My senior dog had a stroke. How to help vision and balance recover?

Hello. I am sorry that Buddy isn't feeling well and having these issues. It sounds like he has a very loving family. Recovery time from stroke can vary significantly, so if you are seeing improvements then you can keep going. I would recommend having him rechecked by a vet to make sure that his legs not working aren't due to a problem in his spine instead of his brain. Also, if he can't use his legs it is very important to make sure he can urinate and defecate, as sometimes the nerves are affected as well for these functions. In terms of when to euthanize, this is a question of Quality of Life (QOL). If you feel his 'good' days are outweighing his 'bad' days then keep going. If the 'bad' days are more common then the 'good' days then it's time to consider euthanasia. It helps to keep track in a journal so you can see the progress. Also, it is helpful to write a list of all of the things and behaviours that make Buddy, Buddy. Does he love to go for walks, does he love to eat. Is he still doing these things that he loves, or has he stopped. If he isn't doing the things that make him, him, then maybe it's time to euthanize. I would also always recommend as well having a consultation with a neurological specialist, as there may be other medications and options for Buddy. Good luck with him!

I don't see a reason why not continuing the steroid treatment as long as there is a significant improvement, strokes in dogs often take a few days to a few weeks to show a significant improvement but they usually recover pretty well.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Baby Girl is beautiful, I am sorry she is feeling sick. Dogs can have episodes where they suddenly become very dizzy, (head tilt, circling, 'horizontal nystagmus' which is the eyes flicking back and forth). This can be caused by many different things, including strokes, brain tumors, inner ear infections, etc. There is also a condition called "Idiopathic Geriatric Vestibular Disease" which means "we don't know why but old animals get dizzy". One cause of this condition is a stroke. This condition can resolve on it's own with time, and you usually see a drastic improvement over the first 24-48 hours. In the mean-time, we usually provide a drug called "prochlorperazine" which makes them not as nauseous. You can get this, or a version of this drug, from your vet. There is no treatment aside from making them not feel nauseous from the dizziness. Time is the only healer. If the cause is this vestibular disease, your little girl could get better and have a good life otherwise. This condition can re-occur at any time. If she doesn't get significantly better over the next couple days, then the problem is likely more serious and won't resolve. At that point you have to assess if her quality of life is affected. This will be determined if she has other disease processes going on. You will also need to provide nursing care in the mean-time, making sure she doesn't pee and poop on herself, bringing food and water to her. I hope she feels better soon. Best of luck with Baby Girl.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Hunter. I recommend seeking emergency veterinary care for him. Strokes are actually very rare in dogs, but can happen. More commonly, dogs will experience vestibular disease. This is a problem with balance that will result in nystagmus (eyes twitching back and forth), a head tilt, walking in circles, stumbling and falling down. This can be caused by an inner ear infection, hormonal disease or a brain tumor, but is usually idiopathic meaning there is not identifiable cause. This is referred to as Old Dog Vestibular disease. This is usually a condition that can be treated and the dog will do well. If this is not the case, he could be experiencing a toxin exposure, trauma or an infection. It is important to have him evaluated so that treatment can be started. I hope this information helps!

Hello, sorry to hear about Jess but Im glad she is doing better. You should ensure she is able to go to the bathroom adequately and on her own. Make sure she is clean and resting in a padded comfortable bed. If she is unable to turn her self, then you should be turning her resting position every 6 hours. If she has not been evaluated by a veterinarian after this episode, then she should be evaluated immediately. Otherwise, your veterinarian can offer more advise on her progress since they have the initial evaluation and can compare the progress. She may eat her normal diet, however, due to her decreased activity she may gain some weight more easily, so monitor her weight and portion size. If you feel she is gaining weight, you may cut back her portions a bit to prevent too much weight gain. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Clotting problems are relatively common following splenic surgery, but it is certainly unusual to see a stroke. Her prognosis really depends on her neurologic status now and what her brain looks like on an MRI (assuming the stroke occurred in her brain). You can ask about referral to a neurologist for an MRI. Otherwise only time can tell, and some brain injuries can take several months before improvement is seen.

Your vet is correct that it can take three to four weeks for full recovery, and that there can be some episodes during the recovery. Given that her symptoms are similar but not as severe, I would monitor Honey for now. Should her symptoms become severe or continue through until tomorrow, then I would take her back into the vet for an exam. It's understandable to be worried about her, and keeping an eye on her for now is the best thing to do. Of course, if you are very concerned, there's absolutely nothing wrong with taking her into a vet now to be seen.