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Seeing your dog suddenly roll over, walk in circles, or lose control of his bladder is terrifying and makes many owners immediately conclude that their dog has had a stroke.
Old dog vestibular disease and stroke are different but share many of the same symptoms.
Fortunately, old dog vestibular disease is much less severe than a stroke and usually resolves in a few days to a week or two.
Unfortunately, a stroke is much more serious, and there is a short window of opportunity to get them to a vet before permanent damage occurs.
Vestibular disorders affect the inner ear and the vestibular nerve, the part of the body that controls balance.
A stroke directly affects the brain. Although they affect different parts of the body, they show similar symptoms.
In this article, we will discuss the differences between vestibular disease in older dogs and a stroke, how it presents in dogs, what the various causes are, and how they will affect your dog in the long term.
Key Differences Between Old Dog Vestibular Disease and Stroke
The main differences between old dog vestibular disease and a stroke are:
- Vestibular disease in older dogs generally only affects older dogs, while stroke can affect dogs of any age.
- Old dog vestibular disease has many causes, while stroke has only two causes.
- Old dog vestibular disease resolves on its own within a few days, while a stroke can be permanent.
- Old dog vestibular disease is not fatal, while stroke can be fatal.
Introduction: Old-Dog Vestibular Disease vs. Stroke
Before we go into the differences between the two conditions, it is important to first define and understand each condition separately.
Old dog vestibular disease
All dogs have a vestibular system. The vestibular system controls balance and orientation.
Basically, it's what keeps your dog upright and walking in a straight line. It does this by keeping your dog's head stable and level and stabilizing their eyes while your dog is looking around.
Vestibular diseases affect the vestibular nerve by inflaming it.
This, in turn, can prevent it from sending messages to your dog's body to keep him balanced and moving forward smoothly.
stroke
A stroke directly affects the brain. When a dog has a stroke, it's caused by either a restriction of blood in a part of the brain or a ruptured blood vessel in the brain.
Depending on where exactly the stroke occurs in the brain, different symptoms can occur.
Common Symptoms
Vestibular disease in older dogs and stroke share similar physical symptoms, which is why they can be confused with each other.
The following can be signs of both old dog vestibular disease and a stroke:
- Walk in tight circles in the same direction
- tilting of the headto one side (in the event of a stroke, the inclination will be to the side of the brain that suffered the stroke)
- Unequal pupils (more common in stroke)
- weakness on one side of the body
- Paralysis of one or more legs
- Loss of bladder and bowel control
- collapse (more common in stroke)
- dizziness
- Strange eye movement from side to side
- nausea and vomiting
- Appetitverlust
- Inability to jump or walk in a straight line
Old-Dog Vestibular Disease vs. Schlaganfall: Alter
Different diseases affect animals and humans at different ages.
For example, children are more likely to get chickenpox and adults more likely to get Alzheimer's.
Let's take a closer look at how age affects your dog's chances of developing vestibular disease or stroke.
Old dog vestibular disease
Vestibular disease is also referred to as "old-fashioned" vestibular disease, as it is far more common in Germanyolder dogs.
As dogs age, their nerve health declines and they become more likely to develop a disease that negatively affects nerves (like vestibular disease in older dogs).
However, there are also some instances where younger dogs develop vestibular disease due to other underlying health issues.
stroke
Strokes can occur in any breed of dog at any age. Since the causes of strokes are not related to the deterioration of the body, they can occur at any age.
However, when an older dog is ill, they are generally more prone to stroke.
Old-Dog Vestibular Disease vs. Stroke: Causes
The causes of old dog vestibular disease and strokes are different.
Identifying the cause can help you determine whether they have old-fashioned vestibular disease or the aftermath of a stroke, which will help you decide on a course of action.
Old dog vestibular disease
Veterinarians are not 100% sure of the proximate cause of vestibular disease in older dogs.
However, there are many underlying causes that contribute to the development of older dog vestibular disease.
These underlying causes all inflame the vestibular nerve in some way. These causes include:
- ear infection
- Viral infections that cause system-wide inflammation
- Medications involving ear toxicities
- Perforated, damaged, or ruptured eardrum
- Trauma to the ear or head
- Ear or head injuries
When there is no clear cause for old vestibular disease, it is called idiopathic vestibular disease.
stroke
Strokes in dogs have two main causes.
