Doc, My Dog had a Stroke

Strokes, also known as cerebral vascular accidents can be devastating in people. A once alert and active adult may be left with deficits in their speech or weakness in their limbs. They can also be fatal.

People often bring their older pets to their veterinarian with the mistaken impression that they have suffered a stroke. Though some of the presenting signs can be similar, strokes occur less frequently in dogs and cats than they do in their caregivers.

Strokes are not common in cats and dogs.

A dog that suddenly has a jaw drop may not have suffered a stroke. If your dog is alert but is unable to close its jaw and food placed on its tongue is easily swallowed, it may be a condition known as idiopathic trigeminal nerve paralysis. The treatment is time. Your pet should improve dramatically in 7 days and have full resolution of all the signs in 3 to 4 weeks.

Imagine the worse case of motion sickness you have ever experienced. This is likely how your dog feels when it is afflicted with ‘old dog vestibulopathy.’ The vestibular apparatus is part of the middle ear that is responsible for our equilibrium. For unknown reasons, it occasionally goes haywire. It can happen in a matter of hours. The hallmarks of this condition are a head tilt, a staggering gait, sometimes so severe that the pet is unable to stand without losing its balance. You may also notice the eyes darting back and forth in a very rapid manner. Motion sickness medications are often the drug of choice. The signs may fully resolve in a few days to week, or your dog may be left with a coquettish head tilt.

Idiopathic facial nerve paralysis seems to sneak up on a dog. You will more commonly see this disorder in older Cocker Spaniels. The signs are an inability to blink their eyes with either dry eyes or excessive tearing. The lips may sag down or the ears may be droop. Treatment is supportive, using artificial tears and time. The signs may never fully resolve.

The immune system can also be responsible for the appearance of facial changes associated with a stroke. The muscles of the face can be the target of an autoimmune disease known as masticatory muscle myositis. The muscles of mastication, or those needed to chew food, can suddenly become swollen, and painful. The jaw may become locked and unable to be opened even if the pet is placed under a general anesthesia. The treatment is corticosteroids and a tremendous amount of supportive care. The prognosis for full resolution is guarded. Samoyeds, Dobermans, and Rottweillers tend to have very severe cases of this disorder.

It takes the expertise of a trained professional to differentiate all the possible causes of conditions that mimic strokes

How can you tell if your dog has suffering from a stroke or one of these conditions? It takes the expertise of a trained professional to differentiate all the possibilities. The answers may not come just from a physical examination but with various tests and diagnostic procedures. When in doubt see your veterinarian because it is “Your Pet…Health Matters.”