You’re on a walk with your furry pal, and Fido is having a blast chasing squirrels and fetching sticks. Suddenly, your dog collapses and passes out before your eyes. Witnessing this can be traumatic, even if your pooch gets back on its feet moments later.
In this guide from our vet clinic in Desoto, you’ll learn what to do if your dog passes out, as well as a few reasons why your dog may faint.
Steps To Take if Your Dog Loses Consciousness
If your pup faints, it’s a veterinary emergency, so you must act quickly. Follow these steps:
- Move the dog somewhere safe if it’s in a dangerous area, such as the middle of the road.
- Feel your dog’s heartbeat and note whether it’s extremely rapid or very slow. Noting this will help your vet determine whether the fainting was caused by a cardiac or neurological problem.
- Note any clinical signs, such as trouble breathing, bleeding, or a swollen abdomen. Try to remember how your dog was acting right before it passed out.
- Try to get a video recording of the episode. This is very helpful in diagnosing your pup’s condition.
- Call your vet and ask whether the dog needs to be seen right away or if you can wait for an appointment. If the vet isn’t open, take the dog to the closest emergency animal hospital. Be careful when transporting the dog as unconscious dogs can be uncharacteristically aggressive upon waking up.
To determine why the dog passed out, your vet will want to run blood work to rule out blood sugar issues or metabolic problems, such as kidney or liver damage. The vet will also check the dog’s heart rate with an electrocardiogram (ECG), which can reveal unusual arrhythmias.
If the vet suspects the fainting is cardiac in nature, they may refer you to a cardiologist for a heart ultrasound. The cardiologist might outfit your dog with a Holter monitor to keep tabs on its heart rate.
If the vet believes your dog might have a neurological problem, they’ll refer you to a neurologist for animals. The neurologist may perform a spinal tap, MRI, or electroencephalogram (EEG) to check for potential seizures.
What Causes Collapse With Loss of Consciousness in Dogs?
If your dog passes out, you’re likely wondering what caused it. It’s important to note that dogs can’t faint from fright the way people can. Fainting in dogs (also called syncope) is usually cardiac or neurological in nature.
Neurological disorders that can cause fainting include:
- Brain tumors
- Vestibular disease
- Narcolepsy
- Vascular disease
Cardiovascular conditions that can cause dogs to pass out include:
- Heart failure
- Arrhythmias
- Genetic heart defects
- Mitral valve disease
- Tachycardia (fast heartbeat) or bradycardia (slow heartbeat)
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Pericardial effusion
If your dog passes out, it’s not always cardiac or neurological in nature. Other conditions can cause fainting, such as cancer, low blood sugar, and heartworm disease.
If your dog had a serious accident (it was hit by a car, for instance) and is bleeding heavily, passing out is common. This is an emergency that requires a vet’s help immediately.
Were you playing with your pooch in the hot sun all day? Your dog may have fainted due to heatstroke. Just like humans, dogs need plenty of shade and cool water on scorching days.
Has your dog started any new medications? Certain prescription drugs can cause fainting as a side effect.
Fainting vs. Collapsing
What if your dog didn’t lose consciousness but simply collapsed? Collapsing and fainting share some of the same causes, such as arrhythmias, endocrine issues, seizures, and heatstroke.
Other causes of collapsing without fainting include:
- Severe anemia: If your dog doesn’t get enough iron or has trouble processing this vital mineral, it may collapse from weakness.
- Botulism: Botulism is caused by toxins from the Clostridium botulinum bacteria. Your dog can get botulism by eating something bad (rotten food, etc.) or getting the bacteria into its bloodstream through a wound.
- Tick paralysis: Several species of ticks can transmit a neurotoxin that causes paralysis. Other symptoms include difficulty breathing, coughing, gagging, loss of voice, and dilated pupils.
- Joint problems: Dogs with arthritis and other musculoskeletal issues may collapse without fainting. Such issues are particularly common in senior dogs.
- Pregnancy: Just like in humans, pregnancy is taxing on the bodies of female dogs.
- Poisoning: Ingesting toxic chemicals can cause dogs to collapse and even become paralyzed. So, too, can eating certain foods and plants. Foods to avoid include chocolate, candy containing xylitol, grapes, garlic, walnuts, and onions. Plants toxic to dogs include aloe, oleander, American holly, tulips, and several types of lilies.
How To Prevent Fainting in Dogs
Fainting in dogs isn’t always preventable, especially if your dog has an underlying cardiac or neurological problem. Still, there are some things you can do to help your furry friend feel its best.
- Take your dog for regular checkups at the vet. Annual screenings can help detect potentially dangerous problems that could cause fainting. It’s also important to stay up to date with your dog’s vaccination schedule.
- Feed your dog a nutritionally balanced food that’s veterinarian-approved. Avoid feeding a raw diet, as doing so can cause your pooch to miss out on vital nutrients.
- Keep poisonous plants out of your yard and steer Fido away from them if you spot one on a walk. Also, avoid feeding any treats that are toxic to dogs.
- Keep your dog well-hydrated on scorching summer days. Seek out shade and water right away if your dog is panting excessively or weak.
- Treat open wounds immediately, and head to the emergency vet if your dog won’t stop bleeding. Excessive blood loss can cause fainting and even death in just minutes.
Compassionate Care for Your Furry Friend
If your dog passes out, is coughing or gagging, or is showing any other troubling symptoms, Penny Paws Animal Clinic is here to help. We care about your pup just as much as you do! You can visit our clinics in person or schedule a convenient telemedicine visit from the comfort of your home.
Call (469) 807-3030 to book your appointment or schedule online now.