One cause is a blockage, such as B. a clot or a piece of cartilage that runs through a blood vessel in the brain and deprives that part of the brain of oxygen. This is called an ischemic stroke.
Strokes can also be caused by a blood vessel in the brain bursting, which then causes the brain to bleed.
This puts undue pressure on the brain and causes the deficiencies that show up as symptoms. This is called a hemorrhagic stroke.
There are also certain factors that increase the risk of a stroke in a dog, such as:
- kidney disease
- Diabetes
- Morbus Cushing
- heart disease
- Rocky-Mountain-Fleckfieber
Old-Dog Vestibular Disease vs. Stroke: Duration
Stroke and Old Dog Vestibular Disease both have an immediate onset, so their symptoms show up fairly quickly.
However, their symptoms or after-effects can last very differently.
Old dog vestibular disease
If your dog has Old Dog Idiopathic Vestibular Disease and you are unsure what the cause is, the problem may take longer to resolve.
However, once you identify the underlying cause, such as an ear infection or trauma, you can treat it and the symptoms will quickly go away.
Unless the cause is severe, the symptoms of old vestibular disease usually go away on their own within a few days to two weeks.
In rare cases, some of the symptoms of old dog vestibular disease remain, such as: B. a slight tilt of the head or weakness on one side of the body.
stroke
The duration of stroke symptoms mainly depends on the severity of the stroke and the damage to the brain.
If the stroke is minor and you can get your dog treated as soon as possible, the symptoms should go away immediately or in a day or two.
However, if the stroke is severe, the symptoms can be permanent.
Symptoms such as partial or total paralysis, incontinence or blindness can be permanent and can affect your dog's quality of life.
Old-Dog Vestibular Disease vs. Stroke: Severity
Does your dog suffer from it?vestibular disease of the old dogor astroke, the likelihood of recurrence is high, especially if they are older or if the cause is not properly addressed.
However, the severity of the old dog's vestibular disease is relatively minor compared to a stroke.
Old dog vestibular disease
Fortunately, there is rarely permanent damage from old dog vestibular disease.
The real danger is leaving a dog with these symptoms unsupervised near pools, large drops, or stairs, as they could drown or fall and easily injure themselves.
stroke
Strokes are very serious as they can be fatal. The severity of the stroke depends on how badly the brain is damaged by the lack of oxygen or the bleeding.
Taking your dog to the vet as soon as you notice symptoms means he'll get treatment quickly.
Prompt treatment to restore blood flow and oxygenation to the brain will help reduce the likelihood of lasting effects from the stroke.
Unfortunately, we had to deal with the symptoms of vestibular disease in old dogs in one of our dogsrescue dogs.
OurBorder collie lab mixMaffy was diagnosed with a stroke. When we got home he was running in circles and falling down and was disoriented and confused.
After a few days, however, he was his normal self again. He was definitely considered an 'old dog' at the time and in hindsight I think he had old dog vestibular disease and not a stroke.
Frequently Asked Questions About Vestibular Disease in Aged Dogs vs. Stroke
How is a stroke diagnosed?
A veterinarian will diagnose a stroke by performing a neurological exam, evaluating your dog's symptoms, and possibly doing an MRI or CT scan to determine where the clot or cerebral hemorrhage occurred in the brain.
What is a stroke?
A fibrocartilaginous embolus, also known as anFCEor a spinal stroke, is not the same as a stroke. However, it can be as alarming as a stroke.
If a piece of fibrous cartilage enters the bloodstream and blocks a vessel in the spine, it prevents oxygen from reaching that part of the spine, causing paralysis in one or more legs.
Barking: Old-Dog Vestibular Disease vs. Stroke
Your dog's sudden head tilt, tight circling, partial paralysis, loss of bladder control or collapse would be of serious concern to any pet owner.
However, it is important to understand the differences between old dog vestibular disease and stroke.
Here is a brief summary of the main differences between vestibular disease and stroke:
- Vestibular disease in older dogs generally only affects older dogs, while stroke can affect dogs of any age.
- Old dog vestibular disease has many causes, while stroke has only two causes.
- Old dog vestibular disease resolves on its own within a few days, while a stroke can be permanent.
- Old dog vestibular disease is not fatal, while stroke can be fatal.
Has your dog ever been diagnosed with Old Dog Vestibular Disease or a stroke?
Tell us about your experience in the comments section below.
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