Quick trip to vet helped dog recover from stroke

QMy 12-year-old poodle mutt had a stroke last week. My father found our dog lying in bed, where he had defecated. The dog was unable to stand with any coordination, and my father rushed him to our vet. The vet pointed out the dog’s funny eye movements and head tilt and told my father that despite the rapid onset of the stroke that there was a good chance my dog’s problems would resolve. He ran some blood tests and gave the dog a shot of a steroid. By that evening, our dog was almost 100 percent. Within a day or two, one would never know that he had a stroke a short time earlier. Did we dodge a bullet, or does this sound typical? What is the likelihood that he will have another stroke? Is there anything that our family can do to prevent a recurrence?

A It’s great to hear that your family dog recovered so quickly from what definitely does sound like a stroke. I have experienced scenarios like yours with a quick resolution of signs and others that did not fare as well. I think that quick action by your father may have been instrumental in the rapid and positive outcome.

It can be difficult to assess the likelihood of another stroke happening without knowing the specific cause of the initial stroke. Typically, a stroke occurs when there is a sudden loss of blood delivery to an area in the brain, which can be caused by a clot or an area of bleeding. As such, blood tests and a complete physical examination are done to look for possible causes, which can include heart or kidney disease, high blood pressure, cancer or some endocrine issues. In rare cases, further diagnostics might include a CT or MRI.

The signs that are typically seen when a stroke in a dog presents are just as you mentioned, with head tilt, loss of coordination and a nystagmus, in which the eyes move slowly to one side and then rapidly back in the other direction. Occasionally, there is a brief loss of consciousness or blindness, which may or may not resolve.

If your dog has an otherwise clean bill of health, the cause may remain a mystery. I would try to keep the dog from getting overly excited and have regular checks with your veterinarian. It is safe to say you dodged the bullet.