My dog passed out! Why? What's the matter with him?" In such a situation we are assailed by all the doubts in the world. Today we talk about the causes of fainting in more frequent dogs.
What is fainting in dogs or syncope in dogs?
A fainting or syncope is a temporary loss of consciousness. It usually occurs because oxygen is decreasing the influx to the brain due to reduced blood flow.
Like humans, dogs can also faint. If you want to know what the possible causes are, we invite you to continue reading.
Causes of fainting in dogs
Mainly, the causes of fainting in dogs or syncope in dogs are divided into two variants according to their origin:
When it comes to a cardiovascular origin, fainting in dogs is usually caused by arrhythmias or some diseases that affect the heart, such as pulmonary stenosis or dilated cardiomyopathy.
On the other hand, the cause of a canine fainting may be of extra cardiac origin. In this case, we would be talking about neurological causes: encephalitis, epilepsy or bleeding. It may also be due to metabolic causes such as hypocalcaemia, anemia, hypoadrenocorticism or hypoglycemia. Another reason may be a lung cause such as pulmonary hypertension or due to something situational, such as coughing, difficulty defecating or migrating, or even stress.
Of all these reasons, the most common ones that produce syncope are hypoglycemia, situational and cardiac. The latter are the most dangerous, since, for example, arrhythmia syncope can lead to sudden death.
On the other hand, you could talk about vasovagal syncope, another cause of fainting in dogs. This occurs in situations where the animal is highly excited or makes a great muscle effort. This causes the dog to have tachycardia’s that stimulate the vagal system, causing the heart rate and tension to drop, resulting in fainting.
How do I know if my dog is fainting?
Symptoms of a dog who is fainting include:
He's lying on his side.
He's got a lost eye.
He loses consciousness all of a sudden.
It doesn't respond to our claims.
It has stiff legs.
He loses his stance.
It emits vocalizations.
Collapses.
He pees on himself once he's collapsed.
What should I do?
Normally, if it's a blackout, this fading doesn't last more than a minute.
The dog should recover soon, but you should pay attention to its movements and, of course, go to the vet.
There you must tell the professional what your dog was doing before he passed out and what he did next, if he has any illnesses or is in full treatment.
The veterinarian will scan your pet checking his heart, respiratory and neurological system. You may also take urine and blood samples for testing and determining the causes.
Once the reason for syncope has been discovered, the veterinarian shall establish appropriate treatment or relevant recommendations.
If the fainting has been caused by an illness, medication will be prescribed for it, while if it has been caused, for example, by an overuse, its activity will have to be moderated.