Understanding Canine Stroke Syndrome

I found my 15 yr. old pom/yorkie sprawled out (all 4 legs) on the floor crying. Her head was against the stereo cabinet. I picked her up, but she could not stand. She continued to cry if I carried her, or laid her down. She acted like she wanted down. I put her down ,but hung on to her so she wouldn't fall over. She could walk with her back legs as long as I hung on to her. Eventually I was able to lay her down. After about 15 min., she got up and started running all over the house and banging her head on everything, seemingly on purpose. I took her to the vet he checked her blood and said she needed an antibiotic (her white blood count was up). Her electrolites were off, calcium low, liver enzymes somewhat low, she has a heart murmur. She will not eat, and will constantly walk in a circle. Does this sound like a stroke, a seizure or vestibular syndrome? Will Gaterade help?
Thank you!

Given the abnormal blood results, it would be hard to say what has happened but canine vestibular syndrome or stroke would be possibilities. It will be very important to work closely with your vet to try to get answers.
If she is not eating a solution like Gatorade may be good for helping get the electrolytes back in balance. Also try and tempt her to eat with some of her favorite foods. You may have to hold her steady when she is trying to eat or drink as her balance is off. Good luck.

Dear Dawn,
My dog Snuggles (the Pom/Yorkie) would not drink the Gatorade. I could not get her to eat yesterday. My guess is because the last 2 times she did eat, they were tiny bits with an antibiotic, which made her nauseated, as well as dizzy. She will drink lots of water. Do you have any suggestions as to what to give her to keep her from being nauseated? She is 6 lbs.
Thanks!

If she is nauseated you can speak to your vet about giving her some motion sickness medication or the vet may have a particular product for nausea. You can try giving her ice cubes to lick-you can freeze the gatorade or make up some boullion so see if she will take small sips of that. Some dogs will lick baby food from your fingers when they are unable to hold themselves steady enough to take food or water from a bowl. Just keep trying different things until you find out what she will accept.
Good Luck
Dawn

my dog is 13 and she is haveing trobal standing and walking do you thank she had a stroke ? If so what can we give her thank you

Trouble walking can be caused by many different things. Your dog should be examined by a vet to determine whether it is caused by stroke syndrome or something else, then treatment or management can be decided.

8yr old miniature pinscher has symptoms of stroke. It was sudden onset and after i fed her a treat(not sure if this would cause these symptoms). She looked "drunk", wobbling and disoriented. When we took her to the vet symptoms went away, but she was distracted. Overall demeanor is lethargic and easily startled. She seems like she might not be seeing well, and stress increases tremors. When she stands all symptoms increase. The Dr wanted to run extensive tests that i cant afford. Do you have any advice on prioritizing tests that will rule out only life threatening conditions so that i can minimize the amount of money i spend. Also, does this seem like a stroke or vestibular disease? If i choose not to have anything done are there certain symptoms that indicate the condition has worsened or become life threatening?

While it is difficult to say for sure, based on the symptoms you describe canine stroke is very likely. If you tell your vet what you have written here-that you need to prioritize testing, (s)he should be able to help you determine what steps to take to get a better diagnosis.
If you choose not to do any testing it will just be a matter of monitoring her overall condition. She may or may not have another stroke (if that is indeed what happened). Again, talk to your vet about what to look for and how best to keep her as strong and healthy as possible.

Six weeks ago, our 16 yr old Lasha suffered what seemed to be a stroke. I found her laying on her right, paralized on that side. Before I could get here to the vet she cried out and had a seizure. At the vet's they gave her a shot of Diazipan. That stopped the seizure. It's been a long road back for her. For the first week, she showed no feeling in her right legs. When you picked her up, she was totally limp. Then slowly feeling came back to her rear then front leg. It was about three weeks before she could stand on her own, though she was trying by the second week. She's been getting stronger every day. She can now stand and walk for several minutes at a time. She has even climbed the staircase once. She never did show any head tilting. Her worst problem now seems to be although she's good(but slow) at walking, if she stands too long, she'll topple over on her right side with no warning. She has been on medication for high blood pressure and enlarged heart for quite a while. The heart condition was discovered several years ago. But she's did pretty good with the meds she's on. She does seem to have little muscle ticks or what you might call mini seizures. She's been doing that for a couple of years. She take diazipan daily for that. But I'm starting to wonder if they aren't related to the appearent stroke she suffered. The vet decsibed the attack she had as a contration of a blood vessel as apposed to a blockage. What I'm really trying to do is prevent another attack. Any ideas?

I Have a 10 year old German Shepard named Max, and this past fall time Max fell to the ground with a cry, and at that point he could not get up. After carrying him into the house he eventualy did get up but I could tell he was feeling week. I also noticed that when Max was walking he seemed to keep crossing is hind leges as well as draging the knuckels of his rear paws. I brought him to the his regular vet and he said that he believed Max had spinal stroke and I should keep him down resting and within a few weeks I should see improvment as I did but not much. He would seem fine and then someone would come to the door and Max would run to the door and he would end up limping for about 10 minutes or so from the run. It seems like within the past couple of weeks Max is getting a little more unstable. I have taken messures the best I can to keep him from doing any running. Is this something that will go in time? It seems like this has been going on for a while. What else can I do to help the Healing process?
Thank you!

In Max's case, I would talk to your vet about the possibility of canine degenerative myelopathy. While canine stroke syndrome is a possibility much of what you describe does not fit the typical stroke pattern. Shepherds are particularly prone to degenerative myelopathy (see the above link to neurological disorders in dogs) and the weakness and in-coordinate walking make it worthwhile check with your vet to see if that might be a problem for him.
Good luck!

My dog Poo Bear, is a mixed German Shepard that is over weight, and 12. She seems to have aged over night. She went from a very active dog, to not so active in 6 months. It seem that she aged in her looks too. Last Wednesday night she lost control of her ability to stand and crumble in the floor. She regain the control of three of her legs in a couple of days, but she carried her frout right leg as if it was asleep. She could not place it right and it was sort of turn in. She was still able to walk, but would not climb stairs anymore. Yesterday she fail in the floor again, and she is doing the same things over again. I do not know the true damage yet, being it is early from her second (stroke).She has started to eat and drink again but only can walk a step or two. We have taken her to a vet, and she said only time and TLC would tell at her age. What can we do to help her recover and keep her from having more strokes. (low-dose aspirin maybe) With her having two strokes in a week time, is there any hope, or are we putting Poo through this for nothing? Thank-You for any advice!!!!

It is certainly worth giving PooBear a little more time to see what happens. Although she has had 2 possible strokes, nothing you describe seems like she is in pain. Low dose aspirin has not be used much in dogs because they metabolize it more slowly than humans, making it possible to overdose them. Talk to your vet about other possible medications
If PooBear doesn't have anymore strokes and continues to improve the best thing you can do for her is cut back her food-help her lose weight so that the heart does not have to work so hard (it will also be easier on her back and legs).

hi.
my dog is 14 and she has tumors, but the vet said if she has surgery that she may not make it through. recently she has been having trouble standing and keping her balance and shes been having urinary problems as well.
the other night she got up, and fell, and tried toget up and now her head is titled to one side.
we're scared we are going to have to put her down.
do you have any suggestions?

There are two things to think about in this case. You didn't specify what the urinary problems were but urinary tract infections can cause problems with balance and motor skills. While canine stroke is a possibility, canine vestibular syndrome (see the link above) should also be considered. If either of these has occurred it may be some time before you see significant improvement but it is worth giving it some time (and ensuring that a simple urinary infection is not the cause).

My dog, a German Shepard. Has recently been complaining, and crying. We have noticed that his neck is stiff, like twisted to the right, and stumbles. We don't want him to suffer, and we took him o the vet...they said he had a stroke, and they gave him medicine...and told us to watch him for three days, and to see if he gets better..if not he will be put to sleep. We would hate to put him to sleep is there anything we can do to help him recover... if he has to be put to sleep than we will because we don't want him to suffer...but we really want to help him...
what can we do?

Your vet was right to recommend waiting a few days to see how much of a recovery your German Shepherd might make. Both canine stroke and canine vestibular syndrome look really bad in the early stages but the dogs often recover reasonably quickly. In the meantime, supportive care-making sure the dog is able to eat and drink and helping him to get up when he needs to go out will be the most important things you can do. Good luck.

2 days ago my 5 1/2 yr old min pin was at a friend's house when she called me to tell me my dog had fallen off the sofa onto the tile floor and was not moving. I had her rush the dog to emergency vet and met her there.
Upon arriving, my dog responded to my voice and tried to get up, sort of thrashed around a bit but couldn't stand up. At this point her eyes were dilated and fixed and her tongue was hanging out and she was whining.

Doc almost immediately said that there was no spinal injury. I can't even recall if they have done x-rays, but I would assume they would have as I agreed to all initial recommended diagnostics. At first the doc felt that it was some sort of seizure, as he didn't think such a short fall could cause any harm. They did, however, start treating her for brain swelling and had to work to bring body temp up.

A neurologist looked at her today and said that he thought it was indeed head trauma. 15 hrs after accident, when I visited her, my dog was still out of it. Her pupils were no longer dilated, she seemed to try to look at me and responded somewhat to other things, but otherwise still out to lunch. Her tongue is back in and she has her swallow reflexes. She has eaten, according to tech. No vomiting, no involuntary loss of bowels/bladder, no seizures. She has a head tilt to the right and her front legs aren't working. She seemed to be able to stand on the back, but her front legs are rigid. She will try to stand - with her back and her head curved to the right and just fall over. When I held her she just wanted to lean against me on her right side and would often twist her head back. She seemed to be shivering, though they said her temp was stable. Today at approx 40 hrs, she has made slight improvements.

At this point I have declined the spinal tap and MRI and requested they continue treatment as for head trauma. I felt that she was perfectly fine up to this incident. If it were an infection or tumor wouldn't she have other symptoms? It seems to me the trauma may have triggered a stroke? I am hesitant to do the expensive testing only to be told that is what she has and to continue doing what we are doing. The vet has been snappy and short w/ me since I declined Spinal tap and MRI. I do not feel like she explained enough for me to have justified doiing that. So help!? Any additional thoughts or recommendations? thank you!

I would approach your vet again and explain, as you did to me, that you are not clear as to what the spinal tap (most likely to rule out infection or tumor by looking at the spinal fluid for abnormal cells) and MRI (might show areas of injury/hemorrhage or other abnormality) would tell you. Also, if cost is a factor, be honest about that so she can work with you on giving the best possible care that you can afford.
The symptoms you describe do not fit neatly into canine stroke syndrome and the head trauma diagnosis seems reasonable. Whatever is causing the symptoms, most neurological problems take time to resolve.
Good LUck

hey...i have an 8 year old labrador and she started having seizures about two months ago like 1 every other day. the vet said it could be her liver enzyme levels were high. one day she had over 15 seizures in 1 day, thats when the vet gave me phenobarbital 60mg epilepsy pills so she stops seizures.. seizures have stopped but she seemed to be getting worse she has no energy and spends most of the day sleeping.my vet said she must of banged her head during a seizure and created bleeding in her brain. its been a almost a month it looked like she was getting better but now she cant walk much very weak and disorientated.also walks in circles sometimes and many times she just goes and stands in the corner and looks at the wall and her head is always down. vet is also giving he cortisone injections...vet told me to give her 15 days n if she doesnt get better put her down:(

Sorry to hear about your lab. It could be a stroke and subsequent brain damage, which can sometimes reverse. Saddly, sometimes it doesn't. Give it a little more time and also talk to your vet about possibly reducing the phenobarbital as that can also have effects on how the dog functions (don't want to reduce it if that level is needed to prevent seizures). Good Luck

My dog collapsed as we went back up the stairs to my apt. As he fell he "yelped" and rolled over like his front legs broke. He can eat, drink, and sit up but cannot put any weight on his front legs. At first the vet thought he had a ruptured disk in his neck but the XRay came up negative. Now we are trying physical therapy but it's hard to see him not able to put any weight on his front legs. Did my dog have a stroke or is something else wrong?

A stroke may be a possibility in this case but other neurological problems should be considered as well.X-rays do not find all nerve damage. It may be worth having a talk with your vet about all the possibilities and ways to eliminate some of the possibilities

Hi any advise would be really helpfull
My boxer benji aged 7 three weeks ago started with blood shot eyes so took him to vet and he gave him eye ointment then a week later his head tilted to the right and walked drifting to the right as well took him back to vets put him n Rilexine (antibiotics) and vivitoin (increse oxygen to brain) hes been on these for two weeks now and the vet says just keep him on vivitoin for another two weeks and see how he goes He has also started to flop his left foot when he walks hes eating and drinking fine the vet said if no better then I might have to put him to sleep any advise or alternative med I will try to keep my benji alive
thanks for reading debs

Our 3 year old, 7 lb Yorkie/Terrier mix has been having reoccurring episodes (about 5 in the past 10 months), which leaves her physically debilitated. Each time, she somewhat recovers (within a couple days) from the immediate injuries, but is left a little worse off than before. During the first few episodes, she would bark and defecate, while lying limp on the floor. Both sides of her body were affected, but her left side was worse. She eventually recovered to the point of a mere limp, but a week ago, she suffered a more severe episode when she was barking at someone who was at our door. This time, both sides of her body were completely (initially) paralyzed and she seemed to be gasping for air with her tongue hanging out of her mouth, but her eyes did't seem to be affected. Again, she has recovered somewhat and is on an anti-inflammatory. However, she barely walks now, as it appears that she only uses her left limbs as "pegs". Additionally, she has about a 1/4 of the bark she used to have. We've also switched to soft food bc she wasn't eating her regular hard food. She is eating and drinking, though. Lastly, she is having problems controlling her urination. We've been to three different vets since the episodes began occurring and the last one suspected a brain tumor. After witnessing these episodes and it's effects on my dog, my gut tells me that these are strokes, but please tell me what you think.

