Your dog can have a stroke and you may not know it. Yes, as you read it, dogs (also cats) experience strokes like people. Of course, these strokes occur in a much lower proportion in dogs than in humans (according to Affinity Petcare, it occurs in 2% of dogs that come to the clinic with neurological problems) and if the attack is not very severe, the animal will recover.
Stroke occurs when the blood flow to the brain is interrupted , either because there is a clot blocking the circulation, or because a blood vessel has ruptured and hemorrhage has occurred. By interrupting the normal circulation of the blood, neither the oxygen nor the glucose it needs to function as it should reach the brain.
How to know if the dog has had a stroke?
There are certain symptoms that are quite obvious and that can be indicative of stroke, such as the dog having half its body paralyzed or even all four legs, it moves its eyes and head strangely, it has no coordination or even convulses . However, symptoms do not always appear at the same time that the stroke is taking place but may appear later (especially when the stroke has been caused by a rupture of a blood vessel and subsequent bleeding). Be that as it may, if your dog has these symptoms of stroke and / or the ones that we tell you in the photo gallery below, don’t even think about it, run to the vet since your furry’s life is in danger.
Is there treatment?
For stroke in dogs, there is no therapy as such, but rather a series of supportive care and treatment of the disease that may have caused it (arteriosclerosis, hypertension, parasites, a tumor, endocarditis …). If prevention is always indicated to avoid diseases of all kinds, in the case of stroke it becomes even more important. Frequent physical exercise, proper nutrition, parasite control and regular visits to the vet are key.
We give you more information about stroke in dogs in the gallery below.
