoms relate
to the area of the nervous system,
where the stroke has occurred.
Symptoms of a stroke in a dog's forebrain,
include walking in circles,
seizures,
behavior changes,
head pressing and blindness.
Brainstem and cerebellum strokes symptoms include,
poor balance, weakness on one side of the body,
high stepping, head tremors,
severe mentation changes and acute circling.
Strokes can occur in older dogs,
secondary to a chronic metabolic disorder,
such as Hypothyroidism, Renal disease, Cushing's disease,
Neoplasia, and Cardiac disease, in cases of Ischemic strokes
or High blood pressure, Platelet disorders,
Clotting disorders, Metastatic cancer,
and Toxicity in cases of Hemorrhagic strokes.
However about 50% of strokes in dogs,
have no identifiable underlying cause.
It's also worth noting that some dog breeds
are more prone to strokes,
such as Greyhounds and Mini Schnauzers.
First step to treating strokes,
is an early and accurate diagnosis.
Baseline blood work including,
hematology and biochemistry profile,
and coagulation testing if necessary is required.
MRI is the best test to diagnose a stroke.
MRI can assess restriction of blood flow,
and depending on the size of the dog,
it can identify abnormal blood vessels in the brain.
MRI can also evaluate for blood breakdown products
to identify Hemorrhagic strokes,
computed tomography or CT scans,
may sometimes show a lesion,
especially if they are Hemorrhagic strokes.
CT is less detailed than MRI for the brain,
making it more difficult
to differentiate some strokes from a brain tumor.
That is the major flaw for CT for imaging the brain.
Accurate diagnosis is critical as treatment
and prognosis for cancers and strokes are very different.
Once a diagnosis of stroke is reached,
further testing is recommended to find the underlying cause.
This may include further blood work,
an abdominal ultrasound, coagulation profiles,
thyroid testing, urinalysis and blood pressure testing.
Stroke treatment in dog's involves treating
an underlying metabolic disease,
blood thinners and supportive care.
A dog's recovery from a stroke,
depends on the stroke severity and underlying conditions.
Many dogs will start to improve within a few weeks,
while others need more time.
In roughly 50% of cases with
no identifiable cause of stroke,
subsequent strokes can be less likely to occur.
The other 50% of dogs will likely have one again,
at some point, if there's an underlying cause,
that is driving the strokes forward.
However, since dogs are rather resilient
in their ability to deal with these injuries,
long-term prognosis is generally good,
in those that are treated early
and given the supportive care they need.
Options for treating strokes vary,
depending on the underlying cause,
and the severity of the stroke.
Even pets with dramatic symptoms,
can make excellent recoveries.
An accurate diagnosis, finding an underlying cause,
supportive care and physical rehabilitation,
are all critical to your pet's prognosis.
If your pet is showing symptoms of a stroke,
such as circling, behavior changes, seizures, head pressing,
blindness, loss of balance or loss of motor function.
We strongly recommend you seeing a Veterinary Neurologist
as soon as possible,
to give your pet the best chance of recovery.