For the boxer, your vet's recommendation of giving it some time is important.Whether it is stroke or vestibular syndrome or something else, the body has amazing healing powers and often dogs will recover some, if not all, of their functions. If the flopping foot is an issue chat with your vet about whether a bootie would help. These can function to hold the foot in the correct position and help the dog walk comfortably.
For the yorkie- canine stroke syndrome is not so common in younger dogs, which may be why the vet suggested a brain tumor rather than strokes. If the symptoms continue to worsen the possibility of a tumor becomes more likely. But I hope I am wrong and that she begins to improve. Good Luck

My 10 year old, 100 lb, lab mix went into a general decline - unwilling or unable to run - wouldn't go up stairs and then 3 nights ago peed and pooped in the house at night. then his eyes became very sunken and he appeared super weak. Also walked with his head lowered - kind of like a bear. A vet friend said he looked like bilateral Horners and that their was some neurologic deficeit but she couldn't say what. Appetite is normal - urine and feces are normal (just doesn't seem to make it outside). Took him to Emergency Vets and they wanted to do CT, MRI and CSF - we are unable to finance these tests. All blood work is normal - kidneys, WBC, RBC, potassium, etc. Did not do X-rays as vet did not seem to feel that a tumor or mass in the head/spine would show. She prescribed 20mg Pred x 2 x 7 days and then 20mg Pred x 1 per day. The Pred seemed to clear up the Horners and his eyes are better almpst immediately. Now he wanders in large circles - usually but not always to left. Will find him standing facing a wall or other immovable object. Seems like his vision may be compromised but he definitely sees movement - notices moths at night. Can't seem to get him to lay down and relax - seems restless but weak so I worry about him. How long should the Pred take to resolve issues or will it? Either my husband or I now sleep on the couch to be downstairs with him.

So sorry to hear about your lab. The pred can only do so much if your dog has had a stroke but give the full course of treatment so it has the chance to do as much as possible. Time may also help him recover further, just as people often improve over time after a stroke. If there is a mass/tumor, then he will continue to decline. You might want to talk to your vet about something to calm your dog for a few days. Often in cases of canine stroke the dog is disoriented and that may contribute to the restlessness. He will heal better if he can rest properly.

Earlier today, my 13 y.o. border collie/aussie mix suddenly had trouble balancing, could not right herself after she fell and has a head tilt. She walks and stands with splayed legs and continues to stumble. My dad gave her a baby aspirin which she later vomitted up. She is also having a hard time controlling her bladder. I Googled "canine stroke" and a couple of articles said that strokes can look like other diseases, but none said which ones. We called a vet and they said it might either be a stroke or seizure. We're going to give her time to see how she does and take her in soon if she doesn't improve. My family is very concerned as she has always been an exceptionally healthy dog.
Thank you.

2 days ago I came home to find my 17 year old son outside with our 7 yr old border collie mix he said he had seen her trying to walk to him when her legs gave out and she could no longer walk, up to this point she has been a healthy happy dog. She is an outside dog and that's where she is right now but she refuses to stay in her house and she keeps crawling far out in the back yard but can't walk she loves to be under the big trees we have in our back yard she seems alert to us and wags her tail but she just can't walk it's been 2 days now. How long should I give her and do you think this is something that can get better in time? She has always been a very active dog and looks so sad right now. I have taken the next 2 days off to make a humane decision. It there someone out here that can give me some good advise. I am a single parent and unfortunately do not have the money for extensive tests or vet bills. We love her and don't want to see her suffer needlessly.

About the border collie who can't walk-it could be a stroke or a back injury. If you're not seeing improvement in a couple of days you may need to make the tough decision. If you can afford a trip to the vet to talk to him about anti-inflammatories (don't give human anti-inflammatories and dogs react badly to some of them) that would be the least expensive/most helpful thing to try.
good luck

My 10 year old Aussie has developed a severe lameness over the past 9 months on the right front leg. Her x-rays were normal in December but anti-inflammatories and a steroid injection in the shoulder joint did not provide relief. I took her to the surgeon in April and the x-rays were normal and the surgeon felt that the issue was a neurological issue. We declined an MRI because of the high cost and limited chance of a exact diagnosis. The front left leg has good range of motion without pain but the leg shows a lot of muscle tone loss and degeneration. Could this be caused by a slight stroke? Thank You!

The aussie with the shoulder problem does not sound typical of canine stroke syndrome. Knowing how aussies love to twist and turn herding the world in every tinier circles it is more likely spinal column or shoulder/foreleg pinched or damaged nerve as acute lameness is not often associated with a stroke. Discuss the options of a canine chiropractor or acupuncture/acupressure to help if you vet agrees that there is likely nerve damage rather than stroke.

I noticed that my 5 year old American Pitbull Terrier was not acting himself, first I thought it was because my female dog was in heat but I don’t think that is the reason, then I thought it was the ligament in his leg that he torn a couple of months ago, which that might be the problem but there is more going on. His head is tilted to the right and his right jowels is slightly hanging, he seems a little of balanced and he’s not eating much (but he never eats much when she is in heat). His right eye is also a little red, which I noticed a couple days before the other symptoms. After reading up on stokes, I think it might be that. I have talked to my vet and he said to wait it out until the female is out of heat and she if he goes back to his normal behavior. I just wanted to get another opinion…Thank you.

While canine stroke syndrome is a possibility for your Am Pitbull, canine vestibular syndrome is another strong possibility in this case. Either way, the most important thing right now is supportive care, ensuring that he has the best recovery possible. Both canine strokes and vestibular syndrome cases may recover significantly over time. Having a female in heat complicates things a bit as he is less likely to rest as much as he would otherwise.

Dear Dr Smith.
Yesterday morning I awoke to find my 9 year old Boston Terrier Napoleon sleeping in his kennel (which he never does). When I woke him up, he was very slow to come out of the kennel seemed to have lost his balance. He was eating and drinking normally and his stool looked normal as well. He was just very slow moving or lathargic, which is unusual for him. He was also unable to jump up on the couch or shake properly. We stayed by him all day just to observe him and he eventually came around. This morning he seems to be funcitoning at about 80% which is good.
Does this sound like a stroke?
He has a heart condition and is on an antibiotic for an unrelated infection in his mouth.

Please help!

A stroke is certainly a strong possibility, given the heart condition. Happy to hear he is recovering quickly and hope he continues to improve.

My 12 1/2year old yorkie is tremendously scared when it rains. Two weeks ago she woke up from her sleep because of the rain and started running around the house aimlessly. She had seizures, and her eyes buldged out. Finally she could not walk at all. She's been on medication, and is now able to eat and drink on her own. Her head tilts to the left at times, and she seems to have more control of her left side more than the right side. She can at times get up and run a few steps and will fall. Do you thing she'll be able to one day be able to walk again?

Your little yorkie may get better over time. If you can, in the meantime, help her up and down, maybe use a towel or something to support her when she wants to get around so it is less stressful to her, that may help. If she gets up and moves around for a little while when she feels like it, that may help improve her strength. It is worth giving her a bit more time to be sure.

I was taking my 15 year old yorkie outside this morning and while he was walking, his front legs collapsed and he could not get back up. He did not whine/cry and give me any indication that he was in any pain, so I tried lifting his body to help him stand up, but his front legs could not support him. I did not know what to do, but I knew he really needed to go out and relieve himself,(he is on lasix for his heart murmur)so I took him and placed him in the grass, and he layed down on all fours but did relieve himself. I carried him back inside and put him down, and all of a sudden he was fine and could walk on all fours. His appetite is normal and he seems to be himself. He was diagnosed with a heart murmur years ago and has been taking lasix, enalapril, and most recently vetmedin. Does it sound like he may have suffered a stroke? or is there anything else it could be?
Thank you!

Such a quick recovery would be unusual for stroke but there could have been a temporary problem with his heart resulting in the weakness. I would check in with your vet to be sure.

I recently woke up to feed my 5yr. old male Boxer, one morning and his hind legs seemed very wobbly as he walked down the stairs. Once he finished his morning breakfast, we headed back upstairs. After ten minutes of straining and unsuccessful of walking back upstairs I had to carry him. I took him to the vet and they found some arthritis build-up on the two lower vertibraes on the x-rays and said could may or may not be the reason, especially since it came at such a rapid pace. We were then referred to a neurologist and they recommended to do a MRI. Their possible reasons could be cancer, ruptured disk, pintch nerve, etc. Once the MRI results came back the vet said that there were no signs of cancer and spinal disk space looks ok. He did see calcium build up also on is spine, but he said that his body has his own natural way of breaking that down and also his not the problem of his legs. He said that because there is no negative signs in the MRI that he could of possibly had a spinal stroke that affected the nerves in his hind legs. During the MRI they also took samples from his spine and sent them to the radiologist.
My question is do you think this could be any signs of a stroke or spinal stroke?
Thanks

Hi, I have a 14 year old female lab, cocker spaniel, beagle mix named Opal. Back in Feb 09 I came home and found her falling down, walking into walls(like she was intoxicated) and her eyes were moving back and forth and above her left it twitched and also she had thrown up a couple of times. Took her to the vet next day, he said she had a minor stroke but did some extra blood work to make sure it wasn't cancer. Gave her Antibiotic, prednisone and reglan(to help with her stomach)She fully recovered in about 1 month with the help of our family who would come over and stay with her when we could not due to work. Last wednesday, I came home and she was walking into walls and falling down and had not eaten any of her food I had left out for her that morning. Her eyes were fine though and no twitching. We took care of her that night but the next morning her eyes were moving side to side and above the left eye twitch was back and she had not eaten anything at all. We took her to the vet and this time they said they are not sure if she had a stroke(not sure if she had stroke back in Feb too). Her heart and lungs and everything else is good they say. They said it could be a brain tumor but whatever it is, it is something neurological. At this point, I am so confused. I understand that they are unsure and I can not afford for a catscan or mri to be done but what can I do to help her. She is my best friend and I just want her to be comfortable while she is with me. I am already giving her baby food and pedialyte mixed with purified water and spending every second with her but what else can I do for her to make her feel more comfortable. And also I am bringing her back to my vet on Wednesday so he can check her. Thank you

For the boxer- canine stroke is certainly a possibility. You might also discuss canine vestibular syndrome with your vet as another possibility, although it is not as common in younger dogs. Perhaps the samples they took will give you a more definite answer.
For Opal- she may have had a couple of episodes of vestibular syndrome (the eye twitching and instability suggest that possibility)rather than a stroke. Whichever it is, you are doing the most important things-ensuring that she eats and drinks and helping her to get around when she needs to go out so she rests and recovers. You should, like last time, see a gradual recovery. Some people have had good luck with using Rescue Remedy or a mild anti-nausea drug to help calm their dogs so you might want to discuss that with your vet.
Good luck!

I have a cross breed male dog that is 16 - 17 years of age. He suffered a stroke 3 days ago and is cuurently staying at the vets. Before the stroke he had increasingly limited mobiltiy because of an injury sustained in his youth.What level of recovery can we expect and are we doing him any favours by prolonging his life when the quality of his existance is lessening all the time? We love him dearly but are concerned that we keep him going more for our benefit than his.

The decision to say goodbye to a long time friend is always difficult. You will need to look at whether there is any significant recovery happening and how is his attitude(does he seem calm and 'serene' and does he respond when you visit him?)? If he can come home you may be better able to judge whether it is time or not. While your vet can help advise based on how he is doing, you know him best and must weigh the pros and cons. It is never easy. My sympathy and empathy to you.

Hi there,

3 days ago we were walking our previously healthy 5 year old, retired racing greyhound when we noticed he suddenly started to "high-step" with his front left paw. We stopped to investigate and he seemed ataxic. We managed to walk him back home but he was unstable on his front and rear left side. He tried to get up our front steps but was unable without help. He seemed distressed but in no pain. We brought him to our vet and had to lift him in and out of the car. At the vet his neck/back was supple and cranial nerves intact and there was no localized pain. He did not fall but was very reluctant to place his left paws (front in particualr) on the floor, almost as if he was not sure where the floor was. Wihin 3 hours with no intervention the episode resolved and Chopper trotted out of the clinic and jumped into the car. He has been fine since with no weakness. I think he may be stretching, yawning and shaking (as in wet dog, not trembling) a bit more but am watching his behavour very closely. Our vet has not been very helpful and it seems our 2 choices are to bring him to the vet college for an assessment and perhaps MRI etc. or do nothing. I think this may be a TIA but worry that we are missing something and I'm very anxious looking for signs that this might recur. With this history are there investigations you suggest? (he's had nothing so far) Would low dose ASA be an option in a dog? Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks!

it is possible your greyhound had a TIA but without a full neurological workup it is impossible to say. Since the recovery was so rapid you may decide to watch and wait until another episode occurs.If you are concerned a workup at the vet school may be the best investment you can make as you will have a clearer picture of what happened.
ASA should not be used except under close veterinary supervision. Dogs can only handle a very low dose and take much longer to clear this drug, resulting in toxic overdose issues. And greyhounds are notorious for being slower to clear drugs from their systems, putting your dog in a higher risk category.
Good luck

A week and 3 days ago my 2 1/2 yr old chihuahua started spinning in a constant left circle. To date this has not stopped. She also cocks her head to one side and has an unequal pupil. Our vet started treating her for an ear infection and slight concussion (maybe a fall do to imbalance.) She has been on an antibiotic and prednisone to date with no change. I took her to an ER clinic, that, in a nutshell...thinks it's a stroke. After that visit, they started meclazine for imbalance/dizziness, wich has not helped. She is still able to eat and drink but I don't know how much longer she can do this. MY QUESTION IS: In other cases will this resolve or should we put her down?

While you might still see some improvement in the next week or two, it gets less likely as each day passes. Depending on how you feel she is handling this- does she seem stressed or unhappy?-it may be time to discuss her prognosis further with your vet/the emergency clinic or a specialist.
The fact that she is eating and drinking is a good sign in that she will not deteriorate from lack of nutrition or dehydration. So if she is not too uncomfortable or unhappy it is probably worth giving her a bit more time but do talk to one of the vets who has seen her or a neurologist before you make your decision.

My moms dog seemed to have had a stroke. We were gone part of the day and when we got back she didn't run to the door as she always does. Her pupils were dialated all the way and she could not walk at all. Her back legs do not work. My mom called the vet and they said there was nothing they could do if she did have a stroke. She has a blank stare and seems confused and scared. She has no control over her bowl movements. Everyday she seems more alert and her tail seems to be more stiff but she still cannot walk or use her back legs. She eats and drinks very well. I am not sure what to do.

My 10yo toy-poodle Richi, last Thursday started falling on the right side with his behind. the tail was to the right all the time. on sat we took him to Vet ER. The doctor said that based on the simptoms he has a vestibular disorder. they gave us pills from dizziness and antibiotics. They did mentioned that it might get worse before it gets better. Almost a week later he siims to keep getting worse. He cant walk as well, almost like his is on the ice. the front right paw is folded towards his body so he tries to walk on 3 legs. keeps falling. he is eating and drinking ok, responds to our voices and is not hurt anywhere, cries a little when I pick him up. He also did not poop since last thursday so that is another problem now we dont know how to deal with. Any suggestions? Thank you

For both the toy poodle and the dog with the blank stare, it is time to talk to your vets or see another vet. While it is true that nothing can be done for a stroke, help with supportive care and a discussion of other possible problems are needed. Sometimes things do get worse before they get better but it is best to keep in close contact with your vet to be sure you are doing whatever you can and that what is happening is truly stroke related.

