Strokes

Senior dogs suffer from many similar conditions to old people – strokes being one of them.  Strokes occur when a particular part of the brain is starved of oxygen and this results in that area of the brain being affected and not working properly.  Often the clinical signs are one-sided, meaning that one half of the brain is altered but the other half is fine.  The big difference between dogs and humans is the dog’s ability to recover.  With medication our canine friends can return to normal or cope with mild signs.

Dogs who have had a stroke give varying signs but most commonly they will have a head tilt to either the right or left.  This affects their balance so can make them walk round in a circle or wobble or stagger.  They can also have nystagmus  - this is when the eyes flick quickly from side to side and this contributes to the dog’s disorientation.  Sometimes the signs can be worse and involve collapse or the inability to get up.  The signs come on very quickly and urgent medical attention at your vets is required.

As the signs of a stroke are quite specific, the vet can usually diagnose the problem on a thorough clinical examination of your dog.  The main area to rule out would be an inner ear infection as that would result in the same balance problems.

Initially, the dog is given an injection of anti-inflammatory medicine.  This is often given into the vein and at a high dose so that it acts as quickly as possible to prevent further swelling and brain damage.  This medication is then continued for a short period in tablet form to help continued reduction in swelling of the brain tissue.

Long-term treatment is aimed at preventing further strokes from occurring. This is done with medication that helps increase the blood circulation and so stops the brain being starved of oxygen.  It also helps the other organs such as the liver and kidneys by improving their blood supplies and it often gives elderly dogs a lot more energy.

Other supplements can help improve the removal of free radicals, which can build up in the brain and affect how well the nerves transmit information resulting in the dog appearing slightly senile.

The balance problems and eye flicking usually resolve within a few days but the head tilt often takes longer and some dogs remain with it but usually cope very well.