What is a Dog Stroke?
A dog stroke is not that common but does occur in our canine friends. There are essentially two types of stroke, which may each have a variety of causes. The first type, called an ischemic dog stroke, occurs when a blocked or clotted artery stops blood flow to the brain. Some dogs can also get conditions where they have significant bleeding in the brain. This is called a hemorrhagic stroke and this abnormal bleeding actually blocks passage of blood to the brain. Just as in people, a dog stroke can result in brain damage. When brain cells don’t get needed oxygen, they can quickly die. However, dogs tend to recover from strokes better and with greater ease than do people, and some dogs may have a stroke that owners don’t even notice.