Hi Dawn,
I think our 8.5y old chow/collie x (Max) has had a stroke. We were awoken 2 hrs ago by a blood curdling yelping, pain sound, and we found max laying at food of bed eyes open, blank look, not responding, not able to get up. At first I thought it was a seizure, but he can't move his left side. we took to vet (24hr) and he said he wasn't sure, wanted to monitor him, give him fluids and see how he did. His pulse was 136 (he was scared) his right pupil was sluggish when flashlight shone in it, but frankly I was surprised both eyes seemed to stay fairly dilated. His demeanor is different, he's a barker w strangers, he didn't react to vet, doesn't wag his tail when we talk to him. We took him home as we were not totally confident in vet. I'm a nurse, am watching him overnight. no fever, resps easy. To me it's a wait and see, we are a one income family and I can't afford major testing etc, esp if they can't do much for him. This set of sx seems exactly like human stroke sx to me.. the vet was talking metabolic disorders etc, sending off bloodwork, xrays, etc.. when I asked about stroke he said he wasn't sure. I realize without testing no one can be sure. Max is really active, he had hubby run 4-5x a week for 45-1hr, he's really a playful guy but he doesn' seem like our maxie right now. We want to help him abd be supportive, my husband is busted up thinking he has been running max to much, blaming himself. I told him that dogs are meant to run and they both love it and look forward to it, so to not do that to himself. I'm really hoping max will recover from this on his own, but frankly, he looks like stroke patients I've cared for.. I'm counting on him being a dog and recovering better than we frail humans. Do you know of any other diseases or disorders that would cause a left sided paralysis other than a right brain stroke?
...Pam...

Canine stroke syndrome is certainly a strong possibility for Max. And while extensive testing would rule out problems such as metabolic disorders, a watch and wait approach is probably fine. If there is any dramatic worsening of symptoms, then further testing would make sense. Running is not likely to have caused the stroke, rather it likely has helped keep Max strong and healthy and may aid in his quick recovery.
Canine vestibular syndrome is another outside possibility but one sided paralysis is unusual with vestibular disease.
I wish Max a speedy recovery.

My 6.5 year old Jack Russell Rat Terrier mix was showing signs of stroke. All of a sudden, she exhibited incoordination, dialated pupils, head bobbing, and couldn't walk for about 1-2 minutes. While attempting to walk, her back legs kept coming around to the front of her body, and she would fall over. AFter coming out of the episode, she had no lasting effects, but was whining and shaking for a good 5-10 minutes. I took her to the vet, and all her bloodwork was completely within normal ranges. I am completely stumped. Any ideas?

For the Jack Russell, consider idiopathic epilepsy (seizures from unknown cause) or possibly canine vestibular syndrome rather than stroke. Neither of those diagnoses would include abnormal bloodwork. Epilepsy would be more likely based on the quick recovery but in either case, it makes sense to wait and see if there is another occurrence before doing any more expensive diagnostic work

sir plz tell me if dog suffering for paralysis then his tail and legs haveing some moment or not if neck is broken

unless you know the dog had a traumatic injury to the neck, it is more likely a stroke or other neurological problem

My boxer dog was walking, just normaly and suddenly fell over. He started urinating as he was laying down. when he got back up, he was fine. What does this indicate, and what can I do about this?

I rushed my siberian husky to the vet yesterday when his behavior changed suddenly after feeding him. The vet found he either had a stroke or a seizure. My husky had a temporary loss in motor skills, loss of balance and seemed to lean sideways, trying to walk but falling every so many steps. It lasted one minute yesterday but today, it lasted 3-5 minutes. There was no loss of bladder or bowels.

Yesterday, my vet did a full blood panel. My dog has a very low calcium rate which my vet sent me home with Pet Tabs w/ calcium. Do you know what would cause that?

My dog usually eats Iams (Mini Chunks) or Euranubas Low Fat Food for Large Dogs. My dog weighs 65 pds. But today, since he wouldn't eat any dry food, I gave him a can of EN that has calcium in it. I'm just not sure what to do now.

It is possible that the seizures are caused by the low calcium but why the calcium levels are low is something you should discuss with your vet. Talk to your vet also about other calcium rich foods that might be good to give your husky, ones that will not add to the weight management isses

My dog is 14 yrs old, overweight, as hard as I try I cannot get the weight off of him. In the last two months during the night he has what I think are seizures, just for a second then looses control of his bladder. In the last year his hearing & eyesight have been going, but these seizures have surprised me. He also has a very bad cough, sounds like a fog horn. He is small, should weight 10 lbs but actually weighs 15 lbs.
I also have a Staffordshire Terrier around 10 yrs old. This morning I let her out because she was going to throw up, she did a little then passed out, I thought she had a heart attack and died! She did get up, wobbled into the house, laid down on the heater vent for a minute, then she was fine....does that sound like a stroke

In both cases you may be seeing epilepsy (seizures)-we often have no way of knowing the cause. Strokes are also a possibility.

I have a boxer approximately 7 years old, approximately 2 months ago he hit his head fairly hard agaianst a door while we were playing with one of his toys, he got up and was fine. approximately 2 weeks ago he fell over foamed at the mouth and urinated while laying on his right side , again he got up and wa fine since then he ha had trouble with his balance, walking, or jumping up on the bed, he has a good appetite and drinks well.he acts very lethargic. I took him to the vet and the he was put on antibiotics. he has lost muscle mass in his face andwalks in circles. he does remind me of a person who has had a stroke. he also seems to have a growling sound when he sleeps, he has always snored but his is like a lounder almost deeper sleep snore. The vet recomended an MRI, but I really can't financial afford approximately $3000, thats what one of the colleges in my area will charge, and thats just dignostic testing. The vet we go to has also recommended trying a steroid. I believe he has had a stroke, are there ant medicationsor physical therapy that I can do to try to help my dog improve. Duke is my best friend and i want to do all I can for him

Your boxer may have had a stroke but he may also have a brain injury from his accident. A course of steroids (as suggested by your vet) may help determine what is going.

I have a 3yr old bichon. lately he has these episodes at night. He becomes all stiff and he can't stand. He shakes and it seems like he can't breath.I massage his throat and his stomach and i sit him up. It just happened last night and i gave him some milk with syrup, that seemed to worked really good. Can u tell me what this could be. THANKS ALOT.

For the Bichon, talk to your vet about epilepsy as it is more likely than a stroke at such a young age

This article confirms what i already knew about strokes in dogs. My dog has just had her second. Smaller thatn the first and within 1 day she is much better having seen the vet for treatment.
I am trying to find out whether diet can help. I am trying a commercial dog food but some write ups are not too supportive of this dog food.
I was hoping to find an article that said eat more x, y and z to aid/support brain function (x,y and z being ingredients rather than a commercial product.
Unfortunately no site seems to do this.

Hi Dawn- I have a nearly 13 yr old Golden, 6 months ago she had a mastectomy, followed by a spleenectomy 5 weeks later. The spleen biopsied as hemangioma with 2 tumors on it, one which was a bleeder. My girl has been losing her hearing and energy since the spleen surgery, but has otherwise been pretty healthy. When I got home 3 days ago, she had obviously has a stroke- the head tilt, the imbalance, even the over look of her- she looked like Kramer from Seinfeld. My vet was out, and the next morning when I reached the vets office, they referred me to a substitute vet- I was prepared to put her down if needed- and the vet was willing to, but suggested giving her a day of indulgence. None of her favorites ( Dairy Queen, Milk Bones) even tempted her, but a lot of brushing, loving and hugging were given. This morning, the head tilt is much less, her balance isn't great but is better-- so I guess what I wanted to point out to others is not to give up hope- while she looked bad 3 days ago, she is making a gradula improvement- it can chance I know in an instant-- but even 3 extra days of love is a good thing!

I have an akita mix we rescued from the shelter on mothers day...she started having these minor episodes where her body would just lock up and tremble as if her muscles wanted to relax but wouldn't...they would only last 3 min or so and once she was over it she would stand up and give kisses like it never happened. She's had a handful of them since we bought her. And this last one was the worst. We were walking her outside in the snow when all of a sudden she just locked up and started whinning...when I picked her up she whinned louder and wanted down but she'd just fall to the ground. Her eyes bulged and her breathing was rapid...when the episode was over her back legs weren't working quite right...they wouldn't bend at all. She was also trembling just standing there..she drank alot of water but has been eating very little...only half a cup a day...anymore than that and she vomits it up...any ideas on what I can do to help her?

Talk to your vet about canine epilepsy and vestibular syndrome (see link above) as well as stroke. These are all possibilities.

Hi Dawn Great article. Very informative. I don't think it relates to what is happening to my dog. For the past two nights, for about an hours worth of time, she is experiencing full-body 'twitching'. It will last for about 2-3 minutes then subside for a minute or so then twitch again. The twitches are rapid, non-rhythmic and very from slight and mostly in the back end to strong and completely through the body. It doesn't seem to effect her in any other way. Today, she was playful, ate her meals, very much herself. It has only been last night and tonight that I have noticed this sypmtom. When I get her up and moving the twitching stops. As soon as she settles back to sleep it starts again. But this only lasts about an hour and then she is fine. What on Earth is happening to her? I will try to get her into the vets this week, but I live in a very isolated area and the vet is an hour's drive away and not always available. Any info you can provide in the meantime would be appreciated. Thank you.

im unsure about what is wrong with my dog. my dog is a 3 year old shar-pei. she has eye problems and she hasnt been spayed yet. i dont think these have really effected her. one day we were driving her home on a warm day. she came home normal as she usually is and ate some kibble. then about 15 minutes later she started having what looked like a stroke. she was curling her paws inward and couldn't balance. she was also clenching her jaw. later she vomited. we put her in the bathtub in cool water thinking it was a heatstroke. when we went to the vet they didn't really know what to do.about a week after that she had a mini episode but it lasted about 5 minutes, this was 4 months ago. yesterday when sleeping on the couch she had another episode. i dont think this had anything to do with a heat stroke. after 15 minutes or so she felt better and could walk again. is this mental? does she have a tumor of some sort?

For the shar pei, talk to your vet about canine epilepsy. There are several excellent articles by my colleagues here at Suite on this topic.

I have a Female boxer that is 9 years old.. well for the past 6 months she has been having seizures really bad.. well 4 days ago she had a seizure and fell down the steps to the basement and was jus laying there in a full seiure by the time i got to her.. she had her seizure for about 5 mins then got up like it was nothing and she was ok.. well 2 days ago she started having seizures again.. she had 8 or 9 within a 24 hour period and now 48 hours later she still has not came out of it.. i mean she got up and walked around the first 24 hours and did like she normally does but the last 24 hours she has went down hill bad.. she can not stand now, she can still move and everything but she jus chooses to lay there... she hasnt drank or ate anything in 48 hours now... i forced a little bit of water in her mouth earlier to try to keep her hydrated... i dont know what to do... can someone help me please..

The boxer needs to be seen by a vet asap to determine whether she is epileptic or whether there is something else going on. If it is epilepsy, with that level of seizure activity she needs to be on medication to control it.

My dog Brownie is a Shitzu 6 years old. He was fine yesterday evening, however when I got home from work at 11pm he had trouble getting down from the bed. He was able to go outside but didn't want to put any pressure on his left side. THis morning he wasn't putting any pressure on his left leg or paw at all. I took him to the vet and they said there wasn't any breaks they could feel. They gave him some rimdelin? He still isn't moving around at all. He will eat if you feed to him but doesn't want to get up to drink or go to the bathroom. Any thoughts.

Check the link about to read about other neurological disorders. Your shih tzu may have spinal injury or canine vestibular syndrome or something else. The rimadyl is an anti-inflammatory which will help if it is injury related

I have an 11 yr old Rhodesian Ridgeback. I recently noticed that she's lost the muscle on one side of her head, giving her a sunken skull. She was tested for the muscle atrophy disease which was negative. Her vet thinks she might have suffered some sort of trauma causing nerve damage and this condition. We are watching her for other problems and recently she has started whining and unsettled. The past two nights she has been up frequently but hasn't needed to go. Just need some sleep and she doesn't seem to be in any pain.

Dear Dawn,
My 5 year old shih tzu mix developed conjunctivitis about 2 1/2 weeks ago. After a few days of antibiotic eye ointment, her eyes didn't seem better and her breathing rapidly got labored and congested. I took her back to the vet a week after the first visit, where she was first diagnosed with KCS and put on cyclosporine and eye lubricant, then an upper respiratory infection, then chest x-rays showed pneumonia. She was put on augmentin for 5 days, which helped, although she hasn't eaten much and seems pretty lethargic and weak. I took her back three days ago for a follow up, and the vet said she sounded clear, but still labored, so she gave her 10 more days of augmentin. The past couple days, she's been acting a little blind - running into walls, not seeing her food, but still flinching when I put her eye medicine tubes near her eyes - and very wobbly. She won't go up or down steps unless I hold and guide her and she meanders all over the place when she walks. She can neither find the doggy door nor go out, so she just pees on the floor. Whenever I put her down, she just plops down and doesn't put her feet down. Yesterday, her right eye was pointing down and to the side and twitching, then went back to normal, but her head is now usually tilted to the right. Did she have a stroke yesterday? Or can the combination of KCS, recovering from pneumonia, and feeling sick from antibiotics just make her really off-kilter and possibly lose her vision? Thank you!

For the shih tzu talk to your vet about the changing symptoms. The medications may be involved but a vet needs to determine that.

Dear Dawn, last Wednesday at 3pm my 5year old, slightly overweight, cavalier suddenly started exhibiting fit like symptoms with his legs extended. I held onto him gently to try and calm him and noticed his eyes swaying, he began to pant and having placed him upon the floor we realized he was falling to the left and had a head tilt. We took him to the vets who ran some tests but said he'd be better at home with us. We brought him back and he calmed and napped but wouldn't eat or drink, and seemed very dizzy, yet responsive, even wagging his tail and changing positions. Later on that night he began to get aggitated, was curling to the left almost unnaturally so, began panting and his temperature rose again. We took him back to the vet, where he has remained. Currently he refuses to walk yet has his reflexes,and is still panting with a slight temperature, I think from stress. He has a full apetetite being able to move his head and eat/drink from bowls, but worrying no bladder control and hasn't moved his bowles. We cannot afford MRI testing to confirm the vets suspicion of a stroke. I mentioned vestibular disease to him but he said the symptoms were too severe. Sparky was an otherwise well dog, some history with ear infections, but little else. Your opinion would be greatly appreciated, and I apologize for the above block of essay this is, thank you, Emma.

