Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog heart problems after head injury that got better in 12 days
By Machado, A & Belachsen, O·Published in Journal of veterinary cardiology : the official journal of the European Society of Veterinary Cardiology·2025·Southern Counties Veterinary Specialists, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Suspected neurogenic myocardial stunning following traumatic brain injury in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
An eight-year-old male Chihuahua was brought in for a heart check-up after suffering a head injury. The vet found issues with the dog's heart function, including abnormal blood flow and heart enlargement. Fortunately, after 12 days of care, the dog's heart size and function returned to normal. This case suggests that head trauma can lead to temporary heart problems in dogs, similar to what has been seen in humans.
People also search for: dog heart problems after head injury · Chihuahua heart function recovery · traumatic brain injury effects on dogs
Abstract
An eight-year-old male Chihuahua was presented for a cardiac evaluation after sustaining head trauma. New mitral regurgitation, left cardiac dilation, and systolic and diastolic dysfunction were present. Normalisation of cardiac dimensions and function was apparent within 12 days. Findings were consistent with myocardial stunning. The authors hypothesise head trauma-induced neurogenic myocardial stunning, a phenomenon observed in humans after traumatic brain injury but not previously reported in dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41076783/