Has your dog ever been involved in an accident? Perhaps they’ve had a clumsy bump on the head? If so, then you might be wondering whether concussion is a possibility in our canine companions.
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What is concussion?
Concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury from a severe blow to the head. In people, this type of injury can cause symptoms like headaches and memory impairment. The effects are usually temporary but can leave sufferers feeling dazed, confused and possibly sleepy. Their vision may also be blurred, or they may experience visual abnormalities (‘seeing stars’).
The technical term for concussion is minor traumatic brain injury and it is usually diagnosed after eliminating more serious problems. If human sufferers have normal diagnostic imaging, with no swelling of the brain or bleeding seen, then they are given they are deemed to have concussion.
After a serious brain injury has been ruled out in this way, patients usually make a full recovery. In human medicine, there is evidence to suggest that repeated episodes of concussion could contribute to issues with mental ability and even trigger dementia (chronic traumatic encephalopathy).
However, this tends to be more common in people who are in competitive sports such as boxing.
As the anatomy of a dog’s head is made up of all the same components as ours (a soft brain, surrounded by a thin layer of fluid, protected by a hard skull); we can conclude that dogs probably also suffer from concussion in a similar way to us. During a minor traumatic injury, the brain suddenly moves around inside the skull leading to bruising.
It is obviously harder for us to gauge just how severely dogs are affected as they are unable to describe their symptoms to us. However, we can safely assume that after a major bump on the head, they will, at a minimum, be suffering from a headache and feeling a bit dazed.
What causes concussion in dogs?
Concussion in dogs can occur after any severe trauma to the head. The most common trauma we see in pet animals is road traffic accidents; with many dogs that are hit by cars sustaining a head injury. However, being kicked by a horse, falling from a height or even banging their own head on the underside of a table could give them a nasty blow.
It is important to remember that not every head injury, even in people, will result in concussion. This means that they may be feeling a bit bruised and sore but are not actually concussed.
How is concussion in dogs diagnosed?
This is a tricky one. As discussed earlier, people who sustain severe head trauma may have diagnostic imaging to look for any serious brain injuries that could require treatment. This is usually a type of advanced imaging called a CT scan which produces detailed x-ray style images.
However, scans are often only run in human patients who have more serious symptoms like mismatched pupil size, seizures, severe vomiting or speech issues. So, many cases of suspected concussion are never even scanned; and it is a presumed diagnosis based on the patient’s presentation and physical examination. Even those patients who are scanned are only given the ‘official’ diagnosis of a concussion based on the lack of any other findings.
In dogs, a similar approach might be taken. If there are obvious signs of severe head trauma then those patients should be assessed further with a scan. However, this usually means referring your pet to a specialist/referral centre as most general practices don’t have access to advanced diagnostic imaging like a CT scanner.
If, however, your dog is deemed to be stable on their physical examination then they might be presumed to have a minor traumatic brain injury and treated accordingly.
How is concussion in dogs treated?
Dogs who have sustained trauma to the head are usually treated based on their clinical signs. If your dog has had a knock to the head but is stable and alert, then he may be managed as an outpatient. Pain relief and close monitoring at home could be all that is advised.
If, however, your dog is showing signs of more severe injury, then he could require hospitalisation for management, including intravenous fluids to support their blood pressure and oxygen therapy if they are having any breathing issues. Medications may include anti-convulsants, anti-nausea treatments and pain relief. Often dogs with head trauma have been involved in serious accidents which could mean there are injuries elsewhere that need addressing at the same time too.
If your vet is suspicious of more serious brain trauma, then they may also refer your dog to a specialist centre for a CT scan and hospitalisation.
When should I call my vet?
Sometimes it can be hard to know how serious a head injury is or not. If your dog has taken a blow to the head then it is always better safe than sorry to get them checked out; particularly if they are showing any of the following signs –
- Loss of consciousness
- Severe vomiting
- The pupils in their eyes are of different sizes
- Loss of balance or difficulty walking
- Seizures
- Obvious external injury or bleeding from the head
While these symptoms are not classically seen with concussion (minor traumatic brain injury), they can be a sign of an even more severe head injury and are an indication that your dog needs immediate veterinary attention.
Summary
The official term for concussion is minor traumatic brain injury. Most patients suffering from this may have short-term issues such as a headache, blurred vision and confusion. Our difficulty is that we cannot ask our canine patients how they are feeling; so it is hard for us to assess the full extent of their head trauma. Instead, we must rely on the findings from our physical exam to guide our treatment and diagnostics. If your vet is concerned that your dog may have sustained more serious head trauma, then they may need to be referred for specialist scanning and treatment.
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