If anyone could help me with the below, I'd really appreciate it.

We found my 15-year-old pug (Gomez) Saturday morning on the floor. He way laying on his side shaking and his eyes were darting back and forth. His two front legs were stiff. The night prior he was having trouble holding food/water down. We brought him to the animal hospital at 7:30 a.m., where they started running all kinds of tests.

We went back during visiting hours at 6 p.m. to talk to the doctor and check on Gomez's progress. He had been put in an intense care glass cage where oxygen was being pumped in. he was laying on his right side. His he was tilted back toward his tail (as if he was looking up). Both of his left legs were rigid, while his right were flaccid. In addition, his left eye was wide open, while his right seemed to be open normally.

The doctor told us that she had done blood work and found that his white blood cell count was way up, indicating an infection. She said that Gomez exhibited symptoms of an inflamed brain and she had given him an anti-inflammatory for that, which seemed to stop the eye darting. She said she also found through another examination what appeared to be a foreign body in his stomach. She had him on an iv, because he was still not able to hold anything down and also to administer antibiotics. She said without a CT it was hard to know anything else, but she couldn't get the radiologist in until the morning and that visitor hours were over.

The next morning another doctor was on duty. She told us that Gomez seemed to be comatose and that she said she wanted to do a CT and a spinal tap, although, because Gomez is 15 years old, any procedure involving anesthesia (which both of these do), is high-risk and he may not wake up. We asked the doctor if it were her dog, what would she do? She said she would do nothing.

We took him from the hospital back to our house and put him on a pillow, covered him in blankets and made him as comfortable as possible. Every four hours we flip him from side to side to avoid bed sores. We check him every hour to try to feed him some food the vet gave us (high calorie, high fat soft food) and water through an eye dropper, we massage his legs every couple of hours and every 6-8 hours we express his bladder.

It is now Tuesday morning. Gomez's paralysis on his left side has not improved. He cannot stand on his own. He barely shows interest in food and water and last night when he did show a lot of interest, he threw everything up.

Here is my question: I love this dog more than most anything in my life (more than most people). He is my world. It's heartbreaking to watch him in this state, but I would do anything for him if there is a chance he could improve. Although he doesn't appear to be in pain, I don't know whether what I'm doing is selfish/cruel or helpful. He cannot walk, he cannot sit up, he can't eat on his own (not that he's interested in eating), he can't even go to the bathroom by himself. He's 15 years old and has led the most loved, wonderful life a dog could ever lead. I've searched the Internet looking for similar stories and have found several where the dog recovered after several weeks from paralysis, some not completely, others totally. The stories have never been exactly the same, in that the dogs in the stories don't share all of Gomez's symptoms. So here's the question: I want Gomez to continue his life with me and I will of course continue this care if need be, but is the decision I don't want to make the best thing I could do for him given his symptoms and state

Any advice/help would be VERY VERY welcomed.

My dog is having a hard time walking we kow she has arthritis but a few weeeks ago we started noticing that the side her hip hurts the most was really stiff. she doesnt move it much and when she does she welps. And then here recently that side of her body will what it seems like stops working she rarely blinks the eye on that side and her mouth on that side kinda drupes and she tilts her head to that side, it scares me cuz the vet keeps saying he cant find anything wrong w her but then when i took her to the vet and he diagnosed her with an undetermined virus in her ear but only because her head is tilting. but i was reading about what she "supposedly" has and nothing matches up except for the head tilt.

I have a huge question we were told our dog had 'rolling dog sydrome' or possible stroke. we were giving some meds. to help and told it would clear up in a few days to 6 weeks if it wasn't a stroke. he seemed to get better now he worse than before. we plan on taking him to the vet tomarrow because our vet. is closed right now. my question is how fast can a stroke hit vs. the rolling dog sydrome?

Recently our 10 yr. old boxer had a stroke (1/1/10). He seemed to have recovered somewhat but then about 3 weeks ago, got a little worse. When we took him to the vet on New Year's Day - the vet did a test of placing his foot curled on the floor to see if he would straighten it out - to which he didn't do it very quickly. While he does walk with a head tilt, when we go for walks he looks like a puppy again. But in the home, this weekend, he fell several times. It appeared as though he could not get his footing. He is on Zubrin for arthrits along with liquid glycosamine/chondortin (just added this to his diet). We have been told we could get a MRI to rule out cancer, but being that this is so expensive and if it were cancer, at age 10, not sure there would be anything else we could do. Any other suggestions? This is really hard on us as he is such a great dog and a dear member of our family! Thank you!

For the boxer, it is a combination of wait and see (is it getting worse), how much time you are able to devote to his care and what is his overall quality of life. Think about confining him in an area with bedding or carpeting to protect him if he falls.

Dr. Smith

4 days ago my 16 year old border collie (April) showed signs of a stroke, she couldn't barely walk, was especially having a hard time with her back legs. Her eyes were twitching, which we figured was a seizure, she did not eat and then lost her ability to hold pee. We got her to the vet that day who said she had a stroke and gave her some shots and some pills for her heart and seizures. She has a history of thyroid problems which she has been on steady medication for the past few years. She seemed much better after the vet looked at her, but the next morning she had another stroke. But now 2 days after the last stroke she is making some grate improvements but is still wobbly, she is eating and drinking and has stopped wetting herself. Is there any other things I can do to help her. I have been massaging her back legs and feeding her small amounts of wet dog food throughout the day so she wont vomit it up. Should I exercise her a little at a time and build her up. Any recommendations would be very appreciated.

I have a healthy 70lb mix dog. Updated on all shots and physical exams. He is on allergy shots which he has been on for years. The pass year he will occasionally get the little shakes last like a brief second. There has been 2 episodes in the past 12 months where he has just calapse. Last night was the 2nd time he was coughing so I got up and then he just calapse for a few minutes. I check his pulse, heart rate and breathing everything was normal, but would not react to anything. Even put a cookie right in front of his mouth and nothing. Just a blank stear then back to normal. He goes to the bathroom and everything is fine. I am curious what it might be a mini stroke, seizures or what. I don't have money to be running tons of test. Any suggestions?
Thank you
Allison

this sounds more like epilepsy but talk to your vet about both canine stroke and epilepsy and how to distinguish them without a lot of testing.

My 16 year old shih tzu had a stroke a little over a week ago. She is getting better. She went from not eating or drinking and unable to stand or walk at all to eating and drinking with help and she can stand for a few seconds and take a couple of steps on her own when she is not too tired. I keep getting told to put her down because she is old but she seems to be improving in a short time and is not in pain. Does anyone know a time frame for dogs to recover?

Dawn,
Our 13 yr old mutt Zelda (42 lbs), has had 3 occasions in which she experiences sudden weakness in the hind limbs, each time getting worse. Each time there was a little improvement afterwords She has lost strength in her hind limbs though, as she does not jump as well. It seems as if her hind quarter and legs are atrophying. Would a small strokes look like this?
Thanks

My GSD Callum aged nearly 12 acted very oddly on sunday morning, he started screaming very loudly, so we ran to see what the matter was and he looked confused and scared, so we held him and calmed him down and then he was walking round the house just looking very confused and just wouldnt settle, his breathing was rapid and after about 20 mins he laid on his bed and eventually calmed right down, he is now back to normal but i do wonder if it was a very mild stroke or not.

Friskie, my 14 yr old Sheppard / Collie cross is no longer frisky. He has lost a lot of strength in his legs and needs help climbing stairs or geting in to the car. He's been taking metacam and glucosamine chews for a couple of years but, still on some days he finds it hard to get up and greet me when I come home. and he seems to limp a lot more recently. Lately his back legs have given out on him and he can't get up. His legs become splayed out to the side and he can't seem to get them under him to get up on all fours. Two weeks ago we came home to find he had slid backwards under an end table and looked exhausted, uncomfortable and afraid. I don't know how long he was trapped. Yesterday he got caught under the coffee table with his front legs on one side of the supports and his back legs splayed out behind him. He couldn't get upright and he couldn't get out. I hate to think what would have happenned if I was not home. What could be going on? I hate to see him suffer so, but I don't feel ready to have him put down.

For Friskie, talk to your vet about strokes and degenerative myelopathy. Also consider confining him in a room where he can't get trapped by furniture when you are not home.

i have a puppy that suffers with stroke how can you help it

Our, almost 17 yr old sheltie Kali, suddenly lost all her leg strength at once. I heard her flailing around on the floor trying to stand up. She was alert, not like I would think a dog with a stroke would be, but her legs were splayed out to the sides and she absolutely cannot get up. This happened Saturday night so we had to take her to the emergency vet 45 miles away. Today is monday and we have an appt at 2:30 to put her down. It would be easier i she weren't so alert and knows what's happening around her. The ER vet had no clue. gave her a steroid shot because upon palpation of her spine it ilicited pain, but only in the low back region. He also gave her a pain shot and liquid Tramadol.
Of course, she is also incontinent now.
Any thoughts? We think putting her down would be best, but don't know what is happening to her and don't want to loose her unnecesarily.

Talk to your vet about canine vestibular syndrome in addition to the possibility of a stroke. If you have seen no improvement, that does not bode well for her recovering whichever the cause.

I have a 15 year old Chow Chow that had a stroke last Sunday. We took her to the vet and they confirmed it was a stroke. They gave her steroids and a antibiotic and her eye spinning has stopped and she is eating and drinking again but is still unable to walk. Do you think there is any hope for recovery?

You don't say how long ago the ChowChow had the stroke but if it is less than a week and you are seeing regular improvement give it a little more time.

My 15 year old beagle has a large tennis ball tumor on her hip. Surgery is not advisable due to her age. Anyhow, she's been acting like she's getting dogzheimers for some time now. Also seems like her hearing has gone over the last few months. Over the weekend she started slowing down some and had a few potty accidents on the rug which isn't unusual for her at times, since she gets into the dry cat food. Well on Monday she started to get weaker and would fall, she kept her tail tight between her legs and wouldn't move it. Then she pants heavily and started walking in circles. This morning she was wimpering in her bed and I woke up to find her in an odd twisted position with her head tilted to the right. When I carried her outside her whole neck and head was leaning to the right. Today she cannot walk, her legs just dangle like wet noodles. She ate a little and drank a little but no other interest in food. Is it a stroke or vestibular ?

Our beagle was put to sleep on the 29th. She was not getting better from her stroke and spent the entire night whining every minute. She stopped eating, drinking, pottying. Couldn't walk anymore. We took her to vet who examined her before the final decision was made. We were notified our beloved dog had a large mass in her abdomen and did have some sort of stroke. We will miss her !

I have a 8 yr old Shar pei mix tonight she was standing and all of sudden started crying and fell to the ground with her right front paw curled under her. This happended for about a minute then she go up breathing hard and disoriented. She has drank water since and is sleeping fine now. I am not sure what is wrong with her and am goibg to take her to Vet. It does seem she is fine now. But I am still very concered. It does sound like a Stroke?

For the shar pei, look also at the link above for canine vestibular syndrome and talk to the vet about epilepsy as another possibility.
Good Luck

My 8 year old pit/lab mix dog got sick yesterday after I fed her a rawhide bone. She seemed fine all day, but then around 12am I heard a big thump by her water bowl where I found her lying there limp with her jaw clinched and tongue hanging out. She was alert but wouldn't move. Throughout the night she tried to get up with no success. She got sick out of the side of her mouth and just laid there. then she went to the bathroom on herself. I cleaned her up and planned to take her to the vet in the morning. Well around 5:30am all of a sudden, while laying on her side, all 4 legs shot out and I could see the panic in her eyes. I tried to comfort and love on her and then all of sudden she was gone. All in a matter of like 1 minute. Can someone tell me what could have been wrong with her? I'm sooooooo upset and don't know what else I could have done.

Hello, our 16 yr old shepard/collie mix had a stroke a few days ago. We've already taken him to our vet who made the diagnosis. He seems to be doing a little better considering how he was immediately after the stroke. He has the head-tilt and although he's not very stable, he can stand and walk. My problem at this point is he's refused to eat for 3 days. He acts like he wants to eat, (wags his tail, smells the food) but he won't take even a bite. We've tried several of his favorite foods but he just won't eat. He is taking water so that eases my mind a little but I'm becoming very concerned about nutrition. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

We have a 10 year old shih tzu that we rescued from the humane society a year and a half ago. Since we've had her, she's been diagnosed with diabetes,high blood pressure, Cushing's disease and has gone blind. We think she might have had a stroke last weekend. I really don't want to take her to the vets, as that would mean a lot of tests, and, frankly, her usual maintenance is expensive as it is--the insulin, the lysodren, etc. The tests would probably tell us what we already know. We just want to keep her comfortable and happy as long as she's with us. Her head is tilting to one side, she's walking into more things ( for a blind dog, she's got the house very well mapped out) having more hearing problems, and get disoriented when there's more people around. She does not appear to be in pain. Any suggestions?

For the shih tzu, see the article link above for Canine Vestibular Syndrome for some ideas of how to care for dogs with neurological problems. Good luck

Not sure what just happened to my 8 year old Labrador. She was laying down chewing on a pig ear. After she finished she got up and walked (like a really drunk person) to the couch, started yelping, collapsed, all four limbs were stiff straight out in front of her and yelped a little more, deficated a tiny bit and stopped. Has been acting normal since then. Running, playing with her toys, barking at people outside. Her eyes look normal. She's been acting normal all day. eating normal. did not get into anything. its been hot outside but she stayed indoors with central air. What could it be? What could the vet do for her? I plan on taking her tomorrow.

For the lab, talk to your vet about idiopathic (unknown cause) epilepsy and vestibular syndrome. The quick recovery suggests the first but other neurological problems may also be a possibility.

My 5 year old pitbull looks to have lost feeling in her toes and walks on them and doesnt seem to know she is doing it.... i took her to the vet and had a spinal tap and a CT done the doctor says it could be cancer/tumor... or a mild stroke???

My Parents' dog, Lacy is a 10 year old Malamute mix. She recently suffered a stroke and exhibits the classic symptoms usually reported in dogs. My concern is that her appetite has increased dramatically as well as her thirst. Is this normal? She is on Phenobarbital.

For Lacey,
Talk to your vet about the possibility of the phenobarb causing the appetite and thirst. There are many things unrelated to canine strokes that can trigger increased appetite and thirst.

