Natural Pet Health

Stroke Signs, Symptoms, And Causes Of Strokes In Dogs

Everybody is familiar with the fact that humans have strokes. It is a serious medical issue that people must be aware of when it comes to their own health. However, most of us do not realize that our pets can also suffer a stroke and receive severe brain damage. Experts use to claim that dog strokes were very rare, however during recent MRI scanning documentation, it appears that strokes in dogs is a lot more prevalent than we think.

What Exactly Is A Stroke?

Stroke Your Dog’s Chances Of Recovering From A Stroke

If your dog has had a stroke and you have sought out the proper medical attention, the good news at this point is knowing that your dog will recover from his stroke much faster than a person would. In fact, all dogs seem to progress to better health after having a stroke than humans who suffer the same experience.

Most dogs who are suffering from vestibular disease and responds to treatment within a few days has an excellent chance of recovering. However, he may be left with a slight physical dysfunction such as a tilted head or dizziness. Some dogs are unfortunately left with seizure episodes for the rest of their lives. And if the animal has cancer which was the cause of the stroke to begin with, his seizures will increase in quantity as time goes on.

Canine Cardiac Disease How Common Heart Murmurs In Dogs Could Be The Result Of CCD

If your dog gets diagnosed with a common heart murmur problem, it may be a sign of canine cardiac disease.

According to the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, a heart murmur results from blood flow running through the heart that is abnormal. Some heart murmurs are perfectly normal while others, similar to those heard in aging dogs, may be a sign that some type of heart disease is prevalent. The most common cardiac diseases in dogs include:

1. Congenital birth defects that show up when a puppy is young.
2. Degenerative valve disease (heart valve leaks) that mostly affect older or middle-aged dogs.
3. Loss of heart muscle tissue that is typically seen in young dogs or middle-aged larger dog breeds.

What are some of the most common heart and circulation conditions in pets?

* Heart murmur
* High cholesterol
* High blood pressure
* Thickening of the heart muscle
* Heart failure
* Irregular pulse
* Anemia

What symptoms should we look out for

* Tiring more easily than normal
* Low pitched deep cough
* Labored breathing
* Coughing during the night or after exercise
* Fluid retention in the legs and abdomen
* Bluish look to the tongue and gums
* Excessive weight loss

What is the conventional treatment?

Conventional treatment usually involves medication including diuretics which are used to control the sodium and water retention that accompanies heart failure; vasodilators which are used to lower blood pressure and digoxin and related drugs which help the heart beat more efficiently