Dog Brain Damage
- One cause of damage in the brain is stroke. This happens when there is blockade in the artery or hemorrhage which will disrupt blood flow to the brain. The stroke itself is always a symptom of another medical condition. Generally, dogs survive the stroke. And depending on the severity of the brain damage, they can almost always recover their motor functions after weeks of treatments. However, there is no way to reverse a permanent damage from a stroke. So even when the dog has recovered its motor skills, its behavior is forever changed.
- On the other hand, hydrocephalus is a condition which affects certain dogs. It is a condition in which its spinal cord and brain are soaked in cerebrospinal fluid, which is essential for normal body function including circulation. The condition is characterized by having excessive fluid in the brain.
- Meanwhile, epilepsy in dogs is an idiopathic disease characterized by seizures. There is also no specific test to diagnose epilepsy, thus, advanced diagnostic tests are performed to rule out other causes of seizures.
- During the time when the dogs are recovering their motor skills, assistance may be needed to avoid further injuries.
Signs and Symptoms of Dog Brain Damage
There are two types of stroke in dogs. These are:
- Ischemic stroke. This occurs when blood flow is abruptly stopped and does not reach the brain properly.
- Hemorrhagic stroke. This happens when a blood vessel bursts.
Symptoms of stroke in dogs include:
- Tilting in the dog’s head
- Dogs will turn in circles, lose their balance, and finally fall over.
- Abrupt and significant changes in behavior like:
- Eating from only one side of its bowl
- Turning the opposite direction when it is called
- Seizure
- Blindness
- Confusion
- Loss of bladder control
Symptoms of hydrocephalus are:
- Depression
- Loss of coordination in movement
- Eye abnormalities
- Seizures
- Vision problems
- Enlargement of skull
Causes of Brain Damage in Dogs
Stroke in dog is a symptom of another disease.
- Complications from diabetes
- Thyroid malfunction
- Parasites
- Tumors or fats
- Obstruction because of fragments of spinal cartilage
Hemorrhagic stroke is cause by the following factors:
- Bleeding in the brain
- The bursting of a blood vessel is due to any the following:
- Head trauma
- Brain tumor
- Inflammation of the arteries
- Consumption of poisonous toxins
- Abnormal blood vessel development