We have a 4 year old English mastiff, 140Lbs, and has had no health issues. At 1 am this morning, I heard thumping in the kitchen and got up because I though the dogs were fighting. I found Sophie in the kitchen floor legs all splayed out, her belly flat on the floor, and seemingly unable to get up. she seemed to have a little bit of a disoriented look in her eyes. My husband and I pushed her over to the carpeted area and she was able to stand up, she seemed fine after that, and this morning seemed to be ok, maybe a little stiff in the joints, but ate and drank fine. Could it have been a stroke, or being on linoleum do bigs dogs have trouble getting up? I have no idea what made her fall down like that. I would like to take her to the vet, but finances prohibit that right now. Thanks

For the mastiff, see the link above regarding neurological disorders-other possibilities include canine vestibular syndrome and canine idiopathic epilepsy.

Hello,
My 13 1/2 yr old sheltie named sam has suffered from a stroke yesterday morning. The vet has given us some medicine to improve circulation and told us to watch him for a few days. His left eyebrow is constantly ticking and his eye balls are moving rapidly all the time. He is also incredibly off balanced and has trouble walking.
I was hoping you would be able to tell me if these symptoms are permanent or if here is a chance of improvement. My main concern however is his appetite. He has managed to drink some of his water with much encouragement and will occasionally eat some of his favorite foods, but even that takes a lot of convincing. I am worried that the stroke has affected his appetite permanently or is it just due to him being traumatized.
If he has lost his appetite for good then i don't see any other option than to put him down as I couldn't bear him starving to death.
any help would be much appreciated

For Sam, give him a few days to decide whether he will improve or not. Some dogs do. Help him with eating, standing,etc until he is more stable. It may not be lack of appetite, it may be inability to coordinate to eat.

our 17 year old terrier mix mutt has had what I think a stroke. Sunday I gave her a bath and she seemed fine. Monday she seemed to be a little weak and not walking straight. Monday afternoon our neighbors dog who is a boxer cornered her on the porch and scared her. She yelped really loud and when got to her she seemed scared but once I brought her in she seemed ok. Later that night we noticed she had the head tilt to the right, the rapid eye movement, the eye lid twitch and was not eating nor drinking. When we woke up on Tuesday she had peed on her bed, all other symptoms still the same. We decided to take her to the vet later that day but we were able to get her to drink and eat a treat so we waited. It is now Thursday and she seems to be getting better. We have to take her out to pee but she has not peed in her bed since 1st time. She won't eat her regular beef food so we boil chicken and feed it too her - which she loves and she is drinking water by herself now. My question is - do you think she had a stroke? I want to take her to the vet but given her age and the fact the she can not hear nor see because of cateracts, I feel he will want to put her down. She seems to be happy because she waggs her tail when we are near, she eats her chicken with a great passion and she does not seem in pain. If stroke will she recover or is this a false recovery? I have heard they sometimes get better before getting worse - Thanks

For the terrier mix, it could be either canine stroke or canine vestibular syndrome (see link above). Either way, you may see continued improvement so it is worth giving her some time. Keep feeding her whatever she will eat until she has better balance. She may then be able to eat on her own and eat a better balanced diet. Good luck

Dear Dawn,
I have a mini pincher who is about 3 or 4 years old. I adopted her from a rescue program. Her tail is cut and ever since i have had her she has really been bothered by her back side. I seems as though when they cut her tail that they might have cut it too short and damaged a nerve. She will start bitting her legs (left and right) and spin around until she is out of breath. I have noticed that her back side right before her tail will start to twitch and she will have one of her spinning episodes. I have taken her to 3 different vets and they say they dont know what is wrong and cant do anything about it. Over the past couple of years it seems to have subsided. She still had her episodes just not every 5 minutes. For the past 4 days, her issue has become worse. She will actually yelp and start spinning for almost 25 minutes. I feel terrible for her and I do not know what to do. If someone closes the door to hard or laughs or makes any type of loud noise she has an attack. Have you ever heard of something like this before? Where can i go or who can i speak to that may have the answers im looking for? Im afraid that she might have a heart attack one of these days. Do you think it could possibly be a nerve that was cut? I was also wondering if the vet could give her a shot to kill the nerve, IF that is what the problem is. But i dont want her to lose the ability to walk either. Please Help me!!! Thank you.
Crystal

For the min pin-this is not likely related to canine stroke syndrome and may have nothing to do with her tail docking. Talk to your vet about dog anxiety disorders and seizures.

Dear Ms. Smith,
I believe my 16.5 yr old Belgian Malinois recently had a stroke. Her eyes are twitching, she was walking in circles and now can barely stand. This condition started yesterday. I am struggling with the issue of putting her to sleep considering pain she may be in, quality of life in her current condition, uncontrolled urination and cost of care without knowing if there will be much improvement. She has never had any other health problems. Can you give me some indication of what her odds are for improvement?

For the malinois, it is nearly impossible to give a prognosis for canine stroke recovery. If you are comfortable with giving supportive care at home for a few days you may see some steady improvement. If she continues to deteriorate she will at least have been home with you. Talk to your vet about medications to make her more comfortable.

hi my names ruth and i live in hennessey and i feel sad because well it may sound stupid but i feel sad that a lot of animals get abused well im just an 11 year old and i had 2 of my dogs die one dog named slade died last year and the other dog named sam died this year not to long ago and he was over a 100 years old in dog years but you know what makes me feel bad is because i well love animals and my two dogs were close to me and they have been whith me and my sister for all of our lives those two dogs were purebreed australlin sheperd dogs i hope your doing ok and hope you get some time two read this article ruth venable

I have a 10 year old boxer who suffered a stroke? seizure? Unknown... had relatively "normal" bloodwork 2 weeks ago. Normal ekg. I found her on the floor, staring. I lifted her (she was just hanging in my arms) and rushed her to vet. 104 plus fever, anemia, raised kidney and liver enzymes. Given iv and antibiotic. Came around after several hours, still unable to stand. Kept overnight. Next morning, did have motor function on one side. Other side, her legs were still limp. Did have one burst of walking and took about 20 steps. At neurologist now, unable to do MRI due to ekg results. Have no idea... stroke, tumor, seizure... anyone have these symptoms?

I have a 10 year old boxer who suffered a stroke? seizure? Unknown... had relatively "normal" bloodwork 2 weeks ago. Normal ekg. I found her on the floor, staring. I lifted her (she was just hanging in my arms) and rushed her to vet. 104 plus fever, anemia, raised kidney and liver enzymes. Given iv and antibiotic. Came around after several hours, still unable to stand. Kept overnight. Next morning, did have motor function on one side. Other side, her legs were still limp. Did have one burst of walking and took about 20 steps. At neurologist now, unable to do MRI due to ekg results. Have no idea... stroke, tumor, seizure... anyone have these symptoms?

For the boxer, discuss other possible causes for kidney and liver enzyme values, and whether the high temperature was a temporary aspect of the "seizure/neurological episode).
Good luck

My 4 year old border collie woke up this morning seeming very stiff, like she's sore from to much running or something. She will walk but very slow at it. She seems like she is favoring her left side a little, as if it's more sore.Should I give her a day to see if she's better or should I go ahead and take her to the vet? What could be wrong with her? Her tail is wagging and she is not crying.

Canine stroke is a very strong possibility but it is always wise to have your vet do an exam to rule out other possibilities

I'm worried my dog had a stroke recently, she is 10 years old and has always been active, smart, and very affectionate. It has been more than 2 weeks since she has picked up one of her toys, she doesn't obey commands, hasn't licked or laid down with me or my family for days (if we try to lay down with her she gets up and leaves), she eats and drinks normal, but she constantly gets stuck under desks or behind chairs that she struggles getting out of and we haven't moved any of the furniture. She was such an incredible dog and now it feels like I'm living with a stranger. Please help.

For the 10 yr old, first step should be a visit to your vet to make sure there are no other health problems, then talk to him/her about medications for cognitive dysfunction (senile dementia).
good luck

I have a small terrier mix, Lucky, that I found a couple of years ago wondering the streets. He was in bad shape when I found him, but has been in great spirits and healthy since. However, last night was like any other night with all my dogs (4) running around and playing. Lucky was fine one minute and then went out back and then came back in the kitchen and started acting weird. I thought that he was biting his feet, but his head was just tilted down and then his front legs started to cross over one another and then he couldn't stand on them. His back legs started to seize up. I thought instantly that he licked a mushroom or ate something really bad in the backyard so I gave him some hydrogen peroxide to try to get him to vomit and within minutes he was back to normal. I let him sleep with me so that I could monitor him and he seems fine now. Do you think it could have been a stroke? At one point after the incident last night he was on the coach and my husband went to pick him up and he urinated just a little bit. Not sure if that means anything, but he has never done that before.

Our 4 year old black lab Chance passed away 6 weeks ago from what the Vet had said was a stroke. I can not get over the guilt as I cant help feeling responsible. 3 days prior to his death, Chance and my other dog killed a few baby rabbits in my backyard and I got upset and pulled chance by the collar over to one of the dead rabbits and yelled at him. He fiercely pulled back knowing that I was upset. . 3 days later, he limped on his back left leg and a couple hours later he could not stand on his hind legs. I immediately took him to the vet who referred me to a neurologist. They conducted an MRI, physical exams and a blood test with all results negative. I informed them of the incident 3 days prior and 2 different neurologists and my family vet all insisted that that incident had nothing to do with him having a stroke however no other explanation was given other than that he fit the profile for a stroke (large breed, lab) Chance stayed in their care for 2 days and showed improvement. The neurologist truly expected him to recover. He even jumped up onto my chest when I picked him up and he nearly jumped into the back of the truck bed.. While in our care chance died in his cage less than 24 hours later. Our vet believed that he may have had a second stroke that went to his brain.. He ate and drank plenty of fluids and went outside with our assistance. Most of the day he did a great deal of panting and salivating... I am posting this comment because I am in search of closure. I miss my dog dearly and wish I could take back that moment when I yelled at him and pulled him by the collar. If the neurologist insists that had nothing to do with his condition/death, than what could have caused this? I am hoping that this was a horrible coincidence and Chance just had bad luck.... Is the neurologist's opinion wrong? I am having a very hard time with this because of his young age ...Chance was always a very active dog in great physical shape but the past few months prior to his death my wife and I noticed he was acting a bit unusual. He did not want to bring a ball back to us in the yard and this was always one of his favorite things to do...Also, he would go upstairs to sleep during the day and downstairs at night while we slept in our bed. This was unusual to us since he was always right by us.. Could this have been a sign of an illness or internal pain of some sort? Thank you!

For Lucky,
Talk to your vet about canine epilepsy and canine vestibular syndrome as well as stroke for possible causes of this incident.

For Chance, please do not feel guilty. The fact that you had noticed problems before the incident suggests that he was having some type of age related issues. Also the incident was 3 days prior to any symptoms making the two unlikely to be connected.

Our dog Wicket is 7yr. old Pom/Chihua sprawled out on the floor crying last night. He has seemed a bit lame for the last month in his front right leg. We have taken him to the vet and they prescribed an anti-inflammatory, which he has been on for a couple of weeks now. He seemed to be getting better till yesterday. His back right leg looks to be lame with him having trouble supporting his body on it and he can hardly walk. When he does he drifts to the right. We took him to the vet last night and they kept him to do blood and parasite tests. His results came back normal today. So they think it could be neurological. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

For the Pom/chihua, check the link to the article about neurological disorders. It may be time to see a specialist.

My Border Collie Josey is 10 and a few months ago he started having problems getting up. So we made sure his nails were clipped short and the hair in the pads of his feet shaved down to prevent slipping on our hardwood and tile floors. As long as he was either on carpet or had help getting up he was fine. The vet said he is just old and has arthritus. Well this weekend he went completely deaf. If our other dog is not laying with him he will not respond to his name, walk, outside, ball, treat, cookie or anyother key words he always responds too. And by respond I mean he usually jumps up and gets excited but now he wont even look at you and his ears dont twich like he even hears you. Last night I had to go get him for bed and when he tried to get up his backlegs didnt even seem to move and he finally got up he looked drunk and all of his legs seemed to be falling out from under him. When he got up the stairs he hit the hardwook floor again and fell hard so I carried him to my room. While he was laying on his bed I sat on the floor beind him nad squeaked toys, called his name and clapped my hands and he didnt even look at me, it wasnt until my other dog (who had been staring at me like I was crazy) finally lifted her head and tilted it as if to say "What are you doing go to bed already!" When she looked at me he finally turned his head and jumped a little because he didnt realize I was so close.

He still eats and drinks the same, he still seems to run the same amount in the yard and has energy once he's up. Our vet says he's old and Im convinced our vet is lazy and just doesnt care. I dont understand how up until 2 months ago he was a prefectly healthy and very energetic dog but now he looses his balance or is just not be able to get up on his own and is now deaf, which literaly happened over night. Because thursday he was great and could hear everything (including the cats trying to sneak up on him) and Friday could hear nothing. Also this last week I had a hard time sleeping because I could hear this constent whimper almost and at first I thought he was dreaming but it kept going so I turned on my light and he was laying down but sitting up just looking at me still doing it. Then I noticed that he does it during the day too. Its very quite and if you mute the tv you can hear him but when he realizes you have heard him he stops until he thinks you are distracted again then starts again. I have insominia so I hear him all night long and our vet says he's old. Other then Im taking him to another vet because this ones useless, we have also changed his bedding to make him elevated and very comfortable so instead of really getting up he mostly just steps off the bed.

Does this change sould like a stroke?

For the border collie- stroke is definitely a strong possibility but the most important thing to do is to get that second opinion from another vet. Aging animals may have several problems at the same time-some can be treated, others can't but at least you will know what you are up against.

Thank you so much Dawn Smith for taking the time to answer all of these comments and I hope you may be able to answer mine (for which I will thank you in advance). You're article was great and very informative.

My dog (nearly 13) recently had a stroke. He's a heavily mixed dog (mongrel) with more german shepard than anything else, but also rotweiler, golden retriever, and dobermann pinscher. He had all the symptoms: vomited, excessive drooling, couldn't stand, nystagmus (eye twitching), dazed look and head tilt. He's also anaemic but we've been giving him supplements for some time now. The visit to to the vet also found arthritis as we had started to suspect (for which he got medication) and signs that he may have tick fever (for which he got antibiotics). Over the past few days with some treatment the eye twitch stopped and he looked less and less dazed. His head only tilts at times now but it has been a week since he last walked. He can shuffle himself around at times in the bed/pen we've made for him and he can sit up (on his side, not on his haunches). He doesn't appear to have lost control since he can still wag his tail and if you rub his stomach or his back he will give the reflexive movement with his hind legs. One eye doesn't appear to close properly anymore though, but he still seems to sleep well. He hadn't defecated or urinated in about 2-3 days but recently did both (again not standing). The vets had said that he could recover in 2 weeks to a month, but I'm growing concerned if he will ever be able to walk again. Do some dogs take more than 3 days or more than a week to regain the ability to stand? Could his anaemia have triggered his stroke? We've been giving him tender love and care (feeding, water, clean underpads, some gentle music in the day, massages and brushings) but is there anything else we can do? I know we should get an MRI scan done to be sure of what caused the stroke (it isn't likely to be diabetes since he doesn't have that) but that may not be possible. What can we do? What should we do?

