When thinking of stroke, it can be easily be mistaken for just being a health issue humans suffer, but did you know dogs can have strokes too?
Although they occur less often than in humans, both cats and dogs can have strokes.
Sadly, signs of your that your companion may have had a mild stroke can go unnoticed, as your pet cannot tell you if they feel dizzy, lose sight in one eye or have memory issues.
In this article we’ll be looking at how to spot if your dog may be having a stroke and how to help.
First and foremost, a dog stroke is caused by a clot or a bleed, meaning they can suffer from both ischemic and haemorrhagic stroke.
There are five key symptoms to check for if you fear your dog is having a stroke.
Loss of balance
If your dog has suddenly lost sense of balance, becomes unable to stand or needs to lean on things or yourself, this could of been caused by a stroke, as it can affect a dogs ability to stay upright due to damage the stroke has caused to the brain.
Loss of body control
The following issues can be related to dog stroke: Diarrhoea, loss of bladder control, vomiting, gasping, heart arrhythmias and inability to breathe.
However, these issues are also consistent with canine stomach upsets. So, It is of vital essence to be able to differentiate between stomach upsets and stroke.
In dog stroke, these symptoms are much more intense and last for a longer period than an upset stomach.
An example of this is your dog having a constant dry heave and seem to be unable to stop.
Severe tiredness
If your dog appears to fall asleep suddenly, this could actually be loss of consciousness due to stroke.
If your dog does not wake up when you try to get the up, contact your vet immediately.
Directionless
Strokes can cause your dog’s brain to send incorrect information around the body, meaning they may not be able to respond to spoken directions, and instead move in a directionless fashion, unable to walk in a straight line and almost appear to be drunk.
Eye movement
Stroke can affect eye control, watch for any abnormal eye movement such as your dog’s eyes constantly rotating or darting from side to side.
One eye may also stay in place whilst the other moves, or both eyes may appear to be focused on two totally different spots.
If you notice any of these issues, contact your vet.
Meet Ageã Santos and Alvin
Ageã and Alvin have gone viral on social media, as Ageã shares their story of Alvin’s rehabilitation after he had a dog stroke.
A video shared to his instagram account @agea_santos has been shared by big accounts such as @pubity.
In the video, Ageã shows some of the methods he uses to help Alvin recover his mobility after dog stroke.
View this post on Instagram
In the caption, Ageã highlights the struggles he has to be able to care for Alvin, he says: “Only God knows what we’ve been through, how many towels I wash and spread a day, wash and dry him about 10 times a day, because he pees lying down and pees himself all over.
“How much I’ve spent, money I don’t even have, how many sleepless nights.
“The mental and physical fatigue of the past nights, for having stayed up all night awake to hold Alvin up, because it’s been 2 years since he wakes up at dawn 4 to 5 times howling wanting to stand up, I think he still doesn’t understand that he can’t do it alone.
“How many times have I taken him to the emergency day and night, how many times have I knelt down and asked for strength not to get discouraged.
“I do all this with a lot of love, because only those who love do that, those who love take care of it until the last second. In the end, it’s just a rant from a guy who is trying his best to see his furry son walk again.”
