Dog Has Potentially Had a Stroke

[Squeak]

My friend is looking after her fathers elderly dog and on Sunday afternoon it started staggering, falling over, bumping in to things and is confused. She rang the OOH vets and they said they thought the dog had probably had a stroke but they couldn't do anything for it so not to bring it in. My friend then spoke to an online vet who said the same thing. I was really shocked by this as my experience with a potential stroke was that the dog was rushed in to the emergency vet in the middle of the night and although she hadn't had a stroke she needed urgent medical attention.

Fast forward to today and the dog hasn't eaten since Sunday (my friend managed to finally get her to eat some scraps of chicken an hour or so ago) and is still wobbly, bumping into things, staggering and confused although my friend said she might be slightly better than yesterday.

I've encouraged my friend to ring the vets, they rang them at 10 this morning and got told a nurse would ring them back, they're still waiting for them to call. Am I over reacting in thinking that this dog really needs to see a vet asap? My friend has a huge amount on her plate at the moment and I don't want to stress her out unnecessarily.

 

[Clodagh]

I doubt there would be much the emergency vet could do but surely the poor thing needed to see a vet Monday to discuss PTS if still staggering around?

 

[meleeka]

I believe strokes in dogs is quite rare, but very similar symptoms to vestibular syndrome. At the very least I'd expect the dog to be seen, properly diagnosed and anti sickness meds given. My dog was seen immediately at the emergency vets for similar symptoms.

 

[Mynstrel]

Sounds like it could also be vestibular which they can recover from (and an emergency vet could have diagnosed/treated, but regardless which it is they should have seen a dog in that state). Either way needs a vet as soon as they can. If she can't get any sense from them I'd be making the "I'm bringing my dog down NOW" call and just going there.

 

[Ponygirl250713]

I have a dog myself and strokes in dogs are quite rare but I would say it's probably a case of getting a vet soon otherwise there might not be a chance of it recovering. I know it's hard but do what you are most comfortable with.

 

[Squeak]

Thanks all, that was very much my thinking. I'll keep encouraging my friend to get her to the vet. I've suggested to them to ring another vet and ask their opinion but it's a hard one as there's only so many times and ways you can say 'I think the vet is wrong and you urgently need to get the dog to the vet' before you're being unhelpful rather than helpful.

I do feel really sorry for them as they are trying and are upset and worried and as far as they're concerned they're following vet advice. I'll keep you all updated.

 

[skinnydipper]

I know a dog who had a stroke, it happened during the night. Taken to OOH vets, admitted to referral hospital, CT scan, in patient for about a week to get her back on her feet. Slowly regained mobility until pretty much back to normal.

 

[Mynstrel]

Thanks all, that was very much my thinking. I'll keep encouraging my friend to get her to the vet. I've suggested to them to ring another vet and ask their opinion but it's a hard one as there's only so many times and ways you can say 'I think the vet is wrong and you urgently need to get the dog to the vet' before you're being unhelpful rather than helpful.

I do feel really sorry for them as they are trying and are upset and worried and as far as they're concerned they're following vet advice. I'll keep you all updated.

If she has a lot on her plate are you close enough (and willing) that she would accept you running her to the vet? That way you're supporting her and could be the voice of reason if the vet starts talking rubbish

 

[Squeak]

If she has a lot on her plate are you close enough (and willing) that she would accept you running her to the vet? That way you're supporting her and could be the voice of reason if the vet starts talking rubbish

I would have really happily but unfortunately I'm over 3 hours away. If she had of been close enough I would have got her to my vets and even paid the emergency vet bill if it turned out it wasn't necessary.

 

[AmyMay]

Can they just not ring the vet and actually just make an appointment? It’s what I always do.

 

[Squeak]

Can they just not ring the vet and actually just make an appointment? It’s what I always do.

Unfortunately the problem is that they don't think they need to take the dog to the vet rather than not being able to get an appointment as they were told on Sunday that they didn't need to as there was nothing that could be done for a stroke, they rang them this morning to ask if they should bring her in and are still waiting for the vets to ring the back.

It's a really hard one as if she was mine she would have been at the vet on Sunday and at the very least have been booked in for an appointment Monday but they feel they're following vet advice and the dog doesn't need to be seen. To be fair they're also worried about the dog not travelling well - I've suggested her OH drives and she sits in the back with her to help her if needed.

 

[ester]

the vet on Sunday had no way of knowing the situation would still be continuing by Tuesday so what they said now is very much defunct, would they understand that?

 

[Squeak]

Unfortunately just heard from friend and they can't understand that the vet could be wrong and so are going with what they said and just keeping the dog at home. The vets still haven't rung them back today either

From what the friend is saying the poor dog can't even stand properly. I've tried saying and persuading them to get the dog to a vet but unfortunately they just can't see it and I'm just stressing them out so I'm having to give up for the meantime. If the dog deteriorates even further then hopefully they'll realise they need to get her to a vet. You never know, hopefully the vet will be right and the dog will heal itself from a stroke and be ok in a week or two...??

They are trying really hard to keep the dog as comfortable as they can, it's not through lack of wanting to be kind

 

[ester]

People are weird

 

[splashgirl45]

It might not be a stroke so seems odd that the vet isn’t interested… strokes in dogs are very rare , I thought my collie had a stroke and took her to the emergency vets (typical it was after hours) she was diagnosed with vestibular syndrome and they gave her anti sickness drugs and I took her home. It took about 5 months for her to recover and she was left with a slight head tilt. She had another 2 years of good quality life …

 

[skinnydipper]

Fast forward to today and the dog hasn't eaten since Sunday (my friend managed to finally get her to eat some scraps of chicken an hour or so ago) and is still wobbly, bumping into things, staggering and confused although my friend said she might be slightly better than yesterday.

She might need IV fluids. As I said above, the dog I know was an in patient for about a week. She received IV fluids initially.

 

[BigRedDog]

I had a dog who had a stroke. It happened about 8am. Vet was very good and she was seen within an hour, but didn’t have any treatment or scans. I remember vet saying if she survived 3 hours that was good, 3 days - better and 3 weeks she would make a full recovery.
He was right, she was pretty much back to normal in 3 hours.

Although vet your friend spoke to on Sunday was probably right if the dog was still unwell today I would want dog examined and options discussed.

 

[AmyMay]

People are weird

People are p£!cks!

 

[skinnydipper]

Can a vet really know the severity of a stroke without physically seeing and examining the dog and investigations if necessary?

 

[wren123]

Same thing happened with my friend’s dog, also an elderly collie. They took her to the vet fearing the worst and it was vestibular syndrome and she got some medication which helped.

 

[Jenko109]

I find it very hard to believe that your friend called the vets, told them that their dog is staggering around, confused and falling over and the vet did not want to see the dog.

I think there is more to this that your friend is perhaps not letting on.

 

[Clodagh]

I find it very hard to believe that your friend called the vets, told them that their dog is staggering around, confused and falling over and the vet did not want to see the dog.

I think there is more to this that your friend is perhaps not letting on.

This. I imagine friend told the vet a slightly downplayed version and you an up played one? No disrespect intended to your friend but I really cannot believe a vet would not want to see a dog that can’t stand and hasn’t eaten or presumably drunk since Sunday.

 

[SkylarkAscending]

I’ve had two dogs with vestibular syndrome and one with an actual stroke.

I’d be changing vets quicker than I can type, current practice are clearly irresponsible ****ing idiots.

Whilst the symptoms are ostensibly the same, prognosis and treatment is very different. But idiot vets have missed the opportunity for a vestibular diagnosis.

I hope this turns out OK for the poor dog, I know that’s your concern too OP

 

[Dam1]

This post has made me furious.
Poor poor dog
Well done OP for trying to help.
What is wrong with people. If the dog has not drunk much/eaten since Sunday he needs too be seen by a vet.
Will the owners just wait until he dies ????

 

[ester]

I’ve had two dogs with vestibular syndrome and one with an actual stroke.

I’d be changing vets quicker than I can type, current practice are clearly irresponsible ****ing idiots.

Whilst the symptoms are ostensibly the same, prognosis and treatment is very different. But idiot vets have missed the opportunity for a vestibular diagnosis.

I hope this turns out OK for the poor dog, I know that’s your concern too OP

we don't know what either vets were actually told though, or 100% what they said given that she doesn't seem to actually want to have to take the poor dog to them

 

[SkylarkAscending]

we don't know what either vets were actually told though, or 100% what they said given that she doesn't seem to actually want to have to take the poor dog to them

That’s a fair comment for sure - I do wonder how people are allowed to be in charge of animals, let alone (in some cases) children

 

[gallopingby]

IF it’s vestibular syndrome the dog might not want to eat for a few days, but hand feeding something like chicken sometimes works. I’ve had a few dogs with this over the years and they’ve usually been seen by the vet and given anti- sickness meds. There are a few different symptoms and a head tilt and fluttering eyes are often seen in VS. Most do recover very well after a few days or weeks depending on the severity. It can be very scary if you’ve not seen it before. Sometimes you can help them to stand and walk if you know how to hold them. One of mine was doing stairs after three weeks, she did require supervision at first and wasn’t supposed to be going up but she was very determined and carried on as best she could. She lived a couple of years after the first incident at around 12 years old.

 

[Goldenstar]

Vets pay their mortgages by seeing pets .
Why on earth are they not keen to see the dog
It makes no sense

 

[irishdraft]

My Collie has had 2 vestibular events when he had the first we took him straight to the vets who diagnosed vestibular, I had never heard of it and thought he had had a stroke, the vet wasn't over concerned ( not in a bad way ) and said he would recover in time, which he did. When he had the 2nd we didn't take him to the vets as no medication was given, we nursed him at home and he took a while to eat much but has recovered. It could be with careful nursing your friends dog will recover without veterinary attention but it would seem odd the vet wouldn't want to see him initially to see what was actually wrong with him.

 

[Squeak]

So the vet nurse finally rang them and still isn’t worried about seeing the dog!! They’ve booked her an appointment for Monday!! It is really bizarre! I really hope there’s something that they know and I don’t that explains it but it seems hard to believe the dog shouldn’t have been seen. As has been said though I haven’t heard what the vet was told and haven’t seen the dog so I just have to hope the dog is better than she sounds.

They’ve managed to get the dog to eat some chicken so that’s at least something. The experiences of dogs recovering without medical intervention (once the vet had seen them!) gives me some hope that maybe she’ll be ok. It’s not at all what I’d choose to do though.

To be fair to the friend, it’s not her dog, she’s looking after her fathers dog for two weeks and hasn’t got her own so there is unfortunately ignorance on her part and I guess if you don’t know better and the vet is saying they don’t need to see a dog then you’d believe them Although I’m a bit disappointed that she hasn’t been able to realise the dog needs to see a vet and vets can make mistakes.

I’ve really pushed friend to take her to the vet but unfortunately when the vet is saying they don’t need to see the dog it makes it difficult to persuade her otherwise. I’ll keep trying and keep you all updated.