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

For the mixed breed-recovery from canine stroke or canine vestibular syndrome (symptoms are often similar) can take more than a few days, especially in an older animal. In addition to the massage, you may want to try to help him stand (use a towel under his belly to support him and see if he can walk a little with help.The more you help your dog be as active as possible the more likely he will recover more fully. That said if he does not begin to walk in a few weeks you may need to reconsider his quality of life.

We have a 11 yr old cocker, brittany, chow mix named Angel. She had a stroke 4 days ago, took her to the vet for diagnosis. She has the head tilt, sunken eye on the tilted side, on the second day after she has seemed to lost hearing. She has always had problems with seizures, at least 2 a year that we know of. The last 2 years we have been fighting with an allergy, at least that was what the vet said at the time. We went to making her homemade food, rice and chicken, which helped some. She still itched and lost most of her hair, we would have good times where she would grow hair, but then she still would itch constitantly and lose hair. Well now that she had the stroke the vet said the allergy was cushings, his partner did the allergy diagnosis. She was given a steroid shot and also steroid meds for 14 days. She can walk but will get disoriented, sometimes losses balance. On the 4th day we have not been able to get her to eat and all she wants to do is sleep. Is there a chance that she will recover or should we be thinking about her quality of life? We don't want her to be in pain, but don't want to jump to a hasty conclusion. Any and all thoughts would be appreciated, Thank you.

For the cocker/brittany/etc -give it a little more time, try tempting her with her favorite foods or treats. Sleeping a lot can be good for recovery but if you see no improvement in a few days then it may be time to reconsider.

My 10 year old Boxer mix suddenly jumped up tonight and was shaking he tried to walk but lost his balance and was weaving and nearly fell over. His whole body was rigid (even when trying to walk) and ears were back. He was finally able to lay down but then started shaking again. I sat there with his head in my lap and talked to him and covered him with a blanket. He finally relaxed and is now sleeping. He never lost control of bowel or bladder. He has done this one other time about 5 years ago.

for the boxer-talk to your vet about idiopathic epilepsy as well as canine stroke or vestibular syndrome

My 10 year old boston terrier's left ear is floppng backwards. She can get it to stand/point but not without me standing it back up first. We have moved homes 3 months ago and that was a real stress time for her. She will eat one day and not the next...weight is up and down. If we ask her she will play but she does not begin the play. What would cause that sudden ear bending?

2 nights ago, my 14&1/2 yr old Pom fell sideways w her limbs stretched out... trembling.. I was soooooooo scared & ever since then, she is unable to walk.. she is unable to sit up or move.. & she has no feeling in her right hind leg.. she just lays on her side.. will not eat or drink & has labored breathing.. I am on a fixed income. I called the vet & explained I couldn';t afford tests or the office visit.. I asked of they could tell me what to do...I brought Pookie in & they charged me for the office visit & told needed a full blood panel for $150!! the vet said they couldn;t give her meds till they found out if her organs were ok.. Since I couldn;t afford this, I left & my dog had just been laying on the floor ... incapacitated & I;'m scared she will dehydrate.. what is wrong w/ my baby & what can I do to help her?? PLEASE HELP ME..

For Pookie- please look at the supportive care information in the article, comments and in the canine vestibular syndrome article. Be sure to turn her over regularly so she doesn't develop sores on one side, try to get her to take some broth (chicken or beef) or some baby food-use an eyedropper to drip small amounts into her mouth, and carry her outside to go to the bathroom. You will probably have to hold her up when she goes.
Don't feel bad about not getting medications-there are very few that make a big difference if a dog has had a stroke-the only thing that might help would be anti-nausea medication. Good luck to you both.

My 10 year old yellow labrador retriever just flung out of his chair that he likes to sleep in and instantly siezed up on the floor.. he acted like he kept trying to stand but he had no control over his legs, they were stretched out and stiff and his ear kept flopping back, and his mouth was sort of strained. His entire body looked strained.

He eventually snapped out of it and could walk and stuff, but it was terrifying.. my mother thought it was either a stroke or a siezure. I don't know what to do, he's only 10 and he's been healthy and happy his entire life.
I don't understand. :(

For the lab- talk to your vet about canine idiopathic epilepsy as well as stroke and canine vestibular syndrome as possible causes for your dog's recent incident.

I have a 7 year old American Staffordshire Terrier who I love to death. He has been experiencing some of the scarery symptoms listed as a Canine Stroke Syndrome. My vet is unable to determine the cause, classifying his symptoms as being neurological. We took him to a specialist who was unable to diagnosis him. They recommended an MRI of the brain and said that the MRI may not tell us anything. We recently found out that he had prior trauma (prior to us adopting him) to his spine where arthritis has built up. He occasionally experiencesconfusion, becomes wabbly on his feet, circles, etc.. It is the scarriest thing I have ever seen and experienced. These episodes don't last long or often and I am not sure what to do at this point because I truly can not afford the MRI. Please do not think of me as a horrible or irresponsible parent/pet owner...that I am not. I need some advice and guidance.

For the staffie (and owner)- consider looking into canine epilepsy and vestibular syndrome as possible causes for the episodes. Don't feel bad about not getting the MRI, especially as the results may or may not help diagnose the condition. Treatment for canine vestibular syndrome is only supportive care and epilepsy is often diagnosed when the animal responds positively to treatment so there are ways of caring for your dog without this expensive test. Talk to your vet about these possibilities and any others that might exist.

Our Rhodesian-mix recently had an episode where he coughed/dry heaved several times and then fell over side-ways as if he'd fainted. He laid there a couple minutes and when he got up, he did so cautiously. He maintained that cautiousness throughout the day, noticeable because he is typically a high-energy Frisbee dog. A couple days later he had another episode, this time with no coughing but he fell down, popped right back up and then fell down again. He got right back up but just sat there, looking confused. Since that day he has mostly laid around, and had very little appetite. I did take him to the vet. She said his heart sounded great, and couldn't detect anything outwardly. We did a full-panel bloodwork and also an extensive thyroid panel. Both came back normal, only his white blood cell count was a little high. Because he has a history of eating ridiculous things, we also had an abdominal x-ray done but it didn't show any foreign objects, and also no inflammation. We gave him a course of antibiotics, and he seemed to be improving...but not still not quite there. He's still not interested in eating his kibble, and not even biscuits. He does seem to be drinking his water. He will chew the occasional rawhide chip, and some yogurt (I figured a little acidophillus couldn't hurt). He sleeps all day, not asking to go outside till nearly 5pm. He appears confused. Where before he would jump over or go around an object in his path he now just stands there looking confused. He also appears cautious when hopping off our bed or getting in/out of the car. Any thoughts or suggestions you may have will be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time!

My Lab is 15 1/2, she has been pooping in the house for a good 3 months now and recently has seemed out of it with a tilted head, sunken eyes and general confusion. Her appetite is bad though seh will eat table food her dry food is not getting eaten. She is still responsive to her name and clapping and can hear and see decently but we are not sure what the issue is. She has a tumor on her stomache that is really big and a bump on the back of her neck. What do you think?

for the lab, a stroke or canine senile dementia would be the first thoughts. The fecal incontinence can be secondary to back weakness as well. Talk to your vet about these possibilities.
for the Ridgeback, you might also talk to your vet about epilepsy and canine vestibular syndrome as possible problems.

Thank you for the prompt reply, Dr. Smith. After reading the page on canine vestibular syndrome, we'd never heard of that before but that really sounds like what could be going on. (he's even had the chronic ear infections most of his life) I hand-fed him his dinner tonight, as suggested, and he ate almost all of it! That's the most he's eaten in days! We'll continue to monitor him and follow the suggestions on the canine vestibular syndrome page. Again, thank you much for your time!

I have a 4 year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who had a funny "episode" a few minutes ago. She is a very healthy, well bred, AKC champion and is heart clear. She was following me around the house (like usual), but for about 10 seconds, she suddenly got unresponsive, looked spaced out, kind of froze, and had one eye bulge out of her head. She was "out of it." I called her name and she wiggled a bit, but didn't get up. When I got down on the floor and reached to her, she snapped out of it, and ran over to me and has been acting normally since. Was this some kind of mini seizure or stroke? She is acting fine now, but it really scared me for those few seconds. It's the first time this has happened.

For the spaniel, the short duration and her age suggest a seizure is more likely but she should be examined by your vet to rule out other potential causes.

Please help me Dawn. I ahve my dog booked in to but put dwon tomorrow afternoon he we cannot find out what is wrong.
He started off about 6 weeks ago not being able to lift his head, then his front left leg started to fail and he would fall to the ground, gradually he has lost the ability to stand now and lays on the bed 24hours a day. He eats normally, drinks normally, and toileting noramlly. He has no pain that I can see. I have pushed proded and poked him all over and he never whimpers in pain. I feel in myheart I am doing the wrong thing as he had something similar last year where he could not get up at all but the was pain and no response from him and he didnt eat or drink he lost 13kgs. He went on antibiotics are recovered no idea what it was really in the end. Anyway this time it is slightly different as he seems a happy, eating, drinking not in pain dog. My vet wants to do Xrays but wouldnt he be in pain if he had spurs on his spine.
I am so scared to put him down if he can be cured I would feel like a murderer. Please help me quickly.

For the paralyzed dog, the xrays may show if the spinal cord is pinched. it would not necessarily be painful but there may be permanent damage such that he would never walk again. Then it is a matter of the level of nursing care you are able to give and what his quality of life is. Be sure to talk this through with your vet before making your decision as he can help you understand what the quality of life might be longer term.

My 9 month old husky was acting really wierd, she almost looked as if she had parvo, she fell down couldnt walk but would run and then fall, she also would sit propped up against something and woble around like her head was going in circles. she wouldnt drink and only ate tater tots, is that a siezure? She is fine now. Any answers?

In november I noticed my 1yr old yorkie tilting his head to the side and continued to walk in circles, even when he would go to scratch himself he would lose balance. I took him to the vet twice but they could not figure out what was going on with him. After three months he stopped doing anything unusual. Then last week he was playing and fell back on his head and died instantly from just alittle bump. My vet believed that his symptoms were from a stroke and when he hit his head he hit exactly where the blood clot was causing him to die. Is this possible? and could this have been prevented?

I found my dog for almost a week now...it could hardly walk, drooling and could hardly open its mouth. Its body is trembling.
Hope you can help me!!! Thank you.

For the dog that is drooling and trembling, unable to open its mouth, you need to get him to a vet. There are many possible reasons for what you are seeing. Canine stroke syndrome is not high on that list.

Hey I just wanted to say thank you for all of the help you are giving the pet owners on this site and I hope that you can offer me the same support. I have a 7 1/2 year old pit bull/american staffie, as of tonight I am thinking that within the last few days he had a stroke. At first I thought his stomach was bothering him because he is always the first out of my two dogs to eat and he didn't get up about three mornings ago for his breakfast so i made him rice and some meat to settle his stomach. The last few days I noticed some other changes though and am beginning to think there is more to it. He seems to have his jowels hanging lower on one side which I noticed because he never drools and has started, then I remembered hearing a loud thump in the living room during the night, I checked on him and the dogs were both in their beds so I forgot about it and chalked it up to a bad jump off the couch onto the laminate but he has also been more clumsy when getting out his bed and scared a little more than usual (he is already afraid of everything so this could just be coincidence). He seems to be improving but I am just wondering if he should be going to the vet and if his heart murmur could be part of the problem with the winter season he has put on a little weight but is by no means obese and plays ball for at least an hour a day. Thanks in advance for the help!

~Kaylie

Kaylie, you should take your dog to the vet to have him checked out. The situation you describe certainly could be canine stroke related. There may be things your vet can suggest to help and it is important to be sure that it isn't something else that is treatable.

My just about 14yr old lab is suddenly unable to walk very well. He falls and stumbles, collapses, and walks in circles. He has not eaten in 2 days. I have given him Bonine med's that were suggested by the vet (Thinking that it's Canine Vestibular). But he gets sick shortly afterwards. My question is will he get better if the meds aren't getting in him? What else should I try?

For the lab, if he is retaining some food for a couple of hours he is at least getting some nutrition from it. Suggestions for feeding-only very small amounts (teaspoon or two) of something very easy to digest (e.g. baby food). Give bouillon to drink rather than plain water (a bit more nutrition) but also limit that to a few sips at a time.
The medication is to reduce the dizziness. it does nothing for the underlying cause (there is nothing for the underlying cause except time). You could check with your vet for another medication to try. Also see the link about to more information about canine vestibular syndrome.

Having a dog that has just suffered her 2nd stroke and is at home recuperating I have to give some hope to others. Our vet immediately put her on IV steroids and continued treatment for a bit over 72 hours before she had progressed enough to send home.
After her first stroke she had about a 95% recovery and she's showing signs of good recovery possibilities after the 2nd.
While she still needs assistance going in and out of the house and getting around on the hardwood floors she's doing progressively better with each day.
I would encourage anyone who suspects their pet has suffered a stroke to speak to their vet about the steroid treatment.

Dear Dawn,
My dog is a 14 year-old golden retriever, Taz. He hasn't been stepping on his right foot since October and the vet told us it was arthritis. His blood tests were good, so we started him on cortizone pills, but saw no results. He then got an ear infection which we started treating with medication, but at the same time his leg got worse. Within a week, both his back legs started stepping weirdly and then within two days he started losing his balane and kept falling, unable to move at all. The new vet told us that he probably has cancer in his leg (the "shoulder" joint is very swollen) and that the loss of balance might be due to his ear infection, which affected his labyrinth. He told us that there is nothing we can really do for the cancer, since he is too old to be immediatelly affected by it. We have now started him on antibiotics, but have seen no results yet (he has 5 days left, for the antibiotic treatment to end). He kept howling and barking all night long for two days and today he has given up completely it seems. Today I picked him up and took him to the garden, he managed to walk 10-15 steps with me holding him, then he suddenly stopped, fell on the floor and had a kind of epileptic episode. He was looking at me and his front left leg was fully streched and unable to bent and his mouth also streched on one side, that is why I thought that he might be having some kind of a stroke. He has also lost his appetite today and refuses to drink any water, I try to give him milk instead, which he drank until yesterday, but he wouldn't drink it today. I then considered the possibility that all the symptoms, loss of balance etc might be the result of several smaller or bigger strokes that he has been having. Does that seem the case to you?
Thank you!

