Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Long-term outlook and seizures after ischemic stroke in dogs
By Danciu, Cecilia-Gabriella et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2025·Royal Veterinary College, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Comorbidities, long-term outcome and poststroke epilepsy associated with ischemic stroke - A multicenter observational study of 125 dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 125 dogs diagnosed with ischemic stroke (a type of stroke caused by a lack of blood flow to the brain) was studied to understand their long-term outcomes and the occurrence of seizures afterward. About 42% of these dogs had other health issues, like high blood pressure, but this didn't significantly affect their survival rates. Most dogs lived for over a year after the stroke, and only a small number developed seizures afterward. The findings suggest that while strokes can be serious, many dogs can recover well, and poststroke epilepsy is rare.
People also search for: dog ischemic stroke recovery · dog stroke symptoms · dog seizures after stroke · high blood pressure in dogs · long-term care for dog stroke
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Little is known regarding the comorbidities and prognostic factors associated with the long-term outcome of ischemic stroke in dogs. Although poststroke epilepsy is a well-recognized syndrome in people, it is unclear if this phenomenon also occurs in dogs. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVE: Document comorbidities, long-term outcome (survival and stroke recurrence), and occurrence of epileptic seizures associated with ischemic stroke. ANIMALS: One hundred and twenty-five client-owned dogs. METHODS: Multicenter observational study including dogs diagnosed with ischemic stroke between 2000 and 2021. Associations between comorbidities, stroke location and extent, poststroke epileptic seizures, and long-term outcome were investigated. Referring veterinarians and owners were contacted to obtain follow-up information. RESULTS: Fifty-two dogs (41.6%) had a comorbidity. The most common comorbidities were hypertension (20%) and proteinuria (8%). Eight dogs (6.4%) that did not survive to discharge had a territorial ischemic stroke. Overall median survival time for dogs with a comorbidity was 482 days (range, 1-3013) and 907 days (range, 1-3027) in dogs without comorbidities (Kaplan-Meier survival analysis P = .602). Twenty-four dogs (19.2%) had a suspected stroke recurrence and a total of 8/109 dogs (7.3%) developed poststroke epilepsy. No association was found between suspected stroke recurrence or development of poststroke epilepsy and survival (P = .812, P = .487). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Despite no significant difference in survival of dogs diagnosed with ischemic stroke, with or without comorbidities, investigations for underlying causes are recommended to provide appropriate treatment. Poststroke epilepsy is uncommon.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39711420/