For Taz,
Canine stroke syndrome or series of strokes is certainly a strong possibility, given the symptoms you describe. If your dog doesn't want to eat or drink, try some broth (beef or chicken are often tempting) and if he takes that, try adding in something like mashed potatoes or baby food (things he won't have to chew). Good luck.

At first, my 2yr old shih tzu can't jump. After 3days, he can't run and he's dragging his back legs. He's vet told me that he has prostatitis because of the swollen lump under his anal. He gave him enrofloxacin. But it gotten worst, he can't move his all legs now. So I decided to seek another vet. The second vet done a bloodtest. And the result was that he had bacterial infection and his platelets was only 193. The vet gave him doxycycline. He is on his 3days taking this. The problem now is still he cannot move his all legs and he cannot pick his head up. Also, he has a hoarse bark and his eyes are circling. What could be the real problem?

For the shih tzu, there may be several things going on at once. Dragging the back legs can be related to a back injury, a stroke, etc. The flicking eyes and inability to stand can be related to canine stroke syndrome, canine vestibular syndrome, etc. I know you have been to a couple of vets but it may be time to have another vet have a look to get a more complete answer as to what is going on.

My dog has just had her 4th stroke this morning. She was falling all over and panting quiet heavily. She has a large Tumour on the side of her head this is were we think the strokes are coming from. she is a 15 year old springer spaniel and otherwise in not bad heath for her age. She does seems to be losing loads of weight as she gets the same to eat as my chocolate Lab and she is slightly overweight but my springer is very boney. This is so heart breaking to watch.

My 9-yr old dog recently cried out and I found him awkwardly stretched out on his side crying and unable to stand. That was Saturday. He eventually was able to stand, but he appears to have lost control of his left side. He front left paw sticks out and often rolls under him and his back left paw doesn't support weight. The vet has him on a steroid and antibiotic. He is able to get around (slowly) but his condition has really changed since Monday. He was always active and healthy until this. Any ideas/recommendations?

for the 9yr old dog- This certainly sound like canine stroke is a strong possibility. The extent of recovery (some dogs, unfortunately, do not recover) varies from dog to dog, as does the time it takes to recover. Supportive care- assisting with eating, drinking and moving around- will help your dog in the recovery phase. See some of the great suggestions by other readers and you may also want to check out the article on canine vestibular syndrome for other ideas on how to help your dog through this. Good luck.

my wee dog had a stroke 13 months a go she was doing ok at first but now can not walk her back legs are not working what should i do, do i just accept she will not walk right again should i let her go?

For the dog who can no longer walk, if this is a recent development, talk to your vet about physical therapy to help strengthen those back legs. If it has been developing over the last year, the likelihood of regaining function is much lower.
In the long run, you know your dog best- her quality of life, her attitude have some bearing on what decisions you make.

My Golden Retriever, Sadie, is 10 years old and has been on Thyroxyl tablets for some years for her underachieve thyroid, after her last T4 blood test, 2 months ago, her dose was lowered from 1.0mg to 0.8mg, last week we noticed that she was circling, had a head tilt and seemed disorientated , she kept losing her balance and bumping into things and was eating from one side of her bowl, she has been diagnosed by the vet as having had a minor stroke, the vet wants to put her on a course of Vivitonin for 15 days to see how she responds, although i want to help her recover i am unwilling to keep pumping her full of medication as i have read that dogs will normally recover from a stroke on their own given time, she still has a good appetite and still wants to go for walks, although i do have to keep an eye on her as she tends to wander off, should i give her more time to recover on her own or put her on a course of vivitonin, what are the side affects of this drug and will it actually help her... thanks

For the golden, I don't have experience with vivitonin for dogs but have not heard of serious side effects from it. If it helps increase blood circulation a short course might not be a bad idea.
That said, if your dog is recovering well and you are hesitant to give her more medications you might want to talk to your vet about holding off the medication to see how she does on her own.

I have a female cocker spaniel. We found her as a full grown dog on the side of a road 9 years ago so her true age isn't clear, although she's definitely up there. For the passed week or so she's been suffering traumatic seizure-like episodes that cause her to fall over and shake uncontrollably while foaming at the mouth and defecating. This has occurred about twice a day for the passed week and we don't know what it is. She has become extremely weak and completely oblivious to her surroundings and I am very concerned. What is wrong with her?

For the cocker spaniel- there are several possibilities. Canine stroke syndrome would be a consideration but the situation you are describing is more consistent with epilepsy or a mass in the brain. Canine epilepsy can be controlled with medication so if that is your dog's problem it is important to get to a vet and get her on treatment. Having several epileptic seizures a day is very taxing on the body.

My 10 year old Stafford Bull is petrified of thunderstorms. About a week and a half ago we had an entire night of intense storms, and in the morning he did not want get up and after ring coaxed he stumbled around and has been off ever since. The symptoms peakedabout four days ago and he began to compulsively walk in circles, had very lttle balance, his legs crossed, knuckles dragged, and he bumped into walls and chairs. Afterfour days he is steadier, sleeps a lot, eats with a right head tilt, left front paw drags, and he tends to walk in a circle to the right. My vet indicated either a brain tumoror stroke, but the symptoms seem almost identical. As awful as it sounds my hope is that it is a stroke.Do the examples of slight recovery indicate stroke rather than a brain tumor?

For the dog with stroke/brain tumor situation- the recovery does point more toward stroke. Here's hoping the recovery continues.

My 11 yr old black lab(80 lbs) had what the vet diagnosed as a stroke 4 days ago - eyes flickerig, couldn't stand up, got sick a couple of times - he gave him a sedative - since then everyday seems to be progress, he is now walking(wabbly) with guidence, eating and drinking fine
I am wondering what is normal recovery time and recommened things, food, etc. we can do to help him
Thanks

For the lab,
As long as he is eating well, his regular food is fine. If he doesn't eat, soft foods, baby foods, adding a bit of meat broth to his food and elevating or holding the dish so it is easier to manage if he is still having balance problems. Recovery times and extent vary- usually at least a couple of weeks and some dogs will continue to have problems, just a people who have had a stroke may.

I have a 3 1/2 yr old pomeranian/Chihuahua. A couple weeks ago, we noticed she was not active. A week later , we noticed her walking in circles nonstop, very unbalanced & not eating or drinking. So we took her to the vet. They told us that it may neurological, or Vestibular syndrome. So we gave her the medicine. She's eating & drinking. But at night, She moans very loudly, then moans turn into growls and it escalates. Why is she growling?

For the dog who is growling in her sleep- hard to say why but it is probably reflex or dreaming.

The 11 yr old black lab is still doing good, after 1 week and 2 days
what a long road though, he is still a bit sideways, but he can walk on his own now
twice he had a pee in the house, which is not like him
We both had to take vacation to look after him
what you do for your dog :)

My 14 year old lab mix, Spunky was very healthy for his age up to 1 week ago. Last Monday he began throwing up and having difficulty standing. His eyes were moving back and forth and up and down rapidly (very clear nystagmus). He also appears to be drooling a lot on the left side and his head is tilted almost side ways. We were sure he had a stroke. When we took him to the vets, however, she diagnosed him with vestibular disease and said he might be better within a few days. He did in fact seem a lot better on Wednesday and Thursday, but then was much worse on Friday. It is now 8 days since the first event and he can no longer stand up. He can prop himself up on his front legs, but seems to have no strength in his hindquarters. He will only eat chicken or hamburger that we hand feed him, and this dog usually loves to eat. He can't go to the bathroom on his own, and we are laying pads underneath him so he is peeing inside. He also has not had a bowel movement in several days, but we're not sure if that's because he isn't eating much, doesn't have the strength to go or is blocked. We took him to an emergency vet clinic over the weekend and they think it's vestibular disease as well, but this seems really bad.

I'm wondering if you think this is something more than vestibular disease. He doesn't seem to be in any pain and we want to keep him with us for as long as possible, but he has been such a good dog all his life we don't want him to suffer. If he is going to recover we are willing to give him around the clock care, but I know he won't have much quality of life if he can't go outside and has such a hard time eating. We're not sure how long we should give him to recover, or if we should consider putting him to sleep. Also, although his symptoms seem to be neurologic, I am worried about an intestinal blockage. The day before he got sick I gave him a greenie bone (which he has had before) and now I find out they can cause blockages in dogs. I gave him a small size senior one even though he is 50 pounds, but I'm really afraid I've killed my best friend by giving him this because he was fine before. Do you think this is a coincidence, or could a blockage be causing some of the neurological symptoms?

for the lab mix, canine vestibular syndrome is still a strong possibility and recovery can be up and down (good days, bad days), taking several weeks. You might want to read my article on CVS(there is a link in the article above) to better understand the problem. There are also many good suggestions from other readers on ways to help your dog during this difficult time.
That said, if you are not seeing any improvement within a couple of weeks, the likelihood for recovery to a decent quality of life goes down quite a bit.
Good luck.

my dog has been diagnosed for that stroke . but fortunately my dog recovered :D

4 days ago our 8 year old miniature poodle went to the vet to have her teeth cleaned. The vet later informed us
that they had extracted 7 teeth. We took her home at 4pm. At 10pm we rushed her to the hospital as she was crying in pain.
The 24 hour hospital (not the same vet that extracted the teeth) kept her on an IV drip as she had a high fever.
She was very aggressive and the dr's could not take her stats without us during her 2 days there. We took her home, and for 23 hours she has not stopped walking around. Peeing a lot, drinking a lot (probably due to the valium pills and anti biotics).
We eventually had to take her back to hospital last night as the heavy panting continued and she had not slept in 4 days since her dental surgery.
It turns out that she had a stroke. She was walking into walls for 23 hrs, walking non-stop, only rested when we picked her up, for 5 minutes at a time then she would want to walk again.
She was exhausted, very nervous, frightened of shadows, aggressive, eyes bulging, constanlty falling over, peeing constantly (althought no bowel movements in 3 days).
She was very hungry and constantly wanted to eat during the 24 hours at home. She is now sedated at the hospital as we want her to rest after not sleeping for 4 days. The Dr says she slept sedated for 3 hours, but then got up
Tangled herself on the IV, so they removed it and she slept for 5 hours on her own.
They started her on a course of cortisone - injected once a day - to treat the stroke. For the last 4 days she has taken valium, anti biotics, painkillers - those did not help her sleep, so tried sedarbarb (used for eppilepsy). That didn't help either, which is why we decided
to sedate her intra venously. The dr called this morning to tell us she seems a bit calmer and her eyes are not bulging as much. Do you think that we should keep her sedated for longer to see if it will help her recover further?
She is highly stressed at the hospital, they cannot bath her or take her out to pee as she bites.
Please let me know what you think...

My 11 yr old chi hua hua has been very lethargic over the last four days. He has been walking around the house in circles bumping his head against the wall from time to time, looks disoriented and does not respond to me calling him. When I carry him, he is very limp and weak. He has also started having problems climbing the stairs 2 nights ago. Although he still eats and drinks, he sleeps alot more than usual now. I'm still observing him but am worried. What should I do?

for the poodle, talk to the vet about the pros and cons of keeping her sedated.It may be time to try taking her home again to see if she is calm enough now to recover in familiar territory where she may be less stressed.
for the chihuahua,if you haven't taken your dog to the vet yet you should. There may be medications that can help.

I left a post on May 31st about my lab-mix, Spunky who couldn't get up and was very dizzy after what appeared to be a stroke. We took him to the vets a few days later with the possibility of putting him to sleep, since he seemed like he was in very bad shape. The vet still thought it was vestibular disease and noticed that one of his paws was sensitive. She put the paw in a sling and helped him up, it turns out he had a sprained paw on top of vestibular disease! One of the times when he was dizzy and fell, he must have injured the paw and that's why he wouldn't stand. Three weeks later his head is still very tilted to one side, but he's up and acting almost completely normal! Thanks for you advice to give it some time, it's amazing how well they can recover! And for others whose dogs are having this issue, try to keep them from hurting themselves because when they are dizzy like this, it's really easy for them to fall.

Update From my post on May 10th
My 11 yr old Black Lab is doing very well over 2 months later
We had him to the vet yesterday and the vet that treated him for his stroke couldn't believe his progress, he told us he didn't think he would make it because of the severity of the stroke
Thought maybe this may give hope to those going through similiar situations to not give up on your dog, it was alot of work the first couple of weeks, but worth it, maybe we're on borrowed time with Barney but its worth it

I have a 10 1/2 year old weimaraner bitch, who has some very odd symptoms, which began almost overnight causing us concern, one of which was drinking more than normal, she also appears vacant and her appetite is not as good as it was and her gums go pale sometimes, we have had a full blood count done, everything was fine there, out vet has also done xrays and ultrasounds to rule out tumors on her vital organs, she has moments when she doesnot appear to know who we are as well, my vet suspects she has suffered something similar to a stroke and put her on Vivatonin, she has days were she will eat well and not drink much and appears more spirited and not so vacant, then others are not so good, she also sleeps alot more than she did, this all started about a week ago, could she have had a stroke without any paralysis ?

For the weimaraner,
Yes dogs can have strokes without paralysis. Certainly the symptoms you describe all point to canine stroke syndrome. Good luck.

I have a 3 yr old 10 lb poodle named Chance who is extremely hyperactive and vocal, no history of medical issues other then the pink poodle eye and heartburn (lol). Yesterday upon returning home from work @ 11pm, he did not greet me at the door as usual, instead I found him laying under the coffee table. I called out to him and he came to me but not in the typical overly excited way. We normally play when I first get him w/ his favorite toy dragon and he didnt have any interest. He just sat down. I noticed at that point he was swaying a little, side to side. Very slightly. He had his mouth open but wasnt panting. His tongue was in his mouth not hanging out. I was worried so I picked him up and he wouldnt look at me or my husband when we would call his name. He kept looking up and away, in the opposite direction. He was not vomiting or had diarrhea, and when he was offered a treat he gladly excepted but he didnt do the normal bouncing up/down.
Concerned we decided to take him to the closest 24 hr vet and once there he was acting normal. There was a long wait and we waited for several hours. During this time he regained his normal behaviors and we made the decision to leave @ 2:30am. Once home he played w/ his dragon and terrorized the cat. Ate and drank, and had a normal bowel movement.
What could this be? My husband was home w/ him and when they went for a walk @ 8:30pm he was fine. He didnt get into anything inside the house. So confused. If you could give me any ideas that would be great.
Rhianna

Would you mind helping me with closure on my Chihuahua's death? He passed monday, 11 years old. He was doing ok until a month ago, I let him out to potty and in literally 5 min he was missing. A neighbor found him the next day and I didn't know then but found out later that a teenager had beaten him. He peed blood, then seemed to get a little better after 2 day hospital stay. He started eating when he came home, the first day he looked like he was going to be ok. He walked at first, then started having seizures and stopped walking, he had no balance, no vision. I just kept him wrapped up near me and made sure he took little sips of water, etc. The vet gave him seizure med/pain meds. She said it was from trauma, and the a head injury caused the seizures. I guess I am wondering how he hung on so long after a brain injury or if I missed something else. I just can't believe it ended like this for him. Thanks for reading this, God bless.

Hi! My dog Dakota is a husky mix with pitbull. She is almost 4 months old. Last night she was acting weird like, wobbling when she would walk, her breathing was very slow, she was vomiting, she urinated/stooled herself, her tongue was sticking way out of her mouth and she was whining in her sleep. What are these symptoms and what could have caused it?

For Dakota- a stroke would be unlikely in a very young dog. Talk to your vet about canine epilepsy, the possibility of poisoning (a dog that young is likely to eat things she shouldn't) or other neurological problems (see the related articles above).
Good luck

My dog onyx is a 11 year old pure i think black lab she was fine and yesterday she had her one black leg stiffed up it wont move at all..
today i noticed her 2 front paws are doing the same..she has no control over her bowel movements and is bleeding from the butt..
please help<3 !

Onyx, the lab, needs to be seen by a vet as soon as possible. Canine stroke is certainly one possibility but medical evaluation is needed if you are going to help your dog.

URGENT!!!!!!
Dear DR.Dawn, I have a German Wirehaired pointer that has loss of balance, dilated pupils, nerve strokes. What does the dog have?
Answer with no further delay please!

For the owner of the wirehair- the web is not the place for such urgent situations! The first step is always to call your dog's regular vet or the nearest animal emergency clinic. There are multiple possible reasons for the symptoms you describe and accurate diagnosis is critical if your dog is going to recover. Good luck

This morning I was awoken to the sound of my 3 year old boxer mix flailing around. When I got to him, I noticed he couldn't get up. I went to pick him up and saw that he was urinating. I picked him up after he stopped urinating and set him down. He sat on his hind legs and didn't indicate that he was in any pain. He just sat there looking terrified. I held him while he sat for a few minutes and pet him to calm him down. He tried to walk but his back legs gave out and he started to flail around again. My girlfriend held him for a few minutes while I looked up the number of the emergency vet and when I came back, he was walking around just fine. Within minutes he wanted to go outside and was running around like nothing happened. It's now been about 6 hours since it happened and he seems to be fine. No signs of loss of balance or disorientation. He's eating and drinking normally. Could he have slept funny and woke up with his legs asleep? He's a very anxious dog and can and wake up terrified by the slightest sound. I say this because he sometimes likes to sleep under our bed and it's possible that he may have been woken up by something and banged his back. We will be going to the vet tomorrow but I'm just afraid that something serious might be going on.

For the boxer mix,
3 is pretty young for canine stroke to be a consideration but epilepsy is a problem for many dog breeds. On the positive side-some dogs have only one episode like you describe in their whole lives. Your vet will check to ensure there is no underlying disease to be concerned about. Good luck

My 13 year old miniature dachshund was playing outside. We went out to find him and he was walking in tight circles with his head twisted around almost looking backwards. His eyes were moving quickly from side to side. By the time we got him to the vet he couldn't walk at all. The vet thought it was neuroligical and not vestibular diesase and took blood tests etc. Two days later he began to walk agin but very shakey, falling down often and sometimes still walking in circles. He was bumping into things and the vet has since confirmed that he is totally blind and deaf. Vet is still puzzled as to what is going on inside his head and has given him prednisone to try and restore some eyesight. We think he has had a storke or series of strokes. He has good days (where he gets around, looks interested and perky and loves cuddles) and bad days (where he wants to sleep all day, has difficulty settling, groans a lot and doesn't want to be around us).
We know he is an elderly dog, but we are worried about what life may hold for him. He goes to the bathroom when we take him outside, he drinks and has a ravenous appetite. It is breaking our hearts to see him like this. Can anyone give us some hope i.e. your dog was similar and recovered?

Hello, I have read many of the entries, just want to ask for your opinion. Our 11 yr. old, male, terrier/poodle mix all of the sudden was holding his lert rear leg. situation has gotten worse. Sometimes can not lift to pee, falls when doing his shake, can not get comfortable when resting. He has had his rear end x-rayed. hips and leg are in great shape. Vet prescribed previcox, 1/2 tablet a day. Been on them for 3 wks now. Condition seems to be worsening slowly. Appetite has started to decrease. Today he moved his bowels more than usual. Vet mentioned he may have suffered a stroke?

for the poodle- I am so sorry your dog is not improving. Canine stroke syndrome is certainly a possibility but other types of neurological disorders can also account for the signs you are seeing.

Hello my name is Danna and I have a boxer german sherpard mix and her name is Nitro she is eight years old. this moring I was on the floor with my other dog and she slowly walked to me and I noticed she was shaking and she laid her head against my chest. and she would smack her mouth. I knew something was wrong so I took both dogs outside. we have been trying to bring her out of it. also took her for a liitle drive. now she is sleeping. I doin't even thing she has even gone to the bathroom yet. I am getting worried I am a diabled woman and live on a disabled income. is there anything I can do at home? please help!!

Hello my name is Danna and I have a boxer german sherpard mix and her name is Nitro she is eight years old. this moring I was on the floor with my other dog and she slowly walked to me and I noticed she was shaking and she laid her head against my chest. and she would smack her mouth. I knew something was wrong so I took both dogs outside. we have been trying to bring her out of it. also took her for a liitle drive. now she is sleeping. I doin't even thing she has even gone to the bathroom yet. I am getting worried I am a diabled woman and live on a disabled income. is there anything I can do at home? please help!!

On a Thursday my 6 year old Shih Tzu had drool coming down in strands and not moving with facial twitches. Rushed him to the vet, they said he was having seizures (no other body twitching), they ran blood tests, they said everything checks out fine, except his white blood cell count was very low. They had me take him home with the iv cath still in his leg in case he had an episode so I could rush him to a emergency vet. The next morning we had to take him back to get it out and see how he was doing. We took him there at 9 am, did not hear back till 5 pm, I went to see what was up and the vet said he thinks he had a stroke-said that his wiring to his brain was shorting out and that he does not know he needs to eat or drink, sent me home with a syringe to feed (baby food) and give my dog water. He cannot eat or drink and he cannot walk, he tries but his back leg gives out. The last couple of nights he gets up and scoots around in his bed, last night he sounded as if he was having trouble breathing. He is alert, knows his name when called, sits up and looks around, hasn't barked since then-will he come out of this? What is wrong, was the vet wrong?

My 13 year old dog, Shelby, has had 3 events in the past week that caused weakness on one side of her body. Although, she remained standing, her body was turned in a "C" shape (leaning into the left side of her body) and her right legs (particularly the hind leg) was weakened to the point that she was unable to walk. Although it appeared that the right legs were wobbly, her head was tilted to the left, but there were no indications of nystagmus or facial nerve problems. The acute part, where she couldn't walk at all, lasted about 3 minutes, followed by another 3 or 4 minutes of walking while listing to the left. After that, in each event, she fully recovered and her appetite was unaffected. Up to now, she's always been extremely healthy, with only some slight arthritis in her rear legs. I've been giving her pills with a combination of glucosamine, chondroitin, and MSM, as well as some Omega 3 pills for the past couple of years, that seem to be helping. I have no pet insurance and unfortunately am not able to pay for expensive diagnostic tests like MRI's or CT scans. Shelby has always been my constant companion and I'm so worried for her... What do you advise?

For Shelby,
Even though you won't be able to go for expensive diagnostic tests (which may or may not provide answers) it is worthwhile taking her to the vet to ensure there is nothing going on which could be treated- for example a blood test might find other problems which could be treated/managed to ease the symptoms you are seeing.
Good luck

My 13yr old Tibetan terrier recently died in my arms. I keep replaying it over and over in my mind, and there is one thing that really sticks out that I have no answer for. Before she dies, she lost the ability to walk, she would try but her legs would not support her. She hadn't eaten in a long time, and would not eat or drink anything I offered her. During her last hour she would stretch really awkwardly and let out this long sigh/howl (after years of not barking or making any sounds). Then at the very moment of her death her eyes suddenly seemed to fill with a black liquid, her whites and pupils went completely black and she breathed her last breathe before going limp. Why did her eyes turn black? What may that have been a sign of?

My 13yr old Tibetan terrier recently died in my arms. I keep replaying it over and over in my mind, and there is one thing that really sticks out that I have no answer for. Before she dies, she lost the ability to walk, she would try but her legs would not support her. She hadn't eaten in a long time, and would not eat or drink anything I offered her. During her last hour she would stretch really awkwardly and let out this long sigh/howl (after years of not barking or making any sounds). Then at the very moment of her death her eyes suddenly seemed to fill with a black liquid, her whites and pupils went completely black and she breathed her last breathe before going limp. Why did her eyes turn black? What may that have been a sign of?

hi what would cause a jack russell and shih tzu mix that is five months old to have orange urine and black stool and then a week later eat chicken broth and rice and ground beef the very next morning have a seizure?

i have 3 months old labrador pup.he shakes his left leg a lot.its like its out of his control.is he having a seizure ????

For the lab pup- hard to say what is causing the leg shake. Your vet should do a complete exam and may refer you on to a neurologist for further testing.

Anyone else here using peanut butter to disguise pills, etc.? I have been giving it in small amounts (on my vet's advice) for years! One of my pugs went blind suddenly 5 weeks ago tomorrow. I gave them a Kong this afternoon with just a smear of peanut butter (they hadn't had any for 3 days and were doing great earlier today) and tonight they are in bad shape again. Drooling, breathing fast/shallow, shivering, swollen bellies about to pop, etc.. I wonder if peanuts can cause episodes in dogs they way they can in people...maybe this could be a cause of elevated cortisol?

Dear Dawn,
I understand that some strokes can be caused by parasites. We found out that our 7 yr old husky mix had been loaded with whip worms a trip to the vet last week.

He had, one week earlier, begun uncharacteristically urinating in the house, was very lethargic, walking in circles repeatedly, leaning against walls as he walked, etc. The second trip to the vet revealed the parasitic infection. We have been giving him his parasite medicine as the vet said but his condition has not improved Then just last night we noticed he could not see out of his left eye. This evening I realized that his jowls on the left side didn't appear to match his right as if it were drooping. He has had seizures before when he was much younger, and he had another the other night.

After researching dog strokes I've come to believe that this is what he's been afflicted with, but my question is what good does the MRI or other scan do after the fact? We're expecting our first child and money is tight right now so if there's no major upside to the scans I'd like to avoid added cost. However, if we can extend or improve his quality of life it would be well worth the investment.

Thank you, in advance.

For the husky, it is unlikely that the scans will find anything which would significantly change the course of treatment. Providing supportive care and treating any known problems (such as the parasites) makes sense in this situation.
Good luck

My 9 yr old Min Pin started acting strange when I got home from work 2 days ago. His neck looked swollen so I cut his choke chain off, and he started acting a little more normal. During this "spell", he was wobbly, would walk backwards, sometimes circling. Lasted appx 10 min. Took to the vet, but by that time he was back to acting normal. Vet thought he may have had a seizure. Got blood drawn, results ok, though WBCs and liver enzymes slightly elevated. The next morning when I got him out of the crate, his neck was very tense again. (I realized his neck wasn't swollen, it was tensing up, very stiff and you could feel trembling and rapid heart beat when it was tensed up). I stayed home to keep an eye on him, and about 6 hrs later it happened again. I took him to the vet immediately and she now thought maybe he was just having some kind of muscle spasm in his neck, prescribed Rimadyl, Tramadol prn, and methacarb liquid muscle relaxer. Went to work today and as soon as I let him out, his neck started spasming again. It was barely it e for his muscle relaxer again. Have you ever seen this? Could it be something worse? I'm just afraid it may be meningitis or something neurological. Thank you for your help!

For the min pin, what you describe could certainly be neck pain, which would be worse after being still (while you are out I'm sure he spends a fair bit of time sleeping). If your vet has not recommended xrays or other diagnostic testing it would be worth talking about that. Epilepsy is common in some breeds of dogs as well. These 2 possibilities are more likely than something like meningitis.
Good luck

guest.my pug is falling over and her paws are curling under she is not eating or drinking she is walking round in circles,and is very sleepy,what is wrong with her please help

For the pug, first she should be checked by a vet. There is a possibility of it being canine vestibular syndrome but other common dog diseases should be ruled out first.

hi i have a 5 year old chiuhuaha.she just had puppies and she had a seizure.and i took her to the vet and they told me it was a stroke..and now she can't eat or drink water..she lost her eye sight and hearing...now she just yelps cause she can't bark..can you help me what should i give her that will help..

Hi, my dog just did something weird. He jumped on the couch beside me and then his head tilted to the left, and lifted his right paw. I freaked out, he fell/slid off the couch and limped across the livingroom. when I sat next to him, his next was rigid and his eyes were bugging out. He was definitely breathing normally, but looked stressed. after awhile he seemed ok, and just went upstairs to go to bed. I have no idea if this was a seizure or a stroke, or just him being weird,. what do you think?

For the chihuahua, did your vet talk to you about eclampsia and is there a history of seizures in her bloodline? Things to think about. If your vet is not working with you to diagnose the problem might be time for a second opinion.
For the dog who fell off the couch- a seizure would be the first thought, get him checked out by your vet to rule out other problems.

We have a 13yr old Lancasire Healer. Today at the dogs meal time, Pip was not his normal whining self, was slow eating, and did not finish his food. Normaly he wolfs it down, then tries to pinch the other dogs food. He had a slight Head tilt, and was slightly off balnce. He also had a startled rabbit look about the eyes, and appeared disorientated. Could this be a stroke ???

For the heeler, in addition to having your vet check your dog out to find out what is wrong, please see the article regarding canine vestibular syndrome as what you describe is similar to the way in which the syndrome starts.

I, too, have a 15 yrs old 5 lb. Yorkie. Ist. symptom not eating. 2nd. just standing, not walking. 3. Totally collapsing on all fours and it will be a week tomorrow. Vet put her on prednisone, pepcid 2x a day. Her heart and lungs are clear. She has been on heart meds and Lasix. I feed her with tongue depressor, and she laps water, but